MAT Action Research & Reflective Teaching Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher notices students struggle with fractions and decides to try visual models for three weeks, then analyze test scores. This is best described as:
- Experimental research
- Action research (Correct answer)
- Ethnographic research
- Meta-analysis
Correct answer: Action research
Action research involves teachers systematically investigating a classroom problem and implementing a targeted intervention to improve practice.
Question 2: Which data collection method is MOST appropriate for capturing the nuanced reasoning behind student misconceptions?
- Standardized test scores
- Think-aloud protocols (Correct answer)
- Attendance records
- Summative rubric scores
Correct answer: Think-aloud protocols
Think-aloud protocols reveal students' cognitive processes in real time, making them ideal for uncovering misconceptions.
Question 3: In reflective teaching, the term 'critical reflection' most specifically refers to:
- Reviewing lesson plans before class
- Examining teaching through the lens of equity, power, and social justice (Correct answer)
- Tracking student attendance patterns
- Comparing scores across classes
Correct answer: Examining teaching through the lens of equity, power, and social justice
Critical reflection goes beyond self-evaluation to interrogate how broader social and institutional forces shape teaching and learning.
Question 4: A teacher wants to ensure her action research findings are trustworthy. She shares drafts with colleagues and asks if interpretations make sense to them. This strategy is called:
- Member checking
- Peer debriefing (Correct answer)
- Triangulation
- Saturation
Correct answer: Peer debriefing
Peer debriefing involves an external colleague reviewing data and interpretations to challenge assumptions and improve credibility.
Question 5: Which phase of the action research cycle directly follows data analysis?
- Identifying the problem
- Collecting data
- Implementing the action plan (Correct answer)
- Sharing findings
Correct answer: Implementing the action plan
After analyzing data, the action researcher uses insights to design and implement a revised or new action plan to address the identified problem.
Question 6: A teacher keeps a daily journal reflecting on what worked and what did not during instruction. This practice primarily serves to:
- Satisfy administrative documentation requirements
- Develop metacognitive awareness of one's own teaching (Correct answer)
- Track student behavioral infractions
- Generate standardized data for district reports
Correct answer: Develop metacognitive awareness of one's own teaching
Reflective journaling builds metacognitive awareness by prompting teachers to examine their instructional decisions and their effects systematically.
Question 7: When an action researcher uses student work samples, observation notes, AND survey responses to address the same question, this is known as:
- Saturation
- Member checking
- Thick description
- Triangulation (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Triangulation
Triangulation strengthens credibility by cross-checking findings across multiple data sources or methods.
MAT Action Research & Reflective Teaching Practices 2
A teacher notices students struggle with fractions and decides to try visual models for three weeks, then analyze test scores.
This is best described as: