Joseph Shosh

Professor of Education (2000)

Education

• B.A., Moravian University
• M.A., Ph.D., New York University

Contact

Email: jshosh@moravian.edu
Phone: 610-861-1482
Office: PPHAC, Room 327

Areas of Research and/or Expertise

English education, transactional approaches to teaching and learning, curriculum negotiation, composition pedagogy, teacher action research.

Biography

Dr. Joseph M. Shosh is a professor of education at Moravian University, where he also directs the action research-based graduate education program. He is an initiator of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) and currently serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Coordinating Group. Dr. Shosh is associate editor of the International Handbook of Action Research (Palgrave Macmillan 2017) and is past recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English Paul and Kate Farmer English Journal Writing Award, the James N. Moffett Award for Classroom Research, and Cornell University’s Merrill Scholar Teaching Award. He has professional interests in teacher action research, curriculum negotiation, transactional approaches to teaching and learning, and urban education. His contributions to teacher action research have appeared in Action Researcher in Education, Educational Action Research, English Journal, Inquiry in Education, Teaching Education, and Value and Virtue in Practice-Based Research, among others.

Dr. Shosh teaches courses in literacy education, composition, and educational research in addition to supervising secondary education candidates in Pennsylvania, New York City, and London. Prior to joining Moravian’s education faculty full-time, he taught both middle school and high school English, supervised English student teachers throughout Manhattan and the Bronx, and served as an ethnographer on a research team for the New York Network for School Renewal.

Select Research Projects and Publications

• Rowell, L.L., Bruce, C.D., Shosh, J.M., & Riel M.M. (Eds.). (2017). International handbook of action research. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 
• Shosh, J.M. (2017). Looking toward the future of action learning and action research through global network collaboration. In O. Zuber-Skerritt (Ed.). Conferences as sites of learning and development: Using participatory action learning and action research approaches. (pp. 201-214). 
• Rowell, L.L., Balogh, R., Edwards-Groves, C., Zuber-Skerritt, O., Santos, D., & Shosh, J.M. (2017). Toward a strategic agenda for global action research: Reflections on alternative globalization. In L.L. Rowell, C.D. Bruce, J.M. Shosh, & M.M. Riel (Eds.), International handbook of action research. (pp. 843-862). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 
• Shosh, J.M. (2017). Toward the construction of a knowledge base on teaching and learning by and for teachers and learners. In L.L. Rowell, C.D. Bruce, J.M. Shosh, & M.M. Riel (Eds.), International handbook of action research. (pp. 647-666). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 
• Shosh, J.M., Rowell, L.L., Bruce, C.D., & Riel, M.M. (2017). The Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA): Constructing a new network of North-South convergence. In L.L. Rowell, C.D. Bruce, J.M. Shosh, & M.M. Riel (Eds.), International handbook of action research (pp. 487-504). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 
• Shosh, J.M., & McAteer, M. (2016). The CARN/ARNA inaugural study day inquiry: What happens to action research after the master’s degree? Educational Action Research, 43(1), 4-20. 
• Shosh, J.M. (2016). Constructing Comenian third spaces for action research in graduate teacher education. In J. McNiff (Ed.), Values and virtues in higher education: Critical perspectives (pp. 141-154). New York: Taylor & Francis.
• Shosh, J.M. (2013). Re-articulating the values and virtues of Moravian action research. In J. McNiff (Ed.), Value and virtue in practice-based research (107-123). Dorset: September Books. 
• Shosh, J.M. (2013). Action research network of the Americas. Inquiry in Education 4 (2).
• Shosh, J.M. (2012). How Teachers Define and Enact Reflective Practice: It’s All in the Action. Action Researcher in Education 3 (1), 104-119.
• James, E.A., Shosh, J.M., & Riel, M. (2012). The why, how, and lessons learned from meta-analysis of action research. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, Canada.
• Shosh, J.M. (2010).  Constructing third space multiliteracies in the shadow of the blast furnace. Paper presented at the Collaborative Action Research Network, Cambridge, England, UK.
• Shosh, J.M. (2009). Defining our world: A Millenial approach to purposeful vocabulary acquisition. Paper presented at the 99th annual National Council of Teachers of English Convention. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Mayher, J.S., et. al. (2008).  The legacy of English education at NYU. English Education 40(4), 277-292.
• Shosh, J.M., & Wescoe, J. (2007). Making meaningful theater in the empty space. English Journal 96(5), 42-47.
• Shosh, J.M., & Zales, C.R. (2007). Graduate teacher education as inquiry: A case study of the Moravian M.Ed. model for professional development. Teaching Education 18(3), 257-275.
• Shosh, J.M., & Zales, C.R. (2005). Daring to teach writing authentically K-12 and beyond. English Journal 95(2), 77-81.
• Shosh, J.M. (2005). Wrighting: Crafting critical literacy through drama. English Journal 95(1), 69-74.
• Shosh, J.M. (2004). Making meaning in a dialogic discourse diary. English Journal, 94(1), 53-58.
• Shosh, J.M. (2002). Coming to know: A transactional approach to teaching and learning in an English language arts methods seminar. Ann Arbor: UMI.
• Shosh, J.M. (2000). Much ado about negotiation. English Journal 89(6), 72-79.

Recent Activities of Note

2017

• The Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA), chaired by Dr. Shosh, held its fifth annual conference and first Global Assembly for Knowledge Democracy in Cartagena, Colombia in collaboration with the National University of Colombia. 

• Fourteen Lehigh Valley Teacher Research fellows worked with Dr. Shosh to conduct youth participatory action research to learn more about the impact of The Leader in Me in local public schools.

