Developing a Question 3/7/2007

1) Question Formation: What do I need to learn? Based on the revised version of the "What I Plan To Study", I need to learn more about the orientation process. What is orientation? What are the components of an induction plan? Who should be involved? How does the culture of our shool influence the induction plan? Shared vision between staff members - is this the place to start when creating a new induction plan?

2) Literature Search: What resources have I identified to learn this new material? Up to this point, I have researched the Induction Plans from other school districts in the state of Pennsylvania through the internet. I have also read an artical from Educational Leadership - Improving School Culture, Synthesis of Research on Effective Schools. I found a website called Building A Shared Vision developed by the Bonner Curriculum. I have gone back through my notes from the previous school year when I attended the Induction Plan Training with HRD and reviewed my notes and the comments our previous team had made. I am still researching, reading & learning. I believe that all of this is helping me reflect on the process and develop a strong action research that will truly have an impact, but the more I look through information I am finding, the more overwhelmed I am feeling. ????

3) Question Formation: How has my action research question/focus changed? My action research focus has changed quite a bit (hence the two different "What I Plan to Study" blogs). Reviewing the Induction Rubric, reflecting on school procedures set in place concerning induction this school year and speaking with my administrator my action research has become somewhat more focused. I also believe that the action research has become more focused because of Richard Sagor's book and the probing/reflecting questions asked through Chapter 3. I felt and sometimes still feel that my action research is too broad, so after reading Chapter 3 and reflecting on the problem formation, I think I am more on the path of accomplishing something. What has helped me the most to narrow the field of research and begin to think about data collection has been the answers to these questions: Who is effected? Who or what is suspected of causing the problem? What kind of problem is it? What is the goal for improvement? What do we propse to do about it? Once I answered these questions in my journal, I was able to develop research questions such as: 1) How will meeting as a Leadership Team to create an induction plan influence other members of our school? 2) What components should make up our induction plan? 3) How does creating a shared vision as our leadership team creates the Induction Plan affect the attitudes of teachers?