What is the Teachers as Researchers Academy?

The Teachers as Researchers Academy (TARA) is an ongoing partnership among SERVE Education Leadership staff, representatives of colleges of education at three regional state universities, and in-service teachers with either formal or informal relationships with those institutions. The teachers are provided initial workshop training in "action research," followed by various forms of ongoing support from both SERVE and the respective colleges of education with which they are either formally or informally affiliated. The objective is to train and support teachers in action-research projects of their choice, related to real problems and issues in their classrooms and schools, thus producing increasingly self-reflective practitioners with enhanced critical-inquiry, problem-solving, and collaborative skills.

What is "action research"?

Action research—often called "teacher research"—is a process of self-directed problem identification and the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to improve classroom practice. The teacher-researcher's task is to discover—through information collected and studied in the classroom—what works, with whom, and under what circumstances. The overall process involves elements of both quantitative and qualitative research, oriented toward the goal of solving real educational problems or addressing actual student-learning needs in the immediate context. By nature, action research produces teachers who become sophisticated seekers and users of knowledge for practical application and enhanced instructional practice and student-learning outcomes.

What kinds of problems and issues does action research address?

Because action research takes place in the "real world" of the classroom and the school, the range of problems and issues addressed becomes, essentially, limitless. Part of the power and efficacy of the process is that it is grounded in an initial comprehensive analysis and understanding by teachers of what is working—and what isn't (the "what keeps you up at night" factor!)—in their specific classrooms with their specific students. Thus, whatever might be hindering improved learning outcomes of any student or group of students becomes the core around which all research and ultimate change are directed.

Who can participate in TARA?

TARA is comprised of K–12 teacher teams affiliated, either formally or informally, with the University of Montevallo (Alabama), North Georgia College and State University, and Western Carolina University (North Carolina). No new teacher cohorts are being added currently, but the "TARA Consortium," comprised of the representatives from those institutions, plus SERVE staff, discuss on an ongoing basis how to support most effectively and efficiently current teacher teams and how the program might be expanded or modified.

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