Writing into the Profession: Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions to Teacher Research

Writing into the Profession:
Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions
to Teacher Research
By Mary Powell

T   he voices of educators working in kindergarten through Grade 12 often remain unheard
in educational publications and academic conferences. Yet these teachers are the experts
who work with students on a daily basis, so they have excellent insight to add to the educational
research community. This article provides step-by-step instructions on manageable ways for
K–12 teachers to conduct research during the busy school year.

The field of education is flooded with professors and graduate students who publish, but
the voices of teachers working in kindergarten through Grade 12 (K–12) are seldom heard
(Woodcock, Lassonde, & Rutten, 2004). This is due to time constraints, lack of knowledge,
and lack of support in the school system. Yet the voices of classroom teachers can add
authenticity to the field of educational research because they are immersed in the political,
social, and economic issues of which many university researchers only have secondary
knowledge. For K–12 educators, politicized issues are reality, and the repercussions of
poor legislation and funding are authentic, daily dilemmas.
One way for teachers to reflect upon their teaching experiences and classroom practices
is through the art of research writing (Darling-Hammond, 1994; Hillocks, 1999; Mohr,
2004). Although it is an arduous task to teach full time, grade papers, and write, teacher
research invigorates educators in their practice. Extensive research has been published
about teachers and writing (Bieler & Thomas, 2009; Lieberman & Friedrich, 2007; Webb,
2005; Whitney, 2009; Whyte et al., 2007), but few articles have been written to inform
K–12 teachers on how to conduct research in their classrooms during the hustle and bustle
of the school year. This article provides classroom educators with manageable steps to
conducting research during the teaching day.

Step 1: Choosing a Topic
The first step to writing about your classroom is selecting a topic. Write about an issue
that frustrates you, motivates you, or inspires you. Choosing a topic about which you are
passionate will ensure that you remain interested in what you are writing. When crafting
your topic, ask yourself some questions to jump start your writing: What entities in my
school need to be changed? What professional practices work well? How are teachers and students
valued in my school? How do teachers and students remain voiceless? By posing questions
and trying to answer them, you are on the path to choosing your research question
10 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin
(Shagoury-Hubbard & Miller-Power, 2003). Select a question that is a natural fit with
your curriculum and informs your instruction so that you are not adding additional work
onto your teaching day.

Step 2: Finding an Audience
Write down your research question. What is it that you want to know? Why do you want
to know it? Will other educators find it interesting or beneficial? Make certain that you
identify your audience. Will it be elementary, high school, or middle school educators?
Do you want to write a piece for administrators or counselors? You can find inspiration

from specific journals that often include calls for manuscripts that may fit with activities
you already do with your students. Typically, journals will provide sample articles for you
to read online. Read these articles so that you become accustomed to the types of articles
that a journal publishes (Reid, 2008). When reading sample issues, examine the reference
pages. Are there many citations or one or two? What formatting does the journal require:
APA or MLA? Also, examine who the readers of that publication are so that you can
cater your writing toward that audience. For example, do teachers, college professors, or
administrators read that journal?

Step 3: Gaining Permission from Your District
Ask your district what forms you are required to complete to conduct a research study
and to have approval for research with human subjects. Most school districts will require
that you have written consent from students and parents (see Appendixes A and B) and
that you answer a series of questions related to your research. Explain the rationale behind
your study to your administrators. Is it to learn more about your practice? Is it to present
at a conference? Most districts will applaud your efforts to write during your busy teaching
day. If you do not receive permission from your principal, ask to speak to your district’s
curriculum specialist. He or she may be aware that teachers’ reflective writing and inquiry
are powerful ways for educators to learn more about their teaching and learning (Bieler
& Thomas, 2009; Boyd & Boyd, 2005; Davis & Resta, 2004; Reid, 2009; Stockinger,
2007; Wood & Lieberman, 2000). Teacher research provides educators with concrete
ways of shaping and improving their classroom practices. It can also be the most profound
source of professional development because it is specific to the school context and student
demographics of that particular teacher.

Step 4: Locating the Literature
You will want to read what has already been published on your topic so that you become
knowledgeable about the subject and so that you are adding new information to your field.
Read a variety of credible journals on your topic. The easiest way to find scholarly articles is
through databases at your local library or college. Two search engines most common in the
academic community are EBSCO and ERIC. Once you begin your search, you can use the
keyword search for common phrases. You will need to play with this approach, trying a
variety of keywords. Once you find one article that is helpful, save it in a file folder labeled
with your research topic, such as book choice and adolescents. Once you find your first article,
it is that much easier to find others. Look within the text of that first article for its citations
and do a new search on the authors in that article and reference page. Once you have an
electronic folder of these articles accumulated, read them over. You can cite these later in
your writing.

