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1. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 1
ACTION RESEARCH AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
TEACHERS
Andy Johnson, Ph.D.
Minnesota State University, Mankato
ABSTRACT
Action research can be defined as a systematic observation of one’s own teaching practice. It is a
way to link theories and research directly to classroom practice. It also empowers teachers to
make the changes that are best for their own teaching situations. In this sense, action research is
an effective and economical way to attend to the professional development of teachers. This
article describes the basic elements of action research.
Teachers are the most significant variable in determining the quality of education students
receive; yet, this variable is often ignored when it comes to discussions about how to improve the
quality of education. This article describes action research as an efficient and effective method to
use in the professional development for teachers.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Traditionally, the professional development of teachers has occurred primarily in two
ways: teacher inservices and graduate courses in education.
Teacher Inservices
Teacher inservices are usually implemented to help teachers learn new skills and improve
their pedagogical techniques, however, these are often ineffective (Barone, Berliner, Blanchard,
Casanova, & McGown, 1996). Here, teachers are gathered, usually after a long day of teaching
or on a busy workshop day, to listen to an expert describe an approach or methodology which
often does not relate to their classroom situation or align with their teaching style. Also, these
traditional inservices generally do not give teachers sufficient time, activities, or content to
increase their knowledge or affect their practice (Birman, Desimone, Porter, & Garet, 2000). To
be effective, inservices need to be longer or extended over multiple sessions, contain active
learning to allow teachers to manipulate the ideas and enhance their assimilation of the
information, and align the concepts presented with the current curriculum, goals, or teaching
concerns.
Graduate Courses in Education
Graduate education is another way of providing professional development opportunities in
education. Here teachers are able to (a) expand upon the theories, concepts, and skills learned in
their undergraduate education; (b) focus on particular areas of study; and (c) learn new teaching
techniques and methodologies. And since they now have an experiential knowledge base, they are
better able to apply these ideas in a teaching context. Here again, however, information comes
from outside the classroom or teaching situation and is not always applicable (Sprinthall, Reiman,
and Thies-Sprinthall, 1996). Also, graduate education often stops after a Masters degree has been
earned.
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2. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 2
A THIRD WAY: ACTION RESEARCH
Action research, a powerful form of professional development for teachers (Johnson &
Button, 2000), can be used to replace teacher inservices. In this regard, action research (a) helps
teachers develop new knowledge directly related to their classrooms, (b) promotes reflective
teaching and thinking, (c) expands teachers’ pedagogical repertoire, (d) puts teachers in charge of
their craft, (e) reinforces the link between practice and student achievement, (f) fosters an
openness toward new ideas and learning new things, and (g) gives teachers ownership of effective
practices (Hensen, 1996). Thus, providing teachers time and incentive to engage in action
research projects and giving them a platform to present their findings and engage in professional
dialogue with peers enhances their professional growth and development (Johnson & Button,
2000), which in turn, moves the field of education forward. Using action research as a form of
teacher development also increases the sense of professionalism in education (Tomlinson, 1995),
and it enables teachers to become agents of change (Hensen, 1996).
Teacher Empowerment
Action research also facilitates teacher empowerment. Teachers are empowered when
they are able to collect their own data to use in making decisions about their schools and
classrooms (Book, 1996; Erickson, 1986; Hensen, 1996). Empowered teachers are able to bring
their talents, experiences, and creative ideas into the classroom; implement programs and
strategies that best meet the needs of their students. They also are able to use the methodologies
that compliment their own particular philosophy and teaching style. The top-down approaches
that are sometimes used to manage schools and solve classroom problems create an external
locus of control that inhibits teacher empowerment and thereby lessens the effectiveness of
schools (Book, 1996).
CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
There is sometimes a gap between researchers conducting and reporting their education
research and teachers practicing in the field (Hensen, 1996; Patterson & Shannon, 1993;
Tomlinson, 1995). That is, what goes on in public schools often does not reflect the wealth of
research related to best practice in teaching and learning. There are two possible reasons for this
gap: First, it may be because research in education is sometimes written in a way that does not
respect the demands of teachers’ daily schedules where time is a precious commodity. Research
articles in academic journals can sometimes get overly descriptive, use jargon common to a very
few, and focus on methodology and hypothetical notions that are not germane to the daily needs
of teachers. This leads to the belief held by many teachers that education research is practically
irrelevant (Barone, Berliner, Blanchard, Casanova, & McGown, 1996; Patterson & Shannon,
1993).
Second, the gap between research and practice might also be a result of the Moses Effect.
This is when researchers hand down research edicts from on high with the expectation that
teachers will be passive receivers of these edicts. This creates a one-way flow of information that
often does not value teachers’ point of view, reflect the complexities of teaching, or address the
very concrete problems and concerns that teachers face in their classrooms on a daily basis
(Patterson & Shannon, 1993).
Action research can be used to bridge this gap between research and practice (Hensen,
1996; Knight, Wiseman, & Cooner, 2000). Here, research related to best practice is used to
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3. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 3
understand and observe things happening in a classroom setting. In the same way, classroom
teachers can use their systematic observation to better understand, interpret, and critique
educational research.
In a study of teachers using action research, Johnson and Button (2000) found that action
research helped teachers change the notion of research. “After completing action research
projects, the teachers began to look at research as something pertinent to their own teaching
worlds and accessible to them. They could read and critique research conducted by others, and
they could do research themselves” (Johnson & Button, 2000, p. 116).
A QUICK OVERVIEW OF ACTION RESEARCH
Action research can be defined as the process of studying a real school or classroom
situation in order to understand and improve the quality of actions or instruction (Hensen, 1996;
Johnson, 2012; McTaggart, 1997; Schmuck, 1997). It is a systematic and orderly way for
teachers to observe their practice or to explore a problem and a possible course of action
(Dinkelman, 1997; McNiff, Lomax, & Whitehead, 1996). Action research is a type of inquiry that
is preplanned, organized, and can be shared with others (Foshy, 1998; Tomlinson, 1995).
Action Research Steps
The steps of the action research process are described below, however, it is a recursive
process that does not always proceed in a linear fashion (Patterson & Shannon, 1993). Thus,
some of these steps may need to be repeated several times or they may have to be done in a
different order.
1. Identify a problem or research topic. The first step is to decide what to study. Here,
the action researcher asks a question, identifies a problem, or defines an area of interest for
exploration within his or her particular learning environment.
2. Set the problem or research topic in a theoretical context. This means doing a
review of the literature. Here, professional journals, books, and web sources are examined to see
what others have found out or have to say about the research topic. Relating action research topic
to current theories provides more credibility and provides a theoretical context for your findings.
This also enables the action researcher to link theory and research directly to what is happening in
learning environment.
There are three approaches that might be taken in doing a literature review: The first
approach is to do the review of the literature before collecting data. Besides setting the study in a
theoretical context, the literature might also be used here to help formulate the question, refine a
pedagogical method to be studied, or provide ideas for collecting data. The second approach is to
review the literature as the data is being reported and the conclusions are being drawn. Here, the
literature is related to each of the concluding points. The third approach is not to do a review of
the literature at all. Many short action research projects do not include this element.
As you can see, there is a certain amount of freedom in organizing the action research
project. However, the onus is one the action researcher to create a credible and coherent report.
Linking an action research study to theories and previous research is one way to do this.
3. Make a plan for data collection. In traditional research this is known as
methodology. What data are going to be examined? How is it going to be collected? How often
will it be collected? Action research is not impressionistic. Nor is it a brochure supporting a
particular teaching methodology. Rather, action research is a systematic observation; therefore,
data collection must be focused and the elements of data collection must be determined before the
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4. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 4
research begins.
4. Begin to collect and analyze data. After the action researcher has identified at least
two kinds of data, the data collection process begins. As data are collected, they are analyzed.
