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Incorporating Activity Theory into Action Research Does it Lead to Effective Action Research Outcomes? Gerard Boey Kong Hoong Fong Soon Fook School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysian, Penang, MALAYSIA Abstract This research is to find out if action research can be better accomplished if an established framework such as activity theory is incorporated into its activities. The approach is a pilot study where a group of lecturers were given a task to conduct action research to explore and improve their teaching skills. The group was given a brief lecture on action research and was then ask to self-explore and conduct an action research. They had to video record their teaching sessions at their respective colleges and then edit and host their recorded videos on an online video portal. Participants of the group are then encouraged to provide comments on each others teaching skills. The first cycle of the action research did not turn out well and it was mainly due to the lack of planning, organizing and collaboration. When activity theory was introduce in the middle of the programme, it made sense that this framework could help in the planning, organizing and management of the action research. The research in a short period has notice the inadequacy in action research and recommends that activity theory be used in the second cycle of this action research to lead to better outcomes.
____________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: action research, video recording for teaching improvement, activity theory, teaching improvement

Introduction
This article explores the suitability of incorporating activity theory in action research in order for lecturers to better collaborate to improve their respective teaching skills. A pilot study was conducted among lecturers from various private colleges and public university who are taking a Doctorate in Education programme in a local university. This study will determine if action research based on activity theory framework would provide a suitable model to help improve each participants teaching methods. The autonomous team that was setup was given minimal supervision on action research method but was provided with a lecture on action research initially. All participants did not have any experience in using action research in the respective workplace.

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The purpose of doing so is to allow the participants to self-explore action research method and later evolved into an effective model that would incorporate activity theory. This model will then form the basis for this pilot study and deploy for the purpose of improving teaching skills through planned and organized collaborative advice, suggestions, critics and sharing of best practices in the next action research cycle. The reason why a self-exploratory approach is used is that action research is characterized by its unclear research boundary and its cyclical process leading to better understanding of the issue and therefore lead to the development of better actions that will then be deployed and later evaluated for further improvement. This reason is further reinforce by OBrien, (1998) who stated that Action research is used in real situations, rather than in contrived, experimental studies, since its primary focus is on solving real problems. It can, however, be used by social scientists for preliminary or pilot research, especially when the situation is too ambiguous to frame a precise research question. According to Dick (2002) action research is natural act -> review -> act -> review ..., process which is a natural cycle to achieve action (for example, change) and research (for example, understanding). Therefore action research is a continuous iterative research method to further reflect and understand the problem in a real situation. This research is confident that self-exploration of action research by the participants will lead to commitment from the participants and eventually the successful use of action research in an iterative process for their own continuous self-improvement in teaching. According to Dick (2002), participants tend to be committed if they are involved in the planning process over the scenario when they (the subordinates) are asked to do and are expected to do it by others (the superior). This is an important aspect of action research as it is a research tool to improve ones skills and techniques through genuine and willing participation and collaboration with peers that have the same genuine intention. The framework of activity theory further support and provide a direction for the action research. Activity theory according to Ryder (1998) is An activity undertaken by a human agent (subject) who is motivated toward the solution of a problem or purpose (object), and mediated by tools (artifacts) in collaboration with others (community). The structure of the activity is constrained by cultural factors including conventions (rules) and social strata (division of labor) within the context. This framework forms an organized guideline and template to systematize and operationalize the research for this pilot study. In each iterative stage, the reflection on the actions will be guided by the activity theory framework so that participants have a structured guide for evaluation.
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What is Action Research?

According to Dick (2002) action research is defined as a natural way of acting and researching at the same time. It has the following (Dick, 2002) pattern We do something. We check if it worked as expected. If it didn't, we analyze what happened and what we might do differently. If necessary we repeat the process. It is a continuous process of refinement and perfecting a method, process, behavior and etc. Action research seeks to find disconfirming evidence (evidence which doesn't match what they expect or assume) and further perform critical reflection to find alternative new and better ways. This new findings will be infused into future practices in order to further improve the action. This continuous improvement process is cyclic in nature. Action research allows us to develop knowledge or understanding as part of practice, therefore the repetitive nature of action research leads to refinement of practice. In summary, it is a continuous process of quality improvement much like the Demings Model for Improvement, PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) where an iterative four-step method is used to control, improve and refine.