Step 5: Methods and Research Participants
Write down your research methodologies. How will you answer your question? You could
use interviews, field notes, and pre- and post- surveys. Use methodologies that will answer
your question (Shagoury-Hubbard & Miller-Power, 2003). For example, if you want to
find out if students are interested in writing, make sure that any data you collect answer
this inquiry. You will want to create the assignments that can be used to answer your
question(s) ahead of time. These assignments will serve as your methods. For example,
2 years ago, I conducted a research study with my 12th graders. I was curious whether
allowing them to select their own books would engage them in their reading practices.
Although the study was conducted in August, I wrote all reading assignments and writing
prompts before the school year began.
I conducted my study with one class so I was not overwhelmed with too much data.
Roughly 25–30 students make a nice number for a study. You may also conduct a case

study or study of individual students. Case studies sample as few as one student and are
typically used for research on a small number of individuals in order to gain insight about
a group of students with similar experiences. For more information on case studies read
Mitchell’s (1984) or Merriam’s (1998) work. Additionally, Edmonson and Irby (2008)
provide a wealth of information in a 10-step guide to producing qualitative studies within
a short period of time.

Step 6: Obtaining Student and Parent Permission
Any time you conduct research with people, you must obtain their permission (see
Appendixes A and B). If your students are 18 years of age, you can have them sign a student
permission form. If they are under the age of 18, they will need to sign a student assent form,
and their parents will need to sign a permission form. Make certain to include the purpose
and rationale for your study in the permission letter. If you are videotaping or taking
photographs of your students, you will want to mention this in the permission form. You
will need to keep this written consent after you have finished your writing; this affords
you the freedom to write research related to this population of students, in that particular
study, indefinitely. Keep these forms for at least 7 years. If you wait more than 7 years to
use your data, your information may become obsolete. Be sure to keep all paperwork at
least 1–2 years after it has been published in case a student or parent has a question about
your research.

Pass out your permission forms during the first week of school. Explain the purposes
and intent of your study to your students, reading the form aloud to them. If your students
are old enough to sign a consent form, collect it within 1–2 weeks so you do not have forms
trickling in later on. Make certain you use pseudonyms when you begin writing about your
students to retain their anonymity. You will also want to keep a list of which pseudonym
goes with which student so you remember about whom you are writing. Typically, educators
select pseudonyms that are specific to a student’s gender and culture. For example, when
I write about a Latino student, I prefer assigning a Latino name to retain that student’s
unique voice and culture in my writing.

Step 7: Staying Organized
Once you have collected your permission forms, you need to keep your documents
organized. The easiest way to do this is to hand out file folders to the students and have
them label their folders with their names. Have your students place their permission forms
into these folders immediately. Each time you administer an assignment related to your
study, they can place the work in their folders. This will make certain that you do not
spend long hours filing after school and that your data remain organized. Keep items in
chronological order, and keep an ongoing list of the date of each assignment in a teaching
journal. This will help when you present at conferences or write up your findings. You
can pass out blank table-of-contents forms and have students write in each assignment
on these forms if you prefer. Keep the folders in a locked file cabinet to retain student
confidentiality. Teachers and researchers may wish to replicate your study, so you want to
maintain a clear and organized record of your work.

Step 8: Making Time to Write
How does a teacher juggle writing and publishing with multiple classes to teach and papers
to grade, let alone raising a family and having some down time? It is no easy task. You must
find time to write in small increments during your school day. The easiest way to do this
is to keep a teaching journal (Singer, 2005). Several K–12 teacher-researchers have used
teaching journals as a place to gather their thoughts and ideas and, later, have turned these
journals into publications (Atwell, 1982, 1984, 1998; Bissex, 1996; Juarez, 1999; Paley,

1999). As you write, record observations about your students. What do they look like?
How do they learn? Include idiosyncratic descriptions that give voice and personality to
your students (Singer, 2005). For example, are your students chewing gum or biting their
cuticles? Do they like to doodle on their essays? If so, what do they draw? Paint an image
of your students. This keeps your ideas lively and fresh and will make the writing authentic
for your readers. Teachers want to read about classroom teachers who are down to earth and
who experience teaching situations similar to their own. Giving voice to your students is a
way of accomplishing this.
Write at the same time every day if possible, even if only for a few minutes. This will
keep you in a routine. Perhaps you can write for 10 minutes before your first-period class
or 15 minutes at the end of the school day. You will also want to write with your students.
While students are writing or working in groups, you can write in your journal. Tell your
students that you are a real writer and that writers record their thoughts constantly. Your
students may be more motivated to write when they see you writing with them. This makes
for a community of authors and eliminates a top-down approach to instruction.

