This document outlines action research designs and methodology. It defines action research as a practical and systematic approach to addressing specific educational problems through reflection and data collection. The document discusses two main types of action research: practical action research, which focuses on a narrow problem, and participatory action research (PAR), which has social and emancipatory aims. Key aspects of action research covered include its collaborative and cyclical nature, ethical considerations, and criteria for evaluating studies.

1. Research Methodology
Action Research Designs
Madan Rijal
M.Ed. in Mathematics
Kathmandu University
School of Education
Instructor : Mr. Binod Pd. Pant
3/15/2018 1

2. OUTLINES
 Definition, use and its development
 Types of Action Research Designs
 Key Characteristics
 Potential ethical issues
 Steps in Conducting an Action Research Study
 Criteria for evaluating action research report
3/15/2018 2

3. DEFINITION
 Most applied and practical design
 Addresses a specific, practical issue and seeks to obtain solutions
 Systematic procedures done by teacher-researcher
 to gather information,
 subsequently improve teaching and students learning
 researchers address a local, practical problem
 researchers seek to empower, transform and emancipate
individual
3/15/2018 3

4. USES
 Solve specific educational problem
 Encourage educators to reflect on their practices
 Provide means to improve the practices
 Empower individuals through collaboration on projects
 Fosters a democratic approach in education
 Position teachers and educators as learners who seek to
narrow the gap between practice and their vision of
education
 Promote a process of testing new ideas.
3/15/2018 4

5. Development of Action Research
 Kurt Lewin (Social-psychologist)
 Construction of intercultural groups
 Groups processes consisted of 4 steps:
1. Planning 3. Observing
2. Acting 4. Reflecting
 Later spread from social to education sector
 Slowed during 1950s but again reemerged
in 1970s in Great Britain, USA and Australia
3/15/2018 5

6. Types of Action Research Design
1. Practical Action Research
• Educators seek to enhance educational practices
through study of local problem
• A small – scale research project
• Narrowly focuses on a specific problem or issue
• Undertaken by individual teachers or teams
within a school or school district
3/15/2018 6

7. Major ideas or Principles
Teacher-researchers
• Decision making authority
• Committed to continue professional development and
school improvement
• Reflect their practices individually or in team
• Use identifiable procedures to study problems
• Choose an area of focus, determine data collection
techniques, analyze and interpret data and develop action
plans
3/15/2018 7

8. Mills Dialectic Action Research Spiral
3/15/2018 8

9. 2. Participatory Action Research (PAR)
• Also named as participatory research, critical action research
and classroom action research
• Has a social and community orientation
• Emphasis on research that contributes to emancipate or
change in our society
• Emerged as an action-oriented
• Purpose is to improve the quality of people’s organizations,
communities and family lives.
• Differs by incorporating an emancipatory aim of improving and
empowering individuals and organizations in education and
others settings.
3/15/2018 9

10. Major ideas or Principles
Teacher-researchers
• Study issues and address which are creating constrains
to teachers and students
• Engage in a process that promotes egalitarian and
democratic aims
• Seek to bring about a new vision for schools,
communities agencies, youth clubs and ethic groups
within schools
3/15/2018 10

11. Six Central Features of PAR
- Kemmis and McTaggert
• PAR is a social process
• Inquiry is participatory
• Practical and collaborative
• Emancipatory process
• Critical
• Reflexive and change orientated
3/15/2018 11

12. Interacting Spiral
- Stringer (2007)
3/15/2018 12
This model contains three phases : Look, think and act.

13. Steps in Stringer’s Action Research Model
1. Look : Building the picture
 Process
 Record and Gather information
 Extend understanding
 Organizing meetings
 Communicating
2. Think : Interpreting and Analyzing
 Process
 Frameworks
 Categorizing and coding
 Enriching analysis using frameworks
 Writing reports collaboratively
 Presentations and performance
3. Act : Resolving Problems
 Process
 Planning
 Implementing
 Reviewing
 Evaluating
3/15/2018 13

14. Key Characteristics of Action Research
 A practical focus
 The educator-researcher’s own practices
 Collaboration
 A dynamic process (reflection, data collection and action)
 A plan of action
 Sharing research (Unlike traditional research)
3/15/2018 14

15. Potential Ethical Issues in Action
Research
Collaborating with participants, a central feature
of action research, may lead to ethical issues.
 Intimate and open-ended nature
(Due to which data collection cannot be coercive)
 Dual role of teacher-researcher
3/15/2018 15

16. Steps in Conducting Action Research
1. Determine if it is the best design to use
2. Identify a problem to study
3. Locate Resources to help address the problem
4. Identify information you will need
5. Implement the data collection
6. Analyze the data
7. Develop a plan for action
8. Implement the plan and reflect
3/15/2018 16

17. Criteria for evaluating action research
report
 These criteria are applicable to both practical action
research and PAR.
 In high-quality action research study, the author:
• focuses on an issue in practice or issue in local community
• collect multiple sources of data to help address the problem
• Collaboration with other to find the best solutions
• Shows respect for all collaborators
3/15/2018 17

18. Contd…
• Advances a plan of action for trying to solve the problem
• Reflects researchers own professional development
• Help to solve problem, enhance, empower and providing new
understanding to the participants
• Reports the research in a way that is understandable and useful
to audiences, including other professionals
3/15/2018 18

19. Thank You
3/15/2018 19