This slideshow contains explanations, strategies and techniques in conducting action research. It consists of the definition of action research, the root cause analysis techniques, ideation strategies, ways to design research questions, prioritisation tools, evaluation methods and triangulation tips. This was compiled and created by Sirhajwan Idek.

1. Own Your Practice:
Explore, Execute, Excel
By
Sirhajwan Idek

2. List of Topics
• The Concept of Action Research
• Determine the Problem
• Design the Question
• Ideation
• Prioritization
• Evaluation

3. Action Research
• In schools, action research refers to a wide variety of evaluative,
investigative, and analytical research methods designed to diagnose
problems or weaknesses—whether organizational, academic, or
instructional—and help educators develop practical solutions to
address them quickly and efficiently.

4. Differences between Action Research & Formal Research
Aspects Formal Research Action Research
Goals of Research Knowledge produced is generalizable Knowledge is to apply to local situation
Method of identifying the
problem to be studied
Review of previous research Problems currently faced.
Procedure for literature review Extensive, using primary sources More cursory, use of secondary sources.
Sampling approach Random or representative sampling Students/clients with whom they worked
Research design Rigorous control, long time frame Looser procedures, change during study,
quick time frame, control through
triangulation
Measurement procedures Evaluate and pretest measures Convenient measures or standardized
tests.
Data analysis Statistical tests, qualitative techniques Focus on practical, not statistical
significance, present raw data, graphs
Application of results Emphasis is on theoretical significance,
increased knowledge about teaching
and learning in general
Emphasis on practical significance,
improved teaching and learning in a
particular classroom.

6. Determine the Problem

7. Root cause analysis (RCA)
• A way of identifying the underlying source of a process or product
failure so that the right solution can be identified.
Problem Statement
• What product failed
• The failure observations
• The number of failed units
• The customer’s description of the failure

8. Techniques in Identifying Problem
• Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram)
• 5 Whys
• Cause-Effect Tree Diagram
• Lotus Blossom

9. Fishbone Diagram

10. Fishbone Diagram
Predetermined Criteria
• “5M” for manpower, material, method, machinery and measurement
(manufacturing, healthcare, construction, landscaping etc.).
• For retail businesses or the sales process of an organization, we can
use “5P” for price, promotion, place, people, product.

11. Create an Ishikawa Diagram
material → part not installed → employee skipped operation → work
environment too dark → poor lighting → light bulbs burned out

12. How to use Fishbone Diagram
• Definition/Purpose: Graphically displays potential causes of a
problem. The layout shows cause and effect relationships between
potential causes.
1. Write the effect or problem statement
2. Determine general, major categories for the causes. Use five inputs
of every process: e.g. Person, Method, Machine, Materials,
Environment
3. List sub-causes and place them under the main causes. To
determine sub-causes, ask why five times.
4. Evaluate the diagram. Check that the branches on your cause and
effect diagram are worded as possible causes and are arranged in a
logical sequence.

13. 5 Why
• The vehicle will not start. (the problem)
• Why? - The battery is dead. (First why)
• Why? - The alternator is not functioning. (Second why)
• Why? - The alternator belt has broken. (Third why)
• Why? - The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and
not replaced. (Fourth why)
• Why? - The vehicle was not maintained according to the
recommended service schedule. (Fifth why, a root cause)

16. 5 Whys with tree diagram

19. Cause & Effect Tree Diagram

22. plan-do-check-act (PDCA)

23. Lotus Blossom
• Box I: The initial
problem or concept.
• Boxes A-H: contain
concepts or ideas
related to the initial
concept in box I.
• Box H: Concept related
to initial idea or
concept
• Boxes h1-h8: These are
concepts related to the
concept in square H.

24. Ways to improve a big box store

25. Ways to improve a big box store- breaking it down

26. Ways to improve playground equipment

27. Ways to improve playground equipment-breaking it down

28. Ways to break down a subject and identify problems

29. Ways to break down a subject and identify problems

30. Examples of Good Action Research Questions
• What happens to the quality of student writing when we implement peer editing
throughout our ninth-grade English classes?
• How does the use of computers affect the student writing process in our fourth-grade
classrooms?
• How can I use cooperative learning in my high-school mathematics class to improve
student learning?
Question Stem On What Who Suggested solution
What happens
How Does
How Can
Quality of
writing
Writing Process
learning
Ninth-grade English class
Fourth-grade class
High-school mathematics
class
Peer editing
Computers
Cooperative Learning