Step 9: Collecting Student Artifacts.
Keep any student artwork and writing in a file box. For example, when I conducted a
study on student book choice, I saved vases, collages, clothing, and any other artwork my
students created regarding their readings. I kept their poetry, short stories, and letters. I
took photographs of my students’ artwork and kept these in their folders. I also asked the
students to record a brief description of their art, why they created this artifact, and what
Fall 2011 · Lifelong Learning 13
they learned from it. I filed these reflections in the students’ files so I would know the
significance of their artwork was about later, when I was writing my article.
Next, I chose four students whose artwork was unusual and interviewed them after
school. I video recorded the interviews and asked the students to explain their pieces to me.
This ensured that I would recognize any symbolism behind their projects and made for
excellent data to take to conference presentations and use in future articles. I saved these
conversations in a file on my computer labeled Student artwork, Book Choice, December,
2008. Dating and labeling any files you accumulate, whether written or digitized, helps
you keep track of information that you wish to locate months later. You will want to save
all electronic files on your computer and back them up on a flash drive.

Step 10: Writing your Piece
You have gotten permission and collected the data; now it is time to write your first draft!
A great way to write a lead to your piece is to record your rationale behind conducting the
research. Did an administrator or teacher make you angry? Did you want to tell a success
story about a struggling student? Did you have a lingering question about your instruction?
Perhaps you want to start your piece with a quotation from a student or from an educator.
Keep the lead interesting and lively so your readers want to keep reading.
After your lead, you can begin drafting your piece. You may wish to organize it using
subheadings to make the reading easier. Chin (2010), director of the English teaching
program at the University of Montana, advises beginning each heading in the form of a
question and then answering that question. These questions can be adapted as you go and
changed into statements later. Breaking your writing into small chunks makes the process
less overwhelming because you are writing in small sections rather than one large one.
Such chunking also makes your writing easier to navigate. Incorporate student quotations
into your writing to add voice and authenticity to your piece. Remember, educators are
busy people, so keep your writing concise, descriptive, and interesting!
The closing of your article should briefly summarize its purpose and bring your readers
to an epiphany about the study. Some guiding questions you can use for your epiphany

include What do you hope the reader learned from your piece? How did you grow as a teacher
from conducting the research? How did your students grow from the lessons you taught them?
What are other issues that need research related to your topic? The closing is a great opportunity
to leave your readers inspired to explore your topic further.

Step 11: Revise, Revise, Revise!
Read your piece aloud several times. Read it for grammar, and read it for the latest edition
of APA or MLA format, whichever the journal dictates (Reid, 2008). You can purchase the
latest editions of the APA or MLA handbooks online for a discounted price. Another great
resource for these formats is OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/), Purdue University’s
writing Web site.
Read your piece a second time for word choice. An excellent model for revision is Chin’s
(2010) article, Teaching Meaningful Revision: Developing and Deepening Students’ Writing.
Although the article is primarily written for high school students, Chin poses excellent
revision questions for ideas, organization, sentence fluency, word choice, and voice.
When you send your piece to a journal, it is usually read, without revealing your identity,
by three reviewers. The reviewers will make comments on your piece and send them to their
lead editor, who will pass their comments on to you. There are three types of responses
14 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin
that writers receive: rejections, revisions and resubmissions, and acceptances. Revisions
and resubmissions require you to look at the reviewers’ comments, revise your piece, and
then resend it to the reviewers for a second read. Rarely are manuscripts accepted as a first
draft, so do not become discouraged if your piece is not immediately accepted. The key to
publishing is finding the right home for your manuscript, so make sure you are sending it
to a journal that fits the theme of your article and that has an audience who would benefit
from it. Also, look at the percentage of pieces that are accepted by the publication. This is
usually listed on their Web site. Some journals have as low as a 5% acceptance rate, while
others are less exclusive and publish their journal more frequently.
Sending a manuscript in for review without editing it first can cost you a publication.
Remember, the field is competitive and filled with educators who write well and have
people edit their work, so your piece must be polished before you submit it. It is better to
wait to perfect a piece than to send it out semipolished. It is far too easy to attach an article
to an e-mail and send it to an editor before realizing that citations are incorrect or that you
left out data you wanted to include. Never send a piece off when you are tired, overworked,
or distracted. You can always wait until the next day when you are rested.

