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*The
College of Education and Human Development magazine at George Mason
describes my work*
Self-Study
Teacher Research: Improving Practice Through Collaborative Inquiry
 Sage Publications writes: The
first textbook to offer novice and experienced teachers guidelines for
the “how” and “why” of self-study teacher research. Designed to
help pre- and in-service teachers plan, implement, and assess a
manageable self-study research project, this unique textbook covers the
foundation, history, theoretical underpinnings, and methods of
self-study research. Author Anastasia Samaras encourages readers to
think deeply about both the “how” and the “why” of this essential
professional development tool as they pose questions and formulate
personal theories to improve professional practice. Written in a
reader-friendly style and filled with interactive activities and
examples, the book helps teachers every step of the way as they learn
and refine research skills; conduct a literature review; design a
research study; work in validation groups; collect and analyze data;
interpret findings; develop skills in peer critique and review; and
write, present, and publish their studies.
For the publisher's order form, click here.
Learning
Communities In Practice
 Most would agree that a learning community of
practice cultivates social and intellectual development in educational
settings but what are the other benefits and what does a learning
community actually look like in practice? This book explores such
questions as: "Are learning communities essential in education?"
"How are they designed and developed?" "What difference
do they make in learning?" The book contains contributions of
educators who share their research and practice in designing and
implementing learning communities in school, university, and professional
network settings. It presents their experiences, and the "how
to" of these educators who are passionate about building and
sustaining learning communities to make a real difference for students,
teachers, faculty, and communities. Combining scholarly and
practitioner research, the book offers practical information to
teachers, school and university administrators, teacher educators, and
community educators.
For the publisher's order form, click here.
 Self-study of Teaching Practices
Primer
The Self-Study of Teaching Practices
Primer introduces you to the field of self-study research and practice.
This student and teacher friendly version provides a comprehensive
review and synthesis of the self-study literature; complete with
guidelines and examples of cutting-edge self-study methods. The primer
addresses four central areas of self-study of teaching practices:
purposes, foundations, nature, and guidelines for practice.
School-based and university-based teachers interested in rethinking and
reframing their teaching will benefit from reading this book. The
primer is an excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate
education students who are searching for guidelines to develop and
improve their teaching practice. Includes glossaries and references.
For the publisher's order form, click here.
Self-Study for
Teacher Educators: Crafting a Pedagogy for Educational Change
 I am
called a self-study teacher educator, a scholarship Ken Zechner viewed
as “the single most significant research area in teacher education”
(AERA, 1998). I employ a post-modern self-study methodology as a way to
reinvent teacher education through my action research along with a
continuous interrogation and reflection of my teaching practice and
underlying assumptions that influence my teaching. An analysis of one's
teaching has important implications for teacher education programs,
especially as it becomes increasing shared, scrutinized, and enriched
through conversation and critiqued by a self-study community of
scholars.
I use the words self-study as a component
of reflection where faculty are asked to critically examine their
actions and the context of those actions for the purpose of a more
consciously-driven mode of professional activity, as contrasted with
action based on habit, tradition, or impulse. By researching their own
practice, self-study teacher educators question problems of teacher
education and how their actions contribute to those problems. This in
turn, contributes to the knowledge base of teaching, the development of
the person, the professional, and the teacher education program. The
area of self-study entails making public my critical and active
reflection about my teaching and insights gained through action
research.
My research is centered on the study of my
teaching practices in an effort to improve my teaching, teachers’
professional development, and consequently children’s learning. I
developed and have been investigating a model for teacher education
based in sociopolitical theory, which stems from my doctorate research
(Samaras, 2002). The model includes: knowing students and the social
and cultural forces that shape development, situating learning,
structuring and mediating learning experiences, designing collaborative
activities, and providing students opportunities to instructionally
converse and develop common systems of understanding about teaching
with peers. Much like in natural settings for learning in families,
communities, and the workplace, teaching is based on the premise that
learning takes place through joint and productive activity in authentic
contexts (i.e., in schools) towards mutual tasks (e.g., action learning
and research). According to the American Association of Colleges for
Teacher Education, teachers need to be placed in collaborative learning
environments and teacher educators need to recognize teaching as a
public, not individual, act. This collaborative enterprise for
teachers’ and faculty professional development alike, is central to my
research and self-study of those teaching practices.
Making a
Difference in Teacher Education Through Self-Study : Studies of
Personal, Professional and Program Renewal
The challenges teacher educators are now facing are of a different
nature from those of the past few decades. They have taken on an
urgency and a magnitude not witnessed before. Strict government control
of education is increasing, the social problems in the schools are more
severe, the budget restrictions we face in the university are greater,
and the public disillusionment with education, in general, is more than
just a passing malaise. This period will be crucial to the future of
teacher education; we need to rally together to examine our practice,
renew our programs accordingly, collaborate with others, and offer
examples of programs that do make a difference. Making a difference in
Teacher Education through Self-Study: Studies of Personal,
Professional, and Program Renewal describes the systematic efforts of
committed and creative teacher educators to improve their teacher
education programs. It describes the accomplishments of individuals
(and in part the programs in which they work) who have overcome many of
the hurdles teacher educators typically face. These individuals have
made a difference in the lives of their students, their colleagues, and
many classroom teachers. The book presents research on 15 different
teacher education programs and describes individual renewal efforts.
The stories -- including both the successes and challenges -- are
inspiring and informative. In this age of accountability these teacher
educators have used a range of research methods to gather data on their
work and in turn used it to guide future decisions. The text includes
examples of both large scale research and individual efforts. The
common thread among the authors is a commitment to "walking the
talk."
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