First Advisor
Gottlieb, Derek
Document Type
Dissertation
Date Created
12-2021
Abstract
This research study explored the development of a teacher-researcher identity and investigated the pedagogy of two teachers who completed an action research course. I sought to investigate the development of a teacher-researcher identity in connection to the utilization of critical responsiveness in order to address the stifling of teacher agency that has resulted from standardization and deprofessionalization of the teaching profession. Through braiding the theoretical frameworks of cultural-historical activity theory, pragmatism, and critical theory, I examined the development of a teacher-researcher identity and how it impacted the pedagogical judgments and decisions of teachers. This multiple case study required data collection that included interviews, observations, and documents to understand and interpret how action research impacted the teacher identity and pedagogy of the participants. Findings of this study indicated that teachers’ teacher-researcher identity was connected to their feelings about research as well as their perceptions of and interactions with their research community. In addition, this study demonstrated that teachers' acceptance or refusal of pedagogical responsibility influenced how they implemented action research, their perceptions of the impact action research had on their teaching, and their ability to critically reflect on their teaching practice and research. This study told the story of a teacher who became a self-identified teacher-researcher through action research and improved her pedagogical critical responsiveness to her students through an acceptance of pedagogical responsibility. Simultaneously, another story was told, a story of a teacher who did not become a teacher-researcher and, as a result, rejected pedagogical responsibility as seen in a lack of critical responsiveness and critical self-reflection. Lastly, I utilized my experience conducting this study to advocate for the humanization of research and research communities.
Extent
229 pages
Local Identifiers
Varona_unco_0161D_10980.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Recommended Citation
Brown Varona, Meagan Chelsea, "Pedagogy Is Research: Investigating The Teacher-Researcher Identity And Pedagogy of Teachers Who Completed an Action Research Project" (2021). Dissertations. 770.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/770