Fig 1. PDSA Cycle (Deming, 1993) cited by Moen, R. & Norman, C.

Fig 2. Model for Improvement, 1996, 2009 cited by Moen, R. & Norman, C.

In comparison, action research can be represented in the following diagrams by various researchers in the field of action research. In its simplest form, it is a process of action and critical reflection as shown in Fig 3, or a much more detail model as presented by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (2010) where the steps include Planning, Acting, Observing and Reflecting.

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Fig 3. A simple action research spiral (Dick, 2002)

Fig 4. Action Research Model (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010)

Whereas other authors and researchers (shown in Fig 5 & Fig 6) provided a complete picture of action research by illustrating the nature of action research which is a continuous process of improvement and refinement through repeating of the cycle and therefore making it a cyclical process of continuous improvement much like Demings PDSA cycle for quality improvement.

Fig 5. A Model of Action Research (Muir, 2007)

Fig 6. Simple Action Research Model, (from MacIsaac, 1995, cited by OBrien, 1998)

What is Activity Theory?

Activity theory is about achieving a common outcome or goal by a group of collaborators working actively together and is aware that there exists a structure for human activity. In order to achieve a certain outcome in an activity it relies on the person (subject) and its interaction with a group of individual (community) who have common objective/s (object). In this community collaboration (activity), there are cultural factors and norms (rules) that the group of individuals will abide and work harmoniously through the division of

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labor in bring out synergy. This activity is also mediated by tools (artifacts) which enable the activities to be performed.

Fig 7. The structure of a human activity system (Engestr m, 1987, p. 78)

According to Engestroms model above, it shows the various dimensions and factors that come together to impact an activity. In order to achieve the outcome, objects are required to be achieved and these objects may be experiences, knowledge, and physical products. The activities performed by human are facilitated by artifacts or instruments which may include equipment, technology, documents, etc. The core of the activity is the rules of engagement which govern the activities of the community. The subject works together with the community to achieve the object through the division of labor in a collaborative process. How is this theory applied in action research? Well, it forms the framework which will provide a clearer picture of how activities can be collaboratively organized with the support of mediating artifacts. Rules and division of labor in activity theory forms procedures and processes that each party will be responsible and stay accountable throughout the action research in order to achieve its object that will bring meaning and thereafter the outcomes.

Incorporating Activity Theory in Action Research

Action research by its nature is an iterative cycle or a repeated process of activities, these activities are planning, acting, observing and reflecting as show in Fig 8.1. Whereas activity theory forms the framework that each activity will intrinsically own. Each activity consist of interacting elements such as mediating artifacts, subject, object, rules, community and division of labor. Thus, when activity theory is incorporated into the activities of action research each activity will therefore have a basic framework to operationalize the different stages of action research.
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+
Fig 8.1 Action Research Model (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010) Fig 8.2 The structure of a human activity system (Engestr m, 1987, p. 78)

Fig 8.3 Activity Theory applied in every stage of Action Research

In this pilot study of using action research to improve teaching among lecturers collaborating to provide comments, critics and advice to each other ended with little positive outcome. The initial reflection of this pilot study has uncovered a disorganized process of activities which lead to little benefit. For example there were no specification and rules when lecturers commented on each others teaching approach. Basic rules such as separating the recorded video of participants teaching into three short clips were not diligently followed. The existing social circle and newly formed friendship among the participants has prevented the participant from providing effective and truthful comments in their initially round of evaluation. If the participants agree earlier to specify protocols and treat this exercise at a professional level, this clarity would resulted in a different outcome. This initial action research cycle was not successful mainly due to the lack of a framework or understanding on how to go about this activity. Here is where action theory
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comes in handy to provide the required framework in order for the participants to based their activities on the elements of activity theory that include mediating artifacts, subject, object, rules, community and division of labor. This research posits that if activity theory is incorporated into each stage of action research the outcomes of action research would be more effective. Therefore this initial action research has reached the stage where the participants feel that activity theory if incorporated will lead to better organization of activities and therefore lead to fruitful outcomes.

