Kurt Lewin's model of action research involves a cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The presented document outlines Lewin's model and process of action research in detail. It describes each step of identifying an area for improvement, planning an action, implementing the action, collecting data, reflecting on the action before, during and after, taking further action, and developing a second research cycle. Examples and explanations are provided for each step of the action research process.

1. Lecturer: Yee Bee Choo
IPGKTHO
Topic 6

2. Kurt Lewin’s model is
an action-reflection
cycle of planning,
acting, observing and
reflecting.
ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS
Kurt Lewin’s Model 19946)

3. ACTION RESEARCH-THE PROCESS
Plan
Act
Observe
Reflect
Cycle 1
Cycle 2
Initial Survey
•collect data to find out the issue
•narrow the focus of research
Observe
•Collect and analyse the data to
evaluate the success of the actions
Act
•carry out the actions to overcome the problem
Plan
•Plan action or T&L method to
overcome the problem
Reflect
•Self reflection to see the strengths and
weaknesses of the actions and T&L
Model adapted from Lewin (1946) & Laidlaw (1992)
ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS

4. 1.
• Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to improve
2.
• Planning an action
3.
• Implementing the action
4.
• Collecting the data
5.
• Reflecting on the action (before, during and after the action)
6.
• Taking further action
7.
• Developing the second cycle of action research
Process of Action Research
(Adapted from the models of Lewin, 1946 and Laidlaw,1992)

5. 1. Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to improve
a. Identify the problem
• The most important factor in action research is
that you need to solve a practical problem. The
problem may be one that you face in your own
practice or in your community (Kemmis &
Wilkinson, 1998, cited in Creswell, 2012, p.589).
b. Select an area of focus
• Researchers begin with identifying an area of
focus, collecting data, analysing and interpreting
data or developing an action plan (Mills, 2011,
cited in Creswell, 2012, p.589).

6. 1. Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to improve
The area of focus selected should:
• involve teaching and learning
• be within your locus of control
• be something you feel passionate about
• be something you would like to change or
improve
(Mills, 2014)

7. 1. Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to improve
Statement for Area of Focus should:
• identify the purpose of the study
• identify the anticipated outcome
• identify the problem to be addressed
• completes the statement: “The purpose of
this study is…”

8. 1. Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to improve
c. Form research questions
• Develop questions that “breathe life” into the
area-of-focus statement.
• Research questions should be open-ended!
• Research questions help give a focus to the
plan.
• They also help validate that you have a
workable plan.

9. 2. Planning an action
a. Review of related literature
• Become familiar with other research done on the area
of focus
• Utilise the findings of others to help develop the plan
• Apply research findings through the lens of others’
experience
• Ways to gain sources of literature review:
– Identifying keywords
– Identifying your sources (primary or secondary sources)
– Searching for books on your topic in the library
– Searching for computer databases
– Searching for the internet and the world wide web
– Becoming a member of professional organisations

10. 2. Planning an action
b. Select members of action research group
• Who will you be working with?
• Why is each member important to the study?
• What will be the roles & responsibilities of
each member?

11. 2. Planning an action
c. Undertake negotiations
• Undertake any negotiations with others
before implementing your plans to avoid any
obstacles.
– What permissions will you need to secure?
– Who will be in control of the focus of your study
(hopefully, you!)?
– Who needs to be notified of what?
– Whose cooperation do you need & how will you
get it?

12. 2. Planning an action
d. Develop a timeline
• You will need to decide who will be doing what and when. You
can also anticipate where and how your inquiry will take
place.
Phase 1
(Aug– Oct)
Identify area of focus, review related literature, develop research
questions, reconnaissance.
Phase 2
(Nov – Dec)
Collect initial data. Analyse video recordings of lessons, do first
interviews with children, administer first problem-solving probe.
Phase 3
(Jan – May)
Modify curriculum and instruction as necessary. Continuing ongoing
data collection. Schedule two team meetings to discuss early
analysis of data.
Phase 4
(May – June)
Review statewide assessment test data and complete analysis of all
data. Develop presentation for faculty. Schedule team meeting to
discuss and plan action on the findings of the study. Assign tasks to
be completed prior to year 2 of the study.

13. 2. Planning an action
e. Develop a statement of resource
• Briefly describe what resources you will need
to enact your plan.
• Resources include time, money, and materials.
• Make a list before you get started!

14. 3. Implementing the action
• Decide what evidence or data you want to
collect. Evidence includes things such as
questionnaires/surveys, observations (video or
written notes), collaborations (i.e. video or audio
tape of meetings, peer coaching) interviews, tests
and records, student ‘s work, video and audio
tape transcripts, personal journal, library
readings, etc.
• Keep an accurate record of the information
collected, organising it into data files for analysis.

15. 4. Collecting the data
• The information should be compelling.
• The credibility of the research effort will
depend on the quality of the data used to
support its conclusions.
• In Action Research, there are always multiple
sources of data, multiple kinds of data, and
multiple strategies for collecting data
(triangulation).

16. 4. Collecting the data
• As the data is collected, it is also continually
organised & analysed
• As new perspectives are gained on the original
area of focus, the problem statement may
change
• Interpretation is based on ongoing analysis &
continually reviewing the area of focus

17. 5.Reflecting on the action (before, during and after the action)
• Reflection is needed on where you have been,
what you have learned and where you are going.
• This reflection is facilitated by the review of the
related literature you collected early in the action
research process in concert with your own
findings.
• The following questions may also be helpful
prompts for reflection:
– What were the intended and unintended effects of
your actions?
– What were educational issues arise from what you’ve
learned about your practice?