31. 8 passions for finding a research question
(Classroom research)
1. Helping an individual child
2. Improving and enriching curriculum
3. Developing content knowledge
4. Improving or experimenting with teaching strategies and techniques
5. Exploring the relationship between your beliefs and classroom practice
6. Exploring the intersection of your personal and professional identities
7. Advocating social justice
8. Understanding the teaching and learning context

32. Starting Points
You may ask yourself these to identify an issue you would like to research.
• I would like to improve ____________________________________
• I am perplexed by _________________________________________
• I am really curious about ___________________________________
• Something I think would really make a difference is ___________
• Something I would like to change is _________________________
• What happens to student learning in my classroom when I ______?
• How can I implement ______________________________________?
• How can I improve ________________________________________?

33. Criteria in designing action research questions
• They should be broad in scope.
• They should be research questions (questions about the action) rather
than data collection questions (questions to be asked of participants in
an interview or on a survey).
• They should, when answered, have an impact on your practices.
• They should be answerable.

34. Q-Matrix

35. 4 Questions (Design Thinking)
• 1. What is?
• 2. What if?
• 3. What wows?
• 4. What works?

36. Ideation

37. Brainstorm
• Done in group
• reach new ideas by building on others’ ideas (1+1=3).
• Participants should be able to discuss their ideas freely without fear
of criticism.
• Create an environment where all participants embrace wild ideas and
misunderstanding

38. Braindump
• Braindump is very similar to Brainstorm
• However it’s done individually.
• The participants write down their ideas on post-it notes and share
their ideas later with the group.

39. Brainwrite
• Brainwriting is also very similar to a
Brainstorm session.
• However, the participants write down
their ideas on paper & after a few
minutes, they pass it to another
participant who’ll then elaborate on the
first person’s ideas & pass it to the next
person.
• After about 15 minutes, you will collect
the papers and post them for instant
discussion.

40. Brainwalk
• Brainwalk is similar to Brainwriting.
• However, instead of passing around
the paper, the participants walk
around in the room and continuously
find new “ideation stations” where
they can elaborate on other
participants’ ideas.

41. Worst Possible Idea
• It helps those who are not so
confident in expressing themselves
by flipping the brainstorm on its
head.
• Doing this relieves any anxiety and
self-confidence issues and allows
people to be more playful and
adventurous, as they know their
ideas are most certainly not going to
be scrutinised for missing the mark.
• It's way easier to say, “hey, no that's
not bad enough” than the opposite.

42. Challenge Assumptions
• Take a step back from the challenge
you're tackling
• Ask some important questions about
the assumptions you have about the
product, service, or situation where
you're trying to innovate.
• Are the characteristics we take for
granted about these things really
crucial aspects, or are they just so
because we've all become accustomed
to them?

43. Mindmap
• The participants write a
problem statement or key
phrase in the middle of the
page.
• Then, they write solutions
and ideas that comes to
their mind on the very same
page.
• Participants connect their
solutions and ideas by
curves or lines

44. Sketch or Sketchstorm
• express ideas and potential solutions in the
form of diagrams and rough sketches instead
of merely in words. Visuals have a way of
provoking further ideas and providing a
wider lens of thinking. The sketches should
be as simple and rough as possible with just
enough detail to convey meaning.
• Sketches will help you invent and explore
concepts by being able to record ideas
quickly. Sketches will make it easier for you
to discuss, critique, and share your ideas
with others.

45. Storyboard
• Develop a visual story relating
to the problem, design, or
solution which you want to
explain or explore.
• Use it after having empathised
with people in order to better
understand their lives.
• Create scenarios consisting of
pictures and quotes from users.
• Develop a coherent storyline
with actors and a plot.

46. SCAMPER
• SCAMPER that utilizes action verbs as stimuli. It helps us ask seven kinds
of questions to come up with ideas either for improvements of existing
products or for making a new product.
• S – Substitute
• C – Combine
• A – Adapt
• M – Modify
• P – Put to another use
• E – Eliminate
• R – Reverse

47. How SCAMPER could be applied

48. Six Thinking Hats
It involves dividing ideas
into six directions of
thought:
• White hat: Data, facts,
and information
• Red hat: Emotions
• Green hat: Ideas
• Yellow hat: Positives
• Black hat: Negatives or
critical judgment
• Blue hat: Control and
overview

49. Creative Pause
• An important step in any ideation process
• We become anchored to an early idea or stream of thought, or get
caught up in negative thoughts surrounding the process.
• A creative pause gives us time to take a step back, reflect, extract
ourselves from the traps we've cognitively set for ourselves, and re-
approach the challenge with renewed freshness of the mind.
• We want proactive thinking to lead the way – not reactive thinking,
which often has a negative orientated spin to it.