2016

• Along with Dr. Allan Feldman of the University of South Florida and Dr. Lonnie Rowell of the University of San Diego, Dr. Shosh led ARNA’s first pre-conference workshop entitled “Building Trust in Action Research” at the annual meeting of the Collaborative Action Research Network in Lincoln, England on 10 November 2016.
• Dr. Cathy Bruce, Dean of Education at Trent University in Ontario, Canada and Dr. Joseph Shosh delivered the keynote address at the Value and Virtue in Practice-Based Research Conference at York St. John University in York, England on 5 July 2016. 
• Dr. Tanya Baker, host of National Writing Project Radio, interviewed Dr. Shosh and colleagues preparing for ARNA’s annual conference at the Highlander Education and Research Center and University of Tennessee Knoxville. The live radio interview is archived at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nwp_radio/2016/04/07/introducing-the-actio….

2015

• As part of a two-week residency in South Africa sponsored by research professor Dr. Lesley Wood, Dr. Shosh conducted workshops for faculty at North-West University in Potchefstroom and delivered addresses at both the South African Educational Research Association conference in Blomfontein and the Action Learning Action Research Association in Pretoria.

2014 

• • Dr. Shosh served as the convener of the first Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN)-sponsored Study Day on the east coast in the Americas. Participants in the CARN Study Day, “What Happens to Action Research After the Master’s Degree?” will tour three American secondary schools—the iSchool in New York City, Warren Hills Regional High School in rural New Jersey, and Liberty High School in eastern Pennsylvania—where Moravian alumni have used action research to transform teaching and learning for adolescents. Study day flyer is available on the CARN website at http://carn.org.uk/site/assets/files/1032/arnastudyday.pdf.
•  The Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) held its conference “Enacting our Beliefs: The So-What of Action Research” on the historic Pricilla Payne Hurd Campus of Moravian University, May 22-24, 2014. The conference was co-chaired by Dr. Shosh and Dr. Cathy Bruce of Trent University in Ontario, Canada. A short video retrospective is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knh12vxqRA4, and a conference retrospective penned by the Conference Chairs is available at https://sites.google.com/site/arnaproceedings/oral-history-project/reflections-on-arna-2014-conference.

2013 

• Dr. Shosh addressed the 2013 Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) Conference in Tromsø, Norway, titled “Staying Critical: Nurturing Democratic Partnership in Action Research,” presenting a paper entitled “Why Teachers Opt (or Not) to Go Public with Their Action Research: A Case Study.” As the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) representative at the conference, Shosh also made two presentations on behalf of the network. 
• Seven Moravian University students, faculty and alumni recently participated in the third International Conference on Value & Virtue in Practitioner Inquiry in York, England, hosted by Britain’s York St. John University. Dr. Shosh led the pre-conference research seminar “Turning Conflicting Values into Virtues When Conducting Action Research in Urban School Systems,” which included a Moravian University action research panel moderated by Martha Reid, Ph.D., professor of English. The panel featured Colleen Klaric, Bill Neal, Brianne Schoolcraft, Berni Varela and Brittany Wilczewski.

• The Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) held its inaugural conference, co-chaired by Dr. Shosh and Dr. Lonnie Rowell of the University of San Diego at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, California. Dr. Shosh introduced keynote speakers Dr. Jean McNiff of York St. John University, UK, and Dr. Lesley Wood of Nelson Mandella Metropolitan University in South Africa. He also presented a paper entitled “Colleagues, Critical Friends, and Cohorts Aren't Enough: Making the Case for Teacher Action Researchers to Go Public with Their Invented Knowledge” and chaired a planning session for the ARNA 2014 conference to be held on Moravian’s Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus, May 22-24, 2014.

2012

• Moravian University joined with Notre Dame University, Pepperdine University, the University of San Diego, Trent University, St. Mary’s College of California, the Teaching & Learning Center at the University of Tennessee, and the Action Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association to plan and sponsor the inaugural conference of the Action Research Network of the Americas. A video history of the new organization and well wishes from action researchers around the world is available at https://sites.google.com/site/arna13conf/videos

2011

• Dr. Shosh introduced public education advocate Jonathan Kozol as the keynote speaker of Moravian’s 6th annual action research conference. To view a photo gallery from the event, visit Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.226670477387518.66903.181053608615872&type=3
• The Collaborative Action Research Network’s Conference in Vienna, Austria included a paper presentation by Dr. Shosh entitled “Metathematic Analysis of Teacher Reflection in a Graduate Action Research Teacher Education Program.”

2010

• Dr. Shosh presented a multimedia action research project, including digital video clips produced by Bethlehem high school students and their Moravian University teacher education mentors, in "Constructing Third Space Multiliteracies in the Shadow of the Blast Furnace" at the 7th Annual Action Research Conference at the University of San Diego. The research presented was funded by the National Council of Teachers of English and was awarded the Council's James Moffett Award for Classroom Research.
• At the 2010 National Council of Teachers of English convention in Philadelphia, Dr. Shosh chaired a panel session entitled "What Urban Pennsylvania Teens Have To Say About the Importance of Freedom, Choice, Independence, and Guidance in School Reading Assignments." He also presented a paper there called “Empowering Students to Lead Their Own Literacy Learning.”

2009

• Dr. Shosh co-chaired a panel with fellow Moravian Associate Professor of Education Dr. Charlotte Rappe Zales at the University of Pennsylvania's 30th annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum titled "Teaching for Social Justice: Ethnographic Portraits of At-Risk Learners of English and Mathematics in Urban Eastern Pennsylvania High Schools."
• Associate professor of education Joseph Shosh chaired a session on digital documentary production in secondary schools at the National Council of Teachers of English convention in San Antonio, Texas, on November 21. He also presented a paper entitled "Creating Educational Partnerships to Support New Media Literacy." The research he shared was sponsored, in part, by grants from the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Writing Project, and the Moravian University Leadership Center.