Interactive research and development on teaching: A collaborative model for teachers of students from diverse cultures

The purpose of this study was to develop competencies in basic research skills which would allow teachers to develop sensitivity towards students of diverse cultures. This sensitization would bring about changes in teachers' behavior patterns as well as develop appropriate instructional strategies for dealing with students in multicultural classroom settings. The study addressed two basic questions: (1) Does collaborative research as an intervention for change in teachers' awareness of diverse cultures influence a teacher's professional development in research skills? (2) Does collaborative research as an intervention influence change in teachers' awareness, behavior patterns, and instructional strategies towards diverse cultures in the classroom? The focus of the study was on the results of an inservice program which utilized collaborative interactive research as an alternative approach to staff development. The problems were studied from the perspectives of the teachers who then, in a collaborative approach, addressed the identified problems and drew conclusions from data they had gathered.The method of study was based on Tikunoff and Ward's collaborative research model (1975) designed to deal with problems of immediate concern to teachers in an existing classroom setting. The researcher developed a conceptual framework which she labeled An Exponential Spiraling Model for Effective Inservice to give focus to the study. The team for this study consisted of 7 members: 5 teachers, 1 researcher, and 1 trainer/developer from a large metropolitan school system.Conclusions from the study showed that collaborative research did influence the teachers' professional development in research skills. Teachers demonstrated that they could conduct action research in their classrooms on problems they had identified and were able to share and disseminate their findings to others on the team.From findings in this study it was also concluded that the collaborative approach was effective in bringing about awareness and sensitivity towards students of diverse cultures. The model contributed to changes in teacher self-perception and professional growth.