3. Wallace (1998), “It is done by systematically collecting data
on your everyday practice and analyzing in order to come
to some decisions about what your future practice should
be”.
Best and Kahn (2000), "its purpose is to improve school
practices and, at the same time, to improve those who try
to improve the practices: to combine the research
processes, habits of thinking, ability to work harmoniously
with others, and professional spirit”.
Borg (1965), “Action research emphasizes the involvement
of teachers in problems in their own classrooms and has as
its primary goal the in-service training and development of
the teacher rather than the acquisition of general
knowledge in the field of education”.
4. DEFINITION OF ACTION RESEARCH
A flexible spiral process which allows
action (change, improvement) and
research (understanding, knowledge)
to be achieved at the same time:
involving the individuals affected by
the change.
5. Action research is deliberate,
solution-oriented investigation that is
group or personally owned and
conducted;
Johnson, B. (1993), “It is
characterized by spiraling cycles of
problem identification, systematic
data collection, reflection, analysis,
action taken, and, finally, problem
redefinition”.
Focuses on teaching and its interplay
with student outcomes;
6. As a research method, action research is cyclical. It is:
Practitioner based research
Improving student learning
Developing teacher as learner
7. WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS NOT
It is not the usual things teachers do when
they think about their teaching. Action
Research is systematic and involves
collecting evidence on which to base
rigorous reflection.
It is not just problem-solving. It is motivated
by a quest to improve and understand the
practice by changing it and learning how to
improve it from the effects of the changes
made.
It is not the scientific method applied to
teaching: Action Research is not about
hypothesis-testing or about using data to
come to conclusions. It is concerned with
8. PRIMARY PURPOSES OF ACTION
RESEARCH
Improve one’s own educational practices;
Improve one’s own understanding of those
practices;
Improve the situation in which those practices are
carried out;
9. INDIVIDUAL ACTION RESEARCH
Focus: a single issue in the classroom;
The teacher believes the problem is evident in his or her
classroom and one that can be addressed on an
individual basis.
The research may then be such that the teacher collects
data or may involve looking at student participation.
Teacher seeks solutions to:
Problems of classroom management,
Instructional strategies,
Use of materials,
Student learning,
10.
11. COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH
It includes as few as two teachers or a
group of several teachers.
This issue may involve one classroom or a
common problem shared by many
classrooms.
These teachers may be supported by
individuals outside of the school, such as a
university or community partner.
12.
13. A BRIEF HISTORY OF ACTION RESEARCH
1940s: Kurt Lewin, a social psychologist and educator,
was the first to work on action research.
McFarland & Stansell (1993), “Lewin is credited with
coining the term ‘action research’ to describe work that
did not separate the investigation from the action needed
to solve the problem ”.
Noffke & Stevenson (1995), “His process was cyclical,
involving a non-linear pattern of planning, acting,
observing, and reflecting on the changes … ”.
Stephen Corey was among the first to use action
research in the field of education.
He believed that the scientific method in education would
bring about change because educators would be
involved in both the research and the application of
information.
14. 1970s: action research emerged.
Education practitioners questioned the
applicability of scientific research designs and
methodologies as a means to solve education
issues.
15. PURPOSE OF ACTION RESEARCH?
To bring about the development of the practice of the
educators by analyzing existing practice and identifying
elements for change,
To enhance educators development through the fostering of
their capability as knowledge makers, rather than simply as
knowledge users,
To help educators feel in control of their own professional
situation.
To develop a deeper understanding of classroom practice as
basis for change
Done by teachers to study the weakness in their own
teaching in order to improve it;
An alternative to teachers who have been encouraged to
look to others, rather than to themselves and their students,
for ways to help students improve their quality of learning
16. ON WHAT DO YOU FOCUS ACTION RESEARCH?
* A problem from your classroom
* A puzzle or dilemma about the learning of a particular
student or group of students
* A question you have about your teaching
* A situation that has arisen in your classroom
17. CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTION
RESEARCH
Cyclic -- similar steps tend to recur, in a similar
sequence; Its cyclic nature helps responsiveness
Participative -- the clients and informants are
involved as partners, or at least active participants,
in the research process;
Qualitative -- it deals more often with language
than with numbers; They can develop enough
understanding to become co-researchers in many
situations.
Reflective -- critical reflection upon the process
and outcomes are important parts of each cycle.
The critical reflection is then put to good use in
designing the later steps
18. ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE:
PLAN, ACT, OBSERVE, AND REFLECT
Planning phase: actions are proposed to
address the issue or problem.
Action phase: the plan is implemented and the
cycle starts again as outcomes are observed,
recorded, and shared.
Observation phase: the issue or problem is
monitored and described. Useful data is
recorded and kept.
Reflection phase: observations are interpreted
and shared so that the issue or problem can be
better understood.
19.
20.
21.
22. HOW TO CARRY OUT AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY
In conducting action research, we structure routines
which are loosely guided by movement through five
phases of inquiry:
1. Identification of problem area
2. Collection and organization of data
3. Interpretation of data
4. Action based on data
5. Reflection
23.
24. IDENTIFY A PROBLEM AREA
Teachers often have several questions they wish to investigate;
Careful planning at this first stage will limit false starts and frustrations;
The question should:
• be a higher-order question—not a yes/no
• be stated in common language, avoiding jargon
• be concise
• be meaningful
• not already have an answer
25. GATHERING DATA
The collection of data is an important step
in deciding what action needs to be taken.
Multiple sources of data are used to better
understand the scope of happenings in the
classroom or school.
There are many vehicles for collection of
data:
26. INTERPRET DATA
Depending upon the question, teachers may wish to use
classroom data, individual data, or subgroup data.
Some of the data are quantifiable and can be analyzed
without the use of statistics or technical assistance.
27. ACT ON EVIDENCE
Using the information from the data collection and
review of current literature, design a plan of action
that will allow you to make a change and to study
that change.
Several changes will be made at once,
It will be obvious to determine which action is
responsible for the outcome.
28. EVALUATE RESULTS
Assess the effects of the intervention to determine
if improvement has occurred.
If there is improvement, do the data clearly provide
the supporting evidence?
If no, what changes can be made to the actions to
elicit better results?
29. BENEFITS OF ACTION RESEARCH
Focus on school issue, problem, or area of
collective interest
Form of teacher professional development
Potential to impact school change
Improved communications
