Brianne Schoolcraft '15

2012 Soar Student

Major/minor: Undeclared but considering a double major in English and Art

Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.

Project: Teacher Action Research: Contemporary Leaders in Practitioner Inquiry and Their Epistemological Belief Systems

Project advisor: Dr. Joseph Shosh

Project details: Our goal throughout this project has been to compile sources and information related to Teacher Action Research in order to create a database of easily accessible and well-organized material for students or professors hoping to extend their knowledge of Action Research and hoping to apply this insight to their own Educational Action Research endeavors.

Why I wanted to participate in SOAR: I was motivated to participate in this SOAR project knowing that the experience and skills this project would provide could potentially aid me, not only as a student, but also in a future career where critical thinking and research can be applied. An equally large incentive, however, was an understanding of how important the education of future generations is to society, and that I could potentially make a difference by aiding in the expansion of knowledge of future educators despite the fact that at this moment I am not planning on pursuing a career in education.

Results: We have completed a 31-page bibliography of works by leaders in Action Research, an annotated version of the bibliography which includes summaries of some of these works as well as key quotations, a list of the universities and colleges with top programs in Teacher Action Research in Pennsylvania, California, New York, and New Jersey, and short bios of the key leaders in Teacher Action Research.

Future plans: I plan on declaring a double major in Art and English, and applying the skills I have learned over the course of this project wherever applicable to these disciplines. I also hope to be able to continue work on this SOAR project with Dr. Shosh next summer.