Review of Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research

Authors

Willow Brown, University of Northern British ColumbiaFollow

Abstract

For educators frustrated by simplistic prescriptions disconnected from complex classrooms, this book is like a cool drink on a hot day. The editors have assembled ten accounts of teacher research so detailed that readers can smell the chalk dust and picture the faces of students struggling to find belonging and success at school. Each account illustrates teachers’ inquiry and action: problem framing, data collection, reflection, and instructional decisions to increase equity of opportunity and outcomes for all students. Introductory and concluding chapters situate specific initiatives within the contexts of equity pedagogy, which includes two current movements that resonate with teachers: culturally responsive teaching and differentiated instruction. Thus, the book as a whole has inspirational coherence beyond the local initiatives it describes.

Author Biography

Willow Brown is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of a new M.Ed. in leadership. The culmination of her 16 year career as a classroom teacher was an action research thesis on student self-assessment in a primary classroom. Her doctorate in educational administration was achieved with a collaborative action research dissertation on building a learning community in an inner city school. As a teacher educator and agent for change and school improvement, Dr. Brown continues to encourage and employ action research as an empowering, knowledge-building strategy for informal and formal school leaders.

Recommended Citation

Brown, Willow (2009) "Review of Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research," Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research: Vol. 11: Iss. 1. https://doi.org/10.4148/2470-6353.1114