50. Prioritization
• If you are not prioritizing,
you will be doing tasks that
are actually not that
important. Therefore, not
getting the results you
wanted.

51. Dot Voting
1. Participants are each given a set
number of dot stickers.
2. They place dot stickers next to
options presented that they like.
3. Options with the most dots “win”.

52. The Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower matrix expedites
time management when used
daily.You list all the tasks for your
day in one or another of the boxes.
As you list them in the box, do so by
priority. When finished, address the
Urgent/Important Tasks immediately
and dismiss the Not Urgent/Not
Important tasks.

53. Straight Voting
Option Vote Total
Option 1 X X X 3
Option 2 X X X X X 5
Option 3 X 1
Option 4 X 1
Total votes 10
Example of Straight Voting with 10 Participants

54. Example of a Prioritization Matrix with Three Options and Four Criteria
Criteria Maximum Points Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
Client acceptability 50 25 35 50
Feasibility 35 30 20 28
Low cost 15 5 15 12
Overall rating 100 60 70 80

57. Evaluation

58. Evaluation
• Attitude survey
• Interview
• Observation Grid
• Checklist
• Focus Group
• Learning Log
• Diary
• Critical Incident Review
• Story
• Recording
• Document Analysis
• School Data

59. Survey
• a survey is a method of
gathering information
from a sample of
people, traditionally
with the intention of
generalizing the results
to a larger population
• Closed Questions (rating
scale, Yes/No)
• Open Questions
Types of Likert-Scale

60. Interview
• Structured Interview (predetermined, closed-ended questions)
• Unstructured Interview (open-ended questions and some might be
added or missed as the interview progresses
• Group Interview (Focus Group)

61. Observation Grid
• Since it is impossible to
notice everything that
happens in a lesson,
observation grids helps us
focus on specific aspects and
map it against time ( every 5
0r 10 minutes)
• or observe a particular
aspect as a whole
(e.g. degree of concentratio
n v. distraction at any one ti
me)

63. Checklist
• A checklist is a list of things to observe
or remember or do.
• It is normally used as part of an
observation although it can act as an
aide memoire to encourage focus too.

65. Focus Group
Focus group are a form of group
facilitated interview where a
small number of learners or
teachers are brought together for
a short period of time to discuss a
particular issue(s).
A focus group typically consists
of a small number of participants,
usually around six to 12,

66. Learning Log
• A simple way of recording and reflecti
ng on experiences which can be useful
for both learners and teachers.
• Reflections about what has been learn
ed and how the person thinks they ca
n do better next time.
• The log can be structured.

67. Document Analysis
• It involves the collection & systematic analysis of documents related
to a particular are of interest such as:
• Public Records, such as transcripts, reports, manuals, handbooks
Personal Documents, such as date-books, messages, scrapbooks,
online journals, Facebook posts, reflections/diaries, daily papers
• Physical Evidence, such as flyers, publications, plans, training
materials.

68. Frequency of
words

69. Analysis of meaning

70. Word Cloud based on frequency of
words

71. Diary
• Diaries are a simple factual way of recording what took place over
a period of time on a daily basis which can be useful for both learn
ers and teachers.

72. Critical Incident Review
• As its name suggests, a critical inci
dent review is a way of recording a
nd analysing those events during a
day or week which seem to have a
• special significance for the person
concerned. Data can be collected v
ia a simple written proforma, by di
scussion or through a learning log
• or diary – close to the event –
and then analysed later.

73. Story
• Stories exist in many forms. They can be first person or third person n
arratives but often work best as short case studies. They can be
• written from the perspective of the researcher. Or you might want to i
lluminate classroom activity by asking pupils to tell you their view of
• things.

74. Recording
• Using digital cameras (to
record still or moving images) or
Voice recorders to capture
conversations can provide a rich
source of data.

75. School Data
• Schools routinely collect attainment data, attendance data, test scores and
so on

76. Triangulation
• Triangulation facilitates validation of
data through cross verification from
more than two sources. It tests the
consistency of findings obtained
through different instruments and
increases the chance to control, or at
least assess, some of the threats or
multiple causes influencing our
results.