What is
Action Research?

Dr. Greg Waddell
Director of Institutional Improvement
Mid-South Christian College

According to the experts . . .
it is . . .

“a cycle

“a cycle
of posing questions,

“a cycle
of posing questions,
gathering data,

“a cycle
of posing questions,
gathering data,
reflection,

“a cycle
of posing questions,
gathering data,
reflection,
& deciding on a course
of action.”
Eileen Ferrance, \"Action Research,\" Providence, RI: The Education
Alliance, 2000, available from
www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

Kurt Lewin described it as a process of ...
Planning
Kurt Lewin, \"Action Research & Minority Problems,\" Journal of Social
Issues 2, no. 4 (1946): 34-46.

Kurt Lewin described it as a process of ...
Planning
Action,
Kurt Lewin, \"Action Research & Minority Problems,\" Journal of Social
Issues 2, no. 4 (1946): 34-46.

Kurt Lewin described it as a process of ...
Planning
Action,
and Searching
Kurt Lewin, \"Action Research & Minority Problems,\" Journal of Social
Issues 2, no. 4 (1946): 34-46.

Learning Point Associates
(http://www.learningpt.org/)
define it as . . .

“Inquiry or
research in the
context of focused efforts to
improve the quality of an
organization and its
performance.”

It is a cyclical process …

You start out with a problem.
Problem
P

You design a potential solution.
Problem
Design
D
P

You take action on your solution.
Problem
Design
D A
Action
P

You reflect on the results.
Problem
Design
D A
Action
P Reflection
R

You capture the learning.
Problem
Design
D A
Action
P Reflection
R Capture
C

Then, you repeat the process.
D A
Problem
P
Design
D A
Action
P Reflection
R Capture
R
C
C

Again and again …
P
D A
P
D A
Problem
P
Design
D A
Action
P Reflection
R Capture
R
C
R
C
C

First,
you need
a good
problem

A Good Problem is ...
important

A Good Problem is ...
complex

A Good Problem is ...
multi-functional

A Good Problem ...
asks difficult questions

A Good Problem ...
demands action

A Good Problem ...
resists structure

A Good Problem . . .
leads to

A Good Problem . . .
leads to
surprises

Action Research
requires that we
REFRAME
the problem

by looking at
it in different
contexts

from different
perspectives

as a part of
a larger
system

by making
comparisons

by applying
the problem
to different
groups

As You Implement the Plan . . .
Control the progress

As You Implement the Plan . . .
Control the progress
Collect the data (evidence)

As You Implement the Plan . . .
Control the progress
Collect the data (evidence)
Present periodic reports

Another essential element of
Action Research is . . .

“A cycle of action and
reflection is the heart of
action learning.”
Tom Bourner, Alan Cooper and Linda France, \"Action Learning Across a University
Community,\" Innovations in Education & Training International 37, no. 1 (2000): 2-9.
available from Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 20,
2006).

Reflection is . . .
A process of entering into
“dialogue based on the data
collected and [being] guided by a
systemic framework to discover
the root causes of the
organization's problems.”
Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat and Burt Spector, \"Why Change Programs Don't
Produce Change,\" Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1990, 158-66;
available from EBSCOhost.

What did we intend to do?
These questions are used by the U.S. Army for their After-Action
Reviews. Garvin, 2000, p. 107.

What actually happened?

Why did this happen?

What are we going to do
the next time?

Lastly, we need to capture
the learning

Information must
be captured and
then made
institutional--

Information must
be captured and
then made
institutional--

Information must
be captured and
then made
institutional--
a process that
involves recording
and storing the
learning in a way that
is accessible to
others.

In a nutshell . . .
Action Research
seeks to accomplish
two goals:

In a nutshell . . .
Action Research
seeks to accomplish
two goals:
1. Stimulate Learning and

In a nutshell . . .
Action Research
seeks to accomplish
two goals:
1. Stimulate Learning and
2. Make a Difference.

For more information contact
me at . . .
greg@envoycm.org

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