18. 5.Reflecting on the action (before, during and after the action)
• Reflection is an inherent part of the process.
Significantly, improvement is broadly directed
to enhancing learning for students (Laidlaw,
1992).

19. 5.Reflecting on the action (before, during and after the action)
• Schon (1983) distinguished between reflection-in-action and
reflection-on-action. Reflection-in-action is the thought that
we take whilst involved a situation, during which we become
aware of what we are thinking, feeling and doing while
reflection-on-action takes place sometime later, when we
consider the events that took place, and recall what we were
thinking, feeling and doing
• Killion and Todnem (1991) had identified the third reflection:
reflection-for-practice which takes place to evaluate future
actions.
• If these reflections are to put in a sequence, it starts with
reflection-for-practice (before the teaching process),
reflection-in-action (during the teaching process) and
reflection-on action (after the teaching process).

20. 5.Reflecting on the action (before, during and after the action)
Reflection before, during and after a learning process (Schon, 1983)
Before During After
What do you
think might
happen?
What’s happening now,
as you make rapid
decisions?
What are your insights immediately
after, and/ or later when you have
more emotional distance from the
event?
What might be
the challenges?
Is it working out as I
expected?
In retrospect how did it go?
What do I need
to know or do in
order to be best
prepared for
these
experiences?
Am I dealing with the
challenges well?
What did I particularly value and
why?
Is there anything I
should do, say or think
to make the experience
successful?
Is there anything I would do
differently before or during a similar
event?
What am I learning from
this?
What have I learnt?

21. 6. Taking further action
• As a result of the action research project,
identify additional questions raised by the
data and plan for additional improvements,
revisions and next steps.
• If the research question is answered based on
the data collected, a decision is made. Three
possibilities exist:
a) continue the intervention,
b) disband the intervention,
c) modify the intervention in some ways.

22. 7. Developing the second cycle of action research
• The new interventional strategies are carried
out
• The cyclic process repeats
• Action research is cyclical – the process
doesn’t necessarily have to stop at any
particular point.
• Information gained from previous research
may open new avenues of research (Glanz
1998, 24–26)

23. •How will I sustain the positive
changes?
•What area will I work on next?
•In reviewing the baseline data, what
are the root causes that are producing
the results I’m getting?
•What does research say about how
this system could be improved?
•What system do I want to improve? Why?
•How is it connected to the mission and goals?
•What is the current way this process is done or
handled?
•What are the key measures for this process?
What is important about this process in which
data could be collected?
•How can I
incorporate the
new way of doing
things (that
produced positive
results) to make it
part of my regular
practice?
•Did my improvement
theory work?
•What data do I have
that show the new level
of performance?
•How does this new
data compare to
the baseline
data?
•Based on the root causes,
what can I do differently to
get more positive results?
•What’s my improvement
theory based on best-
practices?
Define
the
System
Assess
Current
Situation
PLAN
Analyze
Causes
Try Out
Improvement
Theory
Study
The
Results
Plan For
Continuous
Improvement
ACT
Standardize
Improvement
s
DO
STUDY
•How big of a problem is it?
•What data do I have that
show current levels of
performance (baseline data)
of the area I’m trying to
improve?

24. • Based on the four articles which you have
read in Tutorial 4, find an area of focus on one
aspect of teaching that you wish to improve
or change.
• Discuss with your coursemates and lecturer
about the
1. Topic
2. Issue
3. Suggestion
4. Innovation
Tutorial 5
Tutorial 6a

25. 1. McNiff’s (1996) action research process is
described according to eight basic steps.
a) Explain, with examples any three of the basic steps
to the action research process.
b) Explain briefly how McNiff’s action research model
can be applied in the classroom context.
2. As an English language teacher, you face
difficulties in helping your pupils to improve
their reading pronunciation skills. You decide to
carry out an action research. Based on Lewin’s
Action Research Model, plan the research steps
with necessary activities to overcome the
problem.
Tutorial 5
Tutorial 6b (Individual writing task)

26. Action Research Process
Eight basic steps :
1. review our current practice,
2. identify an aspect that we want to investigate,
3. imagine a way forward,
4. try it out, and
5. take stock of what happens.
6. modify what we are doing in the light of what we have
found, and continue working in this new way (try another
option if the new way of working is not right)
7. monitor what we do,
8. review and evaluate the modified action,
and so on …
Jean McNiff (1996)

27. Action Research Process
Eight basic steps :
1. Determine if action research 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. Analyse the data
7. Develop a plan for action
8. Implement the plan and reflect
(Creswell, 2012, pp.589-591)
John W. Creswell (2012)

28. Action Research Process
Four basic steps :
1. Identifying an area of focus
2. Collecting data
3. Analysing and interpreting the data
4. Developing an action plan
(Mills, 2014, p.19)
Geoffrey E. Mills (2014)

29. References
• Creswell, J.W. (2012). Educational research: planning, conducting and
evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson Education Inc.
• Glanz, J. (1998). Action research: An educational leader’s guide to school
improvement. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.
• Killion, J.P., & Todnem, G.R. (1991). A process for personal theory building.
Educational Leadership 48(6), 14–16 .
• Laidlaw, M. (1992). Action research: A guide for use on initial teacher
education programmes. Mimeo, School of Education: Bath University.
• Lewin, K. (1946). Action research & minority problems. Journal of Social
Issues, 2(4), 34-46.
• McNiff, J., Lomax, P. and Whitehead, J. (1996). You and your action
research project. London, Routledge.
• Mills, G. E. (2014). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th
ed.). London: Pearson Education Limited.
• Schon, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in
action. New York: Basic Books.