Applied Research

When considering the usefulness of applied research in the field of education I am of two minds.
The question we’re asked to reflect on questions about the ability to be a highly effective
educator without understanding applied research. My initial reaction is no. I do not think an
understanding of applied research is something that denotes a highly effective educator. Not to
claim that it isn’t useful or can improve teaching and learning strategies but over the course of
my 15 years as a teacher and educational leader, I have seen highly effective teachers without a
working knowledge of applied research. When thinking about important aspects of students
learning, things like being able to create a safe, healthy and engaging learning environment, or
being able to build strong relationships with your students seem to be more important than
understanding applied research. With that being said I think that effective educators are natural
researchers as they reflect on their students' learning, and their lessons and consider ways that
they can improve themselves and their students. The process of studying a school situation to
understand and improve the quality of the educative process is a cornerstone of improving
education (Hine, 2013). However, I believe it is something that can be done formally by
educators to improve the quality of education at their school or in their area, but is also
something that can be done informally, or naturally, by talented educators with a passion for
their students.

Research Topic

In this initial stage, I am still weighing 2 different ideas for my applied research topic. One is the
use of technology in the classroom and its effect on students learning. The other is the effect of
classroom design and its effects on the learning environment. These two ideas are of interest to
me because they are two things that are challenges in my current school and I often wonder just
how important, or how much of a difference these things can make in student learning. I would
love to hear some feedback in relation to these two topics in order to make my finalize my
ideas.

Research Questions

Use of Technology in the Classroom

1. Does the use of technology in the classroom provide a significant increase to student learning
and achievement?

2. How important is teacher training in the effective use of technology in the classroom?
Classroom Design and its Importance to student learning

1. Does having a purposefully designed classroom environment significantly affect the

achievement and learning of students?

2. How important is student agency in the construction of the classroom environment?

3. Does giving students agency in the design of the classroom show improved results in their
learning?

References

Hine, G. S. C. (2013). The importance of action research in teacher education programs. Issues in

Educational Research, 23(2). https://www.iier.org.au/iier23/hine.pdf