This document provides an overview of action research (AR), including its definition, purpose, characteristics, approaches, steps, data sources, analysis, validity, and references. AR is a type of research conducted by educators to evaluate and improve their own classroom practices. It is collaborative, focused on taking action and making iterative improvements. The goal of AR is to establish an evidence-based framework for enhancing education. It promotes teacher development and tests new ideas through systematic data collection, reflection, and iterative research cycles.
prepared by David Nunan, this gives a clear picture of how our research can help our professional development and the experiences of our students inform our practice.
Learning
Learning can be defined in many ways, but most psychologists would agree that it is a relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience. During the first half of the twentieth century, the school of thought known as behaviorism rose to dominate psychology and sought to explain the learning process.
The three major types of learning described by behavioral psychology are classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
Behaviorism
Behaviorism was the school of thought in psychology that sought to measure only observable behaviors.
Founded by John B. Watson and outlined in his seminal 1913 paper Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It, the behaviorist standpoint held that psychology was an experimental and objective science and that internal mental processes should not be considered because they could not be directly observed and measured.
Watson's work included the famous Little Albert experiment in which he conditioned a small child to fear a white rat. Behaviorism dominated psychology for much of the early twentieth century. While behavioral approaches remain important today, the latter part of the century was marked by the emergence of humanistic psychology, biological psychology, and cognitive psychology.Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a learning process in which an association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus that naturally evokes a response.
For example, in Pavlov's classic experiment, the smell of food was the naturally occurring stimulus that was paired with the previously neutral ringing of the bell. Once an association had been made between the two, the sound of the bell alone could lead to a response.
How Classical Conditioning Works
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is a learning process in which the probability of a response occurring is increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment. First studied by Edward Thorndike and later by B.F. Skinner, the underlying idea behind operant conditioning is that the consequences of our actions shape voluntary behavior.
Skinner described how reinforcement could lead to increases in behaviors where punishment would result in decreases. He also found that the timing of when reinforcements were delivered influenced how quickly a behavior was learned and how strong the response would be. The timing and rate of reinforcement are known as schedules of reinforcement.
How Operant Conditioning Works
Observational Learning
Observational learning is a process in which learning occurs through observing and imitating others. Albert Bandura's social learning theory suggests that in addition to learning through conditioning, people also learn through observing and imitating the actions of others.As demonstrated in his classic "Bobo Doll" experiments, people will imitate the actions of others without direct reinforcement. Four important elements are essential for effective observational
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This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
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Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
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http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
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2. Understanding Action Research
• AR is a kind of research begins with a question (questions)
about classroom experiences, issues, or challenges. The aim
is to make changes and improvement.
• The example of questions:
What do you feel curious about?, What language skills would
you like your students to improve? , What do you want your
students to know, understand, or do better than they
currently do?, etc
3. AR is.....
• Identifying problems on our own
• Examining and assessing our own work
• Considering ways of working differently
• Working collaboratively
4. AR is not.....
• JUST problem solving
• Research on other people
• The usual things teachers do
5. Development of AR
Action research developed in the 1930s with citizen group
processes. After a short time, it resurfaced in the 1970s
with projects in Great Britain, the United States, and
Australia. These projects focused on teachers studying
their own practices, educators working with schools, and
researchers helping individuals emancipate themselves from
social issues in educational settings. Today, action research
has grown in importance as a means for enhancing school
renewal, promoting teacher development, and testing new
ideas. (Creswell, 2012:592)
6. What are the benefits?
• Establish a scientific framework for improving educational practices and outcomes
• Promotes collaborative learning communities and decreases isolation of practitioners
• Facilitates creation of better communication and collaboration between educators and
persons in surrounding communities
• Increases respect for professional knowledge and skills of practitioners and enhances
professional development of educators
• Decentralize control of knowledge and promotes dialogue and communication
between practitioners and researchers in colleges and universities
• Ensures immediate changes in educational practices
• Provides evidance to support or challenge entrenched educational policies and
practices
• Facilitates development of practice-based theories and theory-based practices
• Contributes to better research that addesses real –life problems
• Enables practitioners to model scholarly skills and socially responsible idelas for their
students
(Methods in Educational Research, Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle: 2010)
7. Approach Who’s involved Purpose / Goal
Collaborative AR Involves multiple researchers. In
education, this may include school and
university personnel or teachers and
school administrator.
