Title page for ETD etd-07102006-131728

Type of Document

Dissertation

Author

Lasserre-Cortez, Shannon

URN

etd-07102006-131728

Title

A Day in the PARC: An Interactive Qualitative Analysis of School Climate and Teacher Effectiveness through Professional Action Research Collaboratives

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Educational Leadership, Research & Counseling

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Charles Teddlie	Committee Chair
Amy Westbrook	Committee Member
Eugene Kennedy	Committee Member
S. Kim MacGregor	Committee Member

Keywords

interactive qualitative analysis
teacher effectiveness
school climate
action research
professional development

Date of Defense

2006-05-15

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

This study examines the effects Professional Action Research Collaboratives (PARCs) have on several variables including teacher effectiveness, school effectiveness, and school climate. Mixed methods including Interactive Qualitative Analysis and non-parametric Mann Whitney U statistics were used to explore these effects. PARC participation was found to have no significant effect on school climate or teacher effectiveness; however, PARC Schools demonstrated higher school effectiveness scores than Comparison Schools. This project also generated a systems relationship diagram of school climate in PARC schools using Interactive Qualitative Analysis, and this paper offers a criticism of this fledgling method of data collection and analysis. There are, to this date, no published studies utilizing the IQA method. Although IQA is ultimately a detailed and time-consuming undertaking, the process is supported by detailed organization, supportive data collection and analysis tools, and methodological rigor. These characteristics make IQA an attractive choice for new researchers in need of a guided method of analysis, or researchers with quantitative leanings who may face a qualitative research question. Several limitations to IQA were uncovered during the extent of this study. Most of these limitations, such as unfamiliar jargon and unusual methods of data collection and analysis, are to be expected with the introduction of new methods and an accompanying vocabulary and will subside with utilization of the methodology.

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