Educator Actions and Public Perceptions: Using Action Research to Increase Stakeholder Engagement and Community Support
Location
Moody
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
This action research (AR) case study explored the community perceptions of a local school and sought to understand how teacher behaviors and school actions impacted the perceptions of the school. The action research team used qualitative data provided by parents and stakeholders to create interventions that were intended to increase partnerships with the community and facilitate stronger stakeholder engagement. The AR team analyzed teacher questionnaire responses and data from parent surveys and interviews to understand factors that impacted public perceptions of the local high school and the educators within it. Through the action research process, the AR team analyzed teacher questionnaires, parent surveys, and parent interviews to answer the research questions guiding the study. Based on the pre-study data, the team created interventions based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1986). The team also used Durkheim’s theory of functionalism to understand community behaviors related to the school. The mixed methods used in the study provided findings that supported the theoretical lenses, and the team was able to answer the research questions that guided their work. The team found that positive perceptions of the school and educators increased and community disengagement and teacher frustrations related to this phenomenon decreased.
Keywords
Action Research, Community Perceptions, Community Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement, Educator Actions
Recommended Citation
Murphey, Miranda and Shelton, Carla, "Educator Actions and Public Perceptions: Using Action Research to Increase Stakeholder Engagement and Community Support" (2017). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 10.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2017/2017/10
Educator Actions and Public Perceptions: Using Action Research to Increase Stakeholder Engagement and Community Support
Moody
This action research (AR) case study explored the community perceptions of a local school and sought to understand how teacher behaviors and school actions impacted the perceptions of the school. The action research team used qualitative data provided by parents and stakeholders to create interventions that were intended to increase partnerships with the community and facilitate stronger stakeholder engagement. The AR team analyzed teacher questionnaire responses and data from parent surveys and interviews to understand factors that impacted public perceptions of the local high school and the educators within it. Through the action research process, the AR team analyzed teacher questionnaires, parent surveys, and parent interviews to answer the research questions guiding the study. Based on the pre-study data, the team created interventions based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1986). The team also used Durkheim’s theory of functionalism to understand community behaviors related to the school. The mixed methods used in the study provided findings that supported the theoretical lenses, and the team was able to answer the research questions that guided their work. The team found that positive perceptions of the school and educators increased and community disengagement and teacher frustrations related to this phenomenon decreased.