Methodology
The research method used is action research to improvement participants teaching skills through collaborative participation. At the same time it also seeks to reflect and find innovative processes and activities that will provide a framework to streamline the action research process and activities. The basic model of action research as show in Fig 4 by New South Wales Department of Education and Training, consist of 4 stages of activities which are Planning, Acting, Observing and Reflecting. The steps in conducting the action research began with the planning activity stage where each participant was given a briefing by the lecturer in charge. The participants were given an introduction to action research and were told to video record their lecture session in their respective colleges. Each participants video record is to be edited with synopsis and appropriate subtitles to support the action taken during the delivery of the lesson. This helps clarify the lecturers teaching approach and technique used while delivering the lesson. The edited video is to be divided into three short video clips that should not last more than 5 minutes. The first video clip will be the introduction of the topic, followed by a second video clip that will explain the concept and finally the last video clip will show a Q&A session with students. The participants were then expected to upload their edited video to a video hosting websites such as Vimeo, YouTube and etc. The next step was to have the participants review and provide comments and critic on each others teaching skills. The video clip owners were also required to rebut or agree to the comments and critics. In the Acting activity stage, the participants go about video recording their lesson and later edit and upload their video on Vimeo and YouTube. In the third stage, the Observing activity stage, the participants invited each other to view their recorded videos and were required to leave comments, critic and advise online on the video hosting websites. Finally in

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the last stage, Reflecting activity stage is where each participant will review the comments, critics and advises left by their collaborators. This reflecting activity will enable individual participants to reflect on the weakness through the comments left by other participants and consider adopting other participants strength exhibited on the video recordings. The participants are encouraged to rebut or agree by leaving online comments in order for the other participants to view. As action research is a cyclical process, the participants are required to repeat the entire process in order to refine their teaching skills. In the next cycle of the planning activity stage, the participants make good the weakness that they have encountered in the previous cycles Reflecting activity stage to further reinforce their teaching skills. This helps in achieving positive outcomes in action research. The continuous cycle will be carried on and further improvement will be gained as the action research progresses. The analysis of this research article will look at the action research itself that was conducted by the group. Is the action research understood by the participants and whether it was carried out accordingly? The second aspect would be the qualitative analysis of the commented text to determine if action research actually helps improves each participants teaching skills. The final analysis is to look at the mechanism of action research and whether having a framework such as activity theory would better structured and organized the activities of action research. Therefore, the analysis of this research will be structured according to the followings:1. Group Observation Observing the action research of this group and determine if it was conducted accordingly 2. Analysis of Comments Text analysis of comments to indicate if action research can potentially help enhance teaching skills 3. Will Activity Theory Supplement Action Research Determine if action research can be further strengthen by using activity theory to better structure and organize the activities of action research.

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Analysis of Findings and Discussion

The analysis of this research will cover the following 3 areas:1. Group observation to determine if the action research was conducted accordingly The groups activity on action research to further improve each others teaching skills did not begin with a clear understanding of the true essence of action research. The lecturer provided the theoretical aspect of action research. As explained earlier in this article, a self-exploratory approach was the driver in this pilot study. The participants are required to further study and explore action research as they jump into it. The first cycle of the action research begin through a briefing by the lecturer who directed most of the requirements. The participants were asked to record video clips of their teaching sessions and to post them on a chosen video hosting websites. The next step was to comment on each others teaching session.

After the briefing by the lecturer on action research, the team did not meet to discuss on a plan of action. The stage of Planning should have been conducted through a meeting to ensure that each participant was on the same page. As each participant was new to action research, each had their own idea on how the first cycle of action research was to be planned. The results of this unplanned activity caused the following confusion. a. No discussion of schedule for video recording, each deciding their own schedule b. Recoded videos were posted at different times throughout the 2-3 weeks of the exercise c. No problem statement or a define area of interest for the participants to observe d. No criteria setup for teaching observation and rating Reflection The action research first cycle conducted by the group was not properly planned and resulted in confusion among the participants. There was little or no synergy in the collaboration among the participants and the outcome of the activity would probably end with no or little benefits. A review of the comment text did not have structure and an objective way to rate and grade. Comments provided were subjective and at times too general and without a solution for the problem.

