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Case Study of an Action Research Program Within Holistic Education Robin Ann Martin Iowa State University

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Case Study of an Action Research Program Within Holistic Education Robin Ann Martin Iowa State University Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2003 Teachers as learners: case study of an action research program within holistic education Robin Ann Martin Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Robin Ann, "Teachers as learners: case study of an action research program within holistic education " (2003). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 604. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/604 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Teachers as learners: Case study of an action research program within holistic education by Robin Ann Martin A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education Program of Study Committee: Jackie Blount, Major Professor Corly Brooke Florence Hamrick Christopher Lubienski David Owen Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2003 Copyright © Robin Ann Martin, 2003. All rights reserved. UMI Number: 3085929 Copyright 2003 by Martin, Robin Ann All rights reserved. UMI UMI Microform 3085929 Copyright 2003 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ii Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the Doctoral dissertation of Robin Ann Martin has met the dissertation requirements of Iowa State University. Signature was redacted for privacy. Major Profej Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Program iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii ABSTRACT : viii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 The Story of New Teachers at a Holistic School 1 Teacher Development Program Being Investigated 2 Significance of the Research 3 Summary of Research Questions and Methods 8 Rationale for Organizing Chapters 9 Interpretive Limitations 11 CHAPTER 2. THE SETTING AND THE PARTICIPANTS 15 Defining the Boundaries of this Case 15 Locating the Research in Its Geography 19 A Preliminary Case and Its Findings 20 Profile of Educaré Elementary 21 Research Participants 31 Case Researcher's Relationships to the Researched 38 CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODS 42 Responsive Constructivism as the Framing Epistemology 42 Fourth Generation Methods for Case Study Research 45 Issues of Power Differentials 48 The Use of Ethnographic Methods 50 Data Collection 52 Analysis and Interpretation 58 Participant/Researcher Agreements 63 Generalizability, Validity, and Limitations of the Case 64 CHAPTER 4. THE STORY BEGINS: ACTION RESEARCH INTRODUCED 67 iv Learning About Holistic Education 67 Action Research Introductory Week: A Descriptive Summary 76 Summary of Action Research Program Feedback 86 What Was Learned of Action Research: Interpretations of Tacit Knowledge 90 Interpretative Summary about the Program 99 CHAPTER 5. THE STORY DEEPENS: MEGAN'S LEARNING 102 The Uniqueness of this Perspective 102 A Portrait of Megan 105 Expressions of Holistic Education, by "Megan Fielding" 108 Patterns in Megan's Learning and Experiences 110 Action Research Summary, by "Megan Fielding" 116 Seeing as a Teacher-Researcher in Holistic Education 119 Limitations and Interpretations of What Was Learned 121 CHAPTER 6. HOW THE STORY ENDS AND THEMES REVEALED 123 The Complexity of School Development Issues 123 Douglas's Narrative at the School's Ending 127 Megan's Narrative at the School's Ending 139 Patterns and Themes Across Stories: Fears Uncovered 149 Relationships, Leadership, and Freedom 157 CHAPTER 7. A LITERATURE REVIEW 164 Holistic Education and Its Implications 166 Action Research in Holistic Classrooms 172 Reflective Teaching Practices 178 Teacher Development for Holistic Education 183 On Fear and Learning for Teachers 192 Studies on the Outcomes of Private Schools 197 History about Holistic Schools 202 Discussion on Experience, Theory, and Practice 207 CHAPTER 8. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 210 The Case in Retrospect 210 V Limitations of this Research 212 Action Research and Teaching in Holistic Classrooms 213 Action Research and Its Impact on Tacit Knowledge 214 Factors That Influenced Teachers' Learning from Action Research 215 Insights, Limitations, and Transferability 219 Some Broader Implications of This Research 221 The Future of Research in Holistic Education 223 A Conclusion, For Now 225 AFTERWORD. 227 REFERENCES 231 APPENDIX A. CONCERNS AND ISSUES OF DISCREPANCY 236 APPENDIX B. CODES FOR ANALYZING PROGRAM 246 APPENDIX C. SUMMARY OF ACTION RESEARCH PROGRAM THEMES 250 APPENDIX D. QUESTIONS FOR TWO REMAINING TEACHERS 267 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Educaré Elementary: Characteristics of the Families 25 Table 2. Summary of School Participants ("Cast of Characters") 33 Table 3. Data Collected for Case at Educaré Elementary School 53 Table 4. Definitions of Fourth Generation and Other Terms Used 55 Table 5. Activities During 5-Day Action Research Workshop 83 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to acknowledge the holistic educators as well as scholars in the field with whom I have come into contact over the past five years. The work they do with children, with families, with teachers, and within themselves, may never be recognized by the larger culture, but its value is of immeasurable significance to many. I am also grateful to my family, especially my parents for their unending concern about my emotional and financial well-being. The learning moments that led to this research could not have been possible either without my learning and life experiences in relationship with my six nieces. Similarly, do I feel gratitude toward the other children and youth with whom I have interacted and taught from Arida-shi, Japan, to Seattle, Washington, to Ames, Iowa. My gratitude extends to each of my five Iowa State committee members for being flexible enough to let me study what I needed to study, when I needed to study it, and open enough to reviewing a dissertation that "pushes the boundaries" of education as it is practiced in most universities and schools. The two private foundations whose small grants helped support my life during the two years of this research were greatly valued as well. I also wish to acknowledge my colleagues at Paths of Learning for ongoing and caring encouragement as I step into this field. Finally, and most importantly for the present work, I am grateful to the participants of this study (including my critical friends) for their candor and vulnerability. Without their commitments to learning and self-development, and to more holistic approaches in education, this study would have been lifeless. viii ABSTRACT This ethnographic research project was designed as a first step for exploring the development of teachers in holistic education who were learning action research as a means for inquiry into their own holistic practices. Action research is a methodology for systematically learning about one's chosen profession where the researcher is the researched and the observer is the observed. Holistic education is an approach to teaching that involves learning in relationship with each child, about the nuances of the whole child while simultaneously learning about oneself in relationship to the child and to the world. Combining these two fields of action research and holistic education, this study describes the experiences and viewpoints of teachers as they developed practical skills with action research for applying it in their elementary school classrooms. It is a case study of a teacher development program where teachers are engaged with self-development concurrently as they learn to use action research. Overall, the findings of this research indicate: (1) different kinds of knowing and learning are valued by holistic educators, including academic as well as tacit knowing (2) there are circumstances in which action research can lead to useful insights for teachers who are interested in developing their knowledge of and about holistic education, and (3) external and internal factors, such as the economic stability of the school as well as each participant's relationship to fear, mediated what and how teachers were able to learn from the program being studied. The thick descriptions in this case report were developed so that others can make judgments for themselves about their own situation with respect to the significance of action research for holistic schools that push the boundaries of teachers' pedagogic comfort levels. This study also offers practical implications that could be useful for any school or group of teachers attempting to implement more holistic approaches to education in a culture that often seems to be moving in the opposite direction. 1 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Kent moved forward as he spoke to all the women teachers, and stepped back as he spoke to the men. He praised the women, smiled at them, while responding sternly to the men. Verbally and non-verbally, all
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