Why Write?
It is easy to become overwhelmed when one is a teacher and a writer, but in accomplishing
both tasks you will find that you grow as an educator and that it is much easier to teach
writing to your students when you, too, are writing, as you experience the same challenges
and rewards of authorship that your students do when you engage in this rewarding craft.
When teachers write with their students, they embed their instruction in a community of
inquiry in which they pose questions and possible solutions to hurdles in their classrooms
(Dana & Yendol-Silva, 2003; Mohr, 2004; Tafel & Fischer, 2001). Teachers become
innovative inventors and problem solvers when they practice the art of inquiry. This
practice places K–12 teachers in the driver’s seat of education, allowing them to play an
active role in their professional development, which all too often is spoon-fed to them.
When teachers write, they gain the strength, courage, and confidence to become authors
and better writing instructors.

Mary Powell has taught high school English for 10 years and is earning
                                  her PhD in English education from Arizona State University. Her
                                  dissertation examines the impact of five novice, inner-city language arts
                                  teachers conducting research inquiry and writing in their classrooms while
                                  participating in a teacher writing group. A resident of Phoenix, AZ, Mary
                                  has been secretary and 2nd vice president of Rho Chapter; she has also been
                                  her chapter’s vice president for 4 years. In the future, Mary hopes to teach
                                  preservice English teachers at the university level. marygpowell@cox.net.

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16 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin

Appendix A
PARENTAL PERMISSION FORM
Dear Parent:
This year, I will be looking carefully at the daily activities that make up the reading and writing curriculum of our classroom. As a
teacher researcher, I may want to present some of the projects, and reading and writing your child does at future English teacher
conferences, or write about them in publications for scholarly and teacher practitioner journals. A large part of this proces s is using
student writing or art samples both in written and oral communication.
Your child’s name will be kept confidential. Your child will be assigned a pseudonym in the event their work is used. I may also want
to video record in class activities or presentations. This would be used for presenting at teacher conferences. These recordi ngs also
allow me to examine students’ comments more closely, and repeatedly, in the event I miss something in first listening to them.
I will be making copies of some of the writing and artwork of your child, with your permission. I know the class will benefit from the
better understanding we have of our reading and writing processes.
I would appreciate you signing the permission form below so that I may share the information I learn from your child with a wider
audience.
Sincerely,
Mary G. Powell
PhD student, English Education
North High School language arts instructor
Parent Name, printed:
Student Name, printed:
I agree for my child to be videotaped for the purposes of this research study/signature________________________
I agree for my child to be audio recorded for the purposes of this research study/signature________________________
Date:______
(This form was adapted from Shagoury-Hubbard, R., & Miller-Power, B. 2003, p. 26).

Appendix B

STUDENT PERMISSION FORM
Dear Student:
This year, I will be looking carefully at the daily activities that make up the reading and writing curriculum of our classroom. As a
teacher researcher, I may want to present some of the projects, reading and writing you do at future English teacher conferences, or
write about them in publications for scholarly and teacher practitioner journals. A large part of this process is using student writing or
art samples, both in written and oral formats.
Your name will be kept confidential; you will be given pseudonyms in the event your work is used. I may also want to video record
activities or presentations in class. This would be used for the purposes of presenting at teaching conferences. These record ings also
allow me to examine your insightful comments more closely and repeatedly while writing, in the event I miss something when I first
hear you.
I will be making copies of some of your writing and artwork with your permission. I know we will benefit from the better
understanding we have of our reading and writing processes.
I would appreciate you signing the permission form below so that I may share the information I learn from you with a wider audience.
Sincerely,
Mary G. Powell
PhD student, English Education
North High School language arts instructor
Parent Name, printed:
Student Name, printed:
I agree to be videotaped for the purposes of this research study/signature________________________
I agree to be audio recorded for the purposes of this research study/signature________________________
Date:______
(This form was adapted from Shagoury-Hubbard, R., & Miller-Power, B. 2003, p. 26).