Action Research Abstracts

A Message From the Director

At this time, I am pleased to present the collected abstracts of the action research projects conducted by the Masters of Education students spanning the years 2000-2004.  Day in and day out, the dedication and enthusiasm of our graduate student researchers excites and challenges me in my role as Director of Graduate Programs, and I am continually impressed with the depth and variety of our students’ research endeavors.   Studies conducted in both public and private schools as well with home schooling and alternative schools are represented here.  Studies of gifted and talented education, inclusion, reading readiness, and writing fluency are all included.  From athletic motivation to academic achievement, from preschool to college, from math to French, and from vocabulary to music, our students consider the many faces of education.  As our Graduate Programs in Education continue to grow and flourish, we will strive to have our students broaden their scope of study even further so as to deepen our collective impact on Maryland’s learners. 

With gratitude for the hard work involved and pride in the body of knowledge the synopses represent, I present to you these abstracts.  

Sincerely,
Phyllis M. Sunshine, PhD.

Action Research Prize Winners

2017 Winners

Megan Varga found that improved relationships between teachers and students significantly reduced student off-task classroom behavior. Read Megan's work:  https://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/3893.

Jane Dulin found that 11th grade students who received direct instruction in SAT preparation significantly increased their SAT test scores. Read Jane's work: https://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/4349.

2016 Winners 

Al-Amin Johnson found a significant improvement in the academic achievement of at-risk high school students in an advanced placement psychology course through the use of project-based learning. Read Al-Amin's work: https://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/2805.

Stacy S. Doucette found that a mentoring adult had a significant impact on at-risk ninth graders who earned more credits, and increased both cumulative grade point averages and motivation. Read Stacy's work: https://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/3075.