To share expertise and foster dialogue among
stakeholders.
Critical AR Involves wide collaboration. In education,
this may include university researchers,
school administrators, teachers, and
community members.
To evaluate social issues and use the result for
social change.
Classroom AR Involves teacher in their classroom; can
involve groups of teachers examining
common issues.
To improve classroom practices or to improve
practices in the school.
Participatory AR Involves collaboration among
stakeholders in a social process.
To explore practices within social structures
(emancipator); to challenge power differences
and unproductive ways of working (critical);
and change theory to practice
(transformational).
8. Characteristics of Action Research
1. It is
conducted in
the
pactitioner-
researcher’s
own
educational
setting, and
the
practitioner
takes an active
part in the
research
2. It involves
critical
reflection and
systematic
planning and
producers
throughout all
phases of the
study
3. It involves
collaboration
with other
educators and
persons
involved in the
educational
process
4. It focuses on
taking action
to change and
improve
educational
practices
5. It is ongoing
and includes
several wases
of data
collection,
reflection, and
action
10. Strength Weakness
Multiple measures are used and
examined repeatedly throughout the
study to ensure the measures provide
the type of data needed to answer the
research questions
Qualitative measures used in AR do
not provide the same depth of
evidence and dependability as those
used in more traditional qualitative
studies
AR can explore and examine aspects
of teaching and learning and to take
action to change and improve.
Difficulty getting people to make
changes
The finding of AR cannot be
generalized to other situation/ classes
11. Data Sources for Action Research
Logs and
journals
Field notes
Shadowing
Checklist and
Rating scales
Interviews
Surveys
Maps
Photographs,
Videotapes, and
Audiotapes
Personal
records and
mementos
Grading rubrics
Records and
documents
Artifacts Physical traces
12. DATA SOURCES TIME DATA SOURCES TIME
Logs and Journals Ongoing process
Ongoing process, after
process
Maps Ongoing process
Field Notes Before process (to find the
problems occur), ongoing
process
Photographs, Videotapes,
and Audiotapes
Before process, ongoing
process
Shadowing Ongoing process Personal Records and
Mementos
Before process, ongoing
process, after process
Checklist and Rating
Scales
Before process (to find the
problems occur), ongoing
process, after process
Grading Rubrics Before process, ongoing
process, after process
Interviews Before process, after
process
Record and Documents Before process, after
process
Surveys Before process, after
process
Artifacts Before process, ongoing
process, after process
Physical Traces Before process, after
process
13.
14. Analyzing AR Data
Data analysis in AR involves moving away from
the ‘action’ components of the cycle, where the
main focus is on planning and acting, to the
‘research’ aspects, where the focus changes to
more systematic observing and reflecting (Burns,
1999: 153).
15. How many research cycles should be completed
and how the researcher knows when he or she
has enough data to end the research?
They depend to a large extent on personal and group
time and resources, the nature, and purpose of the
research.
18. Trustworthiness
Triangulation should involve a three-way
comparison of different types of data: data
based on researcher perceptions, data based
on participant perceptions, and data based
on analysis of documents or work produced
by participants.
19. Triangulation
Time
• Data are
collected at
one point in
time or over
a period of
time to get a
sense of
what factors
are involved
in change
processes
Space
• Data are
collected
across
different
subgroups
of people
Investigator
• More than
observer is
used in the
same
research
setting
Theoretical
• Data are
analysed
from more
than one
perspective
21. References
• Lodico, M.G., et all. 2010. Methods in Educational Research From
Theory to Practice. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Burns, Anne. 1999. Collaborative Action Research for English
Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Ary, Donald., et all. 2010. Introduction to Research in Education.
Belmont: Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning
• Creswell, John W. 2012. Educational Research Planning,
Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative
Research. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
