Action research originated in the 1940s in the United States and England from the work of Kurt Lewin. It is a cyclical process of identifying a problem, designing and taking action, recording and reflecting on results, and then retesting based on reflections. One of its main appeals is that it aims to both improve the subject of study through interventions while also generating knowledge. It uses methods like participant observation and interviews. Experts define it as a cycle of posing questions, gathering data, reflecting, and deciding on a course of action.

1. Action Research

2. AR HISTORY
• Originated in the USA and
England in the 1940’s.
•From the work of
Kurt Lewin on a variety of
topics, ranging from child
welfare to group dynamics.
•Lewin was a German social psychologist known
as the father or Action Research

3. It constitutes a way for teachers to collaborate with one
another to improve practice.
AR in Teaching

4. Used in 3 domains of science education: teacher education
and professional development; research on science learning;
and curriculum development and implementation.

5. One of its main appeals is that Action Research aims at both
improving the subject of the study and generating knowledge,
achieving both at the same time.
It uses participant observation and interviews as key data
collection approaches.

6. How to define it…

7. Acording to the experts…
It is…

8. ““A cycle of posing questions,A cycle of posing questions,
gathering data,gathering data,
Reflection,Reflection,
and deciding on a course ofand deciding on a course of
action.action.””
Eileen Ferrance, "Action Research," Providence, RI: The Education Alliance, 2000, retrieved fromEileen Ferrance, "Action Research," Providence, RI: The Education Alliance, 2000, retrieved from
www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdfwww.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

9. Kurt Lewin described it as a process of…
PLANNINGPLANNING
ACTION,ACTION,
AND SEARCHINGAND SEARCHING
Kurt Lewin, "Action Research & Minority Problems," Journal of Social
Issues 2, no. 4 (1946): 34-46.

10. First you need a good problem.

11. A good problem is…A good problem demands…A good problem leads to…

12. Action research
requires that we
REFRAMEREFRAME the
problem.

13. By looking at it inBy looking at it in
different contexts.different contexts.

14. From differentFrom different
perspectivesperspectives

15. As a part of a largerAs a part of a larger

18. Steps before starting the actualSteps before starting the actual
researchresearch

19. It is a cyclical process … You start out with aIt is a cyclical process … You start out with a
problem…problem…
PROBLEM
P
DESIGN
D
ACTION
A
RR REFLECTIONREFLECTION
C
CAPTURE
P
D
A
RR
C
P
D
A
RR
C

20. How was it again?

21. Identify an area
Select a problem

22. Design and take action

23. Record and Reflect

24. What did we intend to do?
What actually happened?
Did we meet our goal?
Why did this happen?
What are we going to do next time?

25. Retest

27. � Action research has proven itself, time and
time again, as one way in which educators such as
ourselves can come to develop a better
understanding, and thus improve, our educational
practices.
Why Should we Do
Action Research?

28. � Action research will provide us with
alternative ways of viewing and
approaching our educational questions;
with new ways of seeing our
educational practices.

29. � Action research helps us to examine the
'habits' we have developed - what we are
"really" doing in our teaching or in our
administrative practices.

30. The Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL)
was an action research program aimed at improving
the teaching and learning of science by encouraging
teachers to inquire into how their students learn.
Teachers designed action plans that incorporated the
use of innovative pedagogy in targeted classes.
Example |

31. Solomon and colleagues used action research as a
means of collaborating with middle school science
teachers to gather data about classroom learning. The
research focused on the effects of incorporating
historical studies into the science curriculum on
students' understanding of the nature of science and
their learning of scientific concepts.

32. Our own action research