These are slides I used to introduce my co-teachers to a simplified and practical approach to action research in school.

1. ACTION RESEARCH
AN INITIATIVE OF THE LEARNING ACTION CELL OF RTPM-DSHS
PRESENTED BY SUE QUIRANTE
AUGUST 3, 2016
NOTE: ALL COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS WERE LIFTED IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIR USE
THIS PRESENTATION SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PURPOSE.

2. “Although all teaching can be
classified as trial and error,
action researchers find that the
research process liberates them
from continuously repeating their
past mistakes.”

3. ACTION RESEARCH
is a disciplined process of inquiry
conducted by and for those taking the action.
The primary reason for engaging in action
research is to assist the “actor” in improving
and/or refining his or her actions.
from “Guiding School Improvement with Action Research” by Richard Sagor
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2016)

4. ACTION RESEARCH
TRANSFORMATIVE

5. ACTION RESEARCH
always relevant to participants (includes you)
helps educators be more effective at what
they care most about—their teaching and the
development of their students
from “Guiding School Improvement with Action Research” by Richard Sagor
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2016)

6. ACTION RESEARCH
AGENCY
TEACHER
capacity of actors to critically shape their responses
to problematic situations
(Biesta & Tedder, 2006)

7. SETTING THE APPROACH
KAYA
DISKARTE
KAKAYANIN
Agency
Strategy
Effort

8. GETTING THERE
KAYA
Pagninilay (Reflect)
Pagtukoy (Identify)
Pagpapasya (Decide)
Pagganap (Act/Realize)
Image source: developmentcrossroads.com

9. source: NEFSTEM

10. ACTION RESEARCH
can be engaged in by a single teacher, by a
group of colleagues who share an interest in
a common problem, or by the entire faculty
of a school

11. ACTION RESEARCH
an endless cycle for the inquiring teacher

12. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
STEPS
1. Selecting a focus
2. Clarifying theories
3. Identifying
research questions
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing data
6. Reporting results
7. Taking informed
action

13. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
1. Selecting a Focus
 “serious reflection
directed toward
identifying a topic(s)
worthy of a busy
teacher's time”
2. Clarifying Theories
 “identifying the
values, beliefs, &
theoretical
perspectives the
researchers hold
relating to their
focus”

14. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
3. Identifying RQs
“generate a set of
personally
meaningful
research questions
to guide the
inquiry”
4. Collecting Data
decisions based on
best possible data
valid
reliable

15. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
valid
 information
represents what the
researchers say it
does
reliable
researchers are
confident about the
accuracy of their
data

16. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
TRIANGULATION
using multiple independent sources of data to
answer one's questions
using multiple data sources in an investigation to
produce understanding
Cohen D, Crabtree B. "Qualitative Research Guidelines Project." July 2006.
http://www.qualres.org/HomeTria-3692.html
Sagor, Richard. “Guiding School Improvement with Action Research” 2000.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/100047/chapters/What-Is-Action-Research%C2%A2.aspx

17. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
Methodological Triangulation
“consistency of findings generated by different data
collection methods”
Data Triangulation
“consistency of different data sources from within the same
method”

18. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
Investigator or Analyst Triangulation
“multiple analysts to review findings”
Theory/Perspective Triangulation
“multiple theoretical perspectives to examine and
interpret data”

19. WHY TRIANGULATE?
image source: forum.detik.com

20. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
“Where will I find the time
and expertise to develop
valid and reliable
instruments for data
collection?”
image source: jdilday.wordpress.com

21. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
classrooms and schools are
data-rich environments
image source: rappler.com

22. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS: COLLECTING DATA
“be effective and efficient in
collecting the material that is
already swirling around the
classroom, and, second, to identify
other sources of data that might be
effectively surfaced with tests,
classroom discussions, or
questionnaires”
image source: rappler.com

23. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
5. Analyzing Data
identify trends and
patterns
What is the story
told by these data?
Why did the story
play itself out this
way?

24. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
6. Reporting Results
“making a
contribution to a
collective
knowledge base”
“the wisdom of several minds is
inevitably better than one”
image source: andistix.com

25. ACTION RESEARCH STEPS
7. Taking Informed
Action
“action planning”
image source: linkedin.com

26. GUIDE QUESTIONS
 What is the problem?
 What are some possible solutions?
 may be self designed
 learned from colleagues or from reviews of
educational literature

27. GUIDE QUESTIONS
 What is the possible solution I want to investigate?
 How do I make the solution work?
 Test the proposed solution and modify it as needed.
 How do I record data and reflect on it?
 Keeping a journal and discussing it with a critical
friend are effective methods.

28. GUIDE QUESTIONS
 How do I share my experiences with others?
 What is next?
 The solution one develops to the initial problem
will generate the next problem to be addressed.
This is the catalyst to continuous professional
improvement.

29. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM & PLANNING
 Some tools:
 Fishbone Diagram
 Inverted Diagram

30. ALTERNATIVE STEPS
1. Select a FOCUS
a) Know what you want to investigate
b) Develop research questions (RQ)
c) Establish a plan to answer the RQ
d) Develop a research design
adapted from Action Research Guide for Alberta Teache

31. ALTERNATIVE STEPS
2. Collect DATA
- evidence for the effectiveness of your intervention
- examples include administering tests, conducting
surveys and interviews, examining documents
adapted from Action Research Guide for Alberta Teache

32. ALTERNATIVE STEPS
3. Analyze and Interpret DATA
4. Take ACTION
- make a decision whether to
a) continue the intervention
b) stop the intervention
c) modify the intervention in some way
adapted from Action Research Guide for Alberta Teache

33. DATA COLLECTION

34. DATA COLLECTION

35. REFERENCES
Action Research for Teachers
The Northeast Florida Science, Technology, and Mathematics Center for
Education
Guiding School Improvement with Action Research
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/100047/chapters/What-Is-Action-
Research%C2%A2.aspx
Qualitative Research Guidelines Project
Cohen D, Crabtree B.
http://www.qualres.org/HomeTria-3692.html

36. REFERENCES
Action Research Guide for Alberta Teachers
The Alberta Teacher’s Association
How to Do Action Research in Your Classroom
Frances Rust & Christopher Clark
You and Your Action Research Project (4th Ed)
Jean McNiff (2016)
Writing Up Your Action Research Project
Jean McNiff (2016)

37. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
1. This is a disciplined process
of inquiry conducted in
order to assist the actor in
improving and/or refining
his or her actions.
2. This is the capacity of
actors to critically shape
their responses to
problematic situations.

38. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
3. This is the use of multiple
sources of data in an
investigation to generate
understanding.
4. True or False. Action
Research is conducted by a
lone investigator.

39. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
5. True or False. The primary
goal of Action Research is
generalizability.
6. True or False. Action
Research is an endless
cycle of inquiry.

40. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
7. Aimed to check the
consistency of findings
generated by different
data collection methods.
a. Data Triangulation
b. Investigator Triangulation
c. Methodological
Triangulation
d. Theoretical Triangulation

41. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
8. Aimed to check
consistency of different
data sources from within
the same method.
a. Data Triangulation
b. Investigator Triangulation
c. Methodological
Triangulation
d. Theoretical Triangulation