Here one looks for themes, categories, or patterns to emerge. This analysis influences further
data collection by providing insight as to what sorts of things to look for.
5. If necessary, allow the question or problem to change as data are collected. Action
research is a dynamic, ever-changing process. It is very common to change teaching strategies,
sources of data, or even the focus of the study as data are being collected. This is acceptable as
long as what is done and why are fully described when reporting the action research.
6. Analyze and organize the data. If data have been analyzed and organized as it has
been collecting it, step six should be the final step of an ongoing process. In analyzing data, it
needs to be established how many total things were recorded, how many categories or kinds of
things there are, and how many things are in each category. Analytic induction is the process
which is used here (Johnson, 2012).
7. Report the data. This is where the facts or findings are presented, either in writing or
in some kind of oral presentation. This presentation includes an overview with thick descriptions
and illustrative samples of important events, activities, and responses. Also reported here are the
number and types of themes, categories, or patterns present in the data. Here the action
researcher takes the role of a journalist or anthropologist by describing what was observed and
providing examples that demonstrate or support these observations and possible conclusions.
8. Make conclusions and recommendations. The next step is to interpret the data or
tell with it means. Based on the data, conclusions are drawn. Then, recommendations are made
based on the conclusions. Here research question is answered or the problem is addressed. Also,
as stated in step two, some action researchers do a review of the literature at this point in order to
set their conclusions in a theoretical context.
9. Create a plan of action. Based on conclusions and recommendations, a plan of action
is created. And, as the plan of action is implemented, it will need to be evaluated as to its
effectiveness, thus, the action research cycle continues.
IMPLICATIONS
Professional development continues long after one leaves a college or university and thus,
is a task that must be shared by public schools and teacher preparatory institutions. Action
research is one of the most efficient and effective way to address the professional development of
teachers. As stated previously, action research allows teachers to connect education theory and
research to their classroom practice and helps them in becoming more reflective and analytical in
their teaching practice. Action research is also very economical in terms of the time and money
invested and the returns garnered in the form of increased learning by students and improved
practice by teachers.
Action research also facilitates teacher empowerment. Teachers are empowered when
they are able to collect their own data to use in making decisions about their schools and
classrooms (Book, 1996; Erickson, 1986; Hensen, 1996). Empowered teachers are more
effective practitioners for three reasons: First, they bring their talents, experiences, and creative
ideas into the classroom. Second, they implement programs and strategies that best meet the
needs of their students. In their study of teachers using action research, Johnson and Button
(2000) found that the empowerment gained in action research helped teachers see themselves not
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5. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 5
as mere technicians implementing the directives of others, but as problem solvers who could
discover the strategies and techniques that work best with their students. And third, they discover
and use methodologies that compliment their own particular philosophy and teaching style.
Currently there is move toward more standardized testing and teacher accountability.
That is, standardized tests are used as a form of quality control in the factory model educational
paradigm which has been embraced by some elements in our society. However, trying to make
teachers more accountable for the performance of their students is futile unless they are also
empowered to make the decisions that are best for them and their students. Using the factory
model we can say that teachers need to be given the responsibility for the input if they are to be
held responsible for the output.
Finally, school districts and universities must begin to work together and think in new
ways about graduate education, learning, and professional development. We must dispel the
notion that learning takes place only when a professor stands in front of a group of teachers and
tells them things. School districts must work together with university to recognize and grant
credit for teacher action research projects with accompanying presentations. This creates learning
that is more specific to each teacher’s classroom situation, improves educational discourse, and
serves to improve the professional status of teachers. In this way, our educational practice can
continue to evolve to meet the every changing demands of this new century.
Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D.
Minnesota State University, Mankato
313 Armstrong Hall
Mankato, MN 56001
Email: andrew.johnson@mnsu.edu
Phone: 507-389-5660
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6. Action Research Teacher Professional Development - 6
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Andrew P. Johnson, www.OPDT-Johnson.com