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Recommendations a. A commencement meeting should be conducted to discuss the problem that the team seeks to overcome b. A schedule should be developed and followed c. A set of criteria or rules for evaluations would provide objectivity

2. Analysis of Comments There were 5 participants in this action research, each encouraged to view and give comments after observing video clips of other participants. In general the comments given by the all participants were quite general touching on delivery and student engagement. Initially the comments were quite subjective and no standard grading system was used, but later the group decided to use a more objective grading system to evaluate each others teaching skills.

Following are examples of the comments extracted from the online video hosting website:a. Participant #1 Video Comments Comments from other participants
Participant #2 This is like the traditional teaching method. Well it works with GEN X, but for GEN Y Maybe a video with proverbs or whatever way to capture their attention Participant #4 multimedia content will help spice up the session use active learning methods Participant #5 strength : the instructor can give spontaneous example which is good to help student to understand quickly the topic discussed weakness: this class is quite passive and teacher centered. opinion for improvements: the instructor can use multimedia materials to help making the teaching and learning more interesting. 1. play simple game regarding the topic, to gain students interaction (student-teacher communication) 2. role-play, ask student to act in partners giving their own example of proverb used in daily

Reply from Participant #1

English proverbs are very dry and abstract. It is quite impossible to let them participate in the game, which I think will only help them to remember the proverb, but not for their understanding As for the role play, it is difficult to do

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life. Participant #3 image can explain effectively than spoken words Google image to explain

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that unless the subject of the proverb is concrete and obvious

b. Participant #2 Video Comments Comments from other participants

Participant #3 appropriate subtitle to the learning process instructor used appropriate presentation tools to explain the concept instructor used real life example in his teaching instructor used easy understanding words to explain the concept Participant #1 Not only the presentation was clear, the voice projection was also loud and the clarity was good Participant #4 The lecture was presented clearly and good examples given to explain the concept Participant #5 The instructor gives examples that relates to daily use, which is smart phone to introduce the GPS. The video shown to students is clearly describing the introduction of GPS and easier for students to understand. Good method used to gain students attention and understanding of complex concept Participant #3 Students lack of asking questions to instructor. There were two possible answers for that, whether the students understood the concept or shy to ask questions.

Reply from Participant #2

If the college could provide more teaching equipment, then learning will be more fun

My students are shy... to ask questions.....

c. Participant #3 Video Comments Comments from other participants

Participant #4 The use of short video clip to introduce SQL has help to get students attention. During Q&A, the class was nicely manage and prompted students to interact with the lecturer. Participant #2 Learning database is horrible. Lots of students

Reply from Participant #3

Yes, I do agree with Participant #2

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cannot get the concept. Participant #3 has shown a very effective and interesting way to introduce the SQL to the students. By watching video, it also reduce the time for the lecturer to explain the same concept which is boring (keeps talking) and the students keep visualizing it. In the end, each of everyone of them will have their own understanding (some may right and some may wrong). Participant #1 The class seemed to be quite interested in the lesson, especially the introduction part where the video was shown. The Q & A session was then carried out to ensure the students understand the lesson. Participant #5 The use of short video and asking question to students are a good method to grab attention, to introduce topic well and to know whether students understand the introduction of the topic to be taught. Participant #2 Presentation 1. Projected voice clear and audible : 4 2. Define unfamiliar terms, concepts and principles : 4 4. Presented a variety of examples (real-life application) to clarify points : 4 5. Use of non-examples to strengthen understanding of new ideas : 4 Instructor 1. Ask questions to monitor students progress : 4 2. Gave student sufficient waiting time when questions were asked : 4 3. Involved the whole class in the interactions : 4 4. Demonstrated command of subject matter :4 Instructional Technology and Classroom Management 1. Powerpoint/Whiteboard content clear and well organized : 4 2. 2. Usage of suitable instructional technology : 4 Comments: The introduction is quite

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statement "In the end, each of everyone of them will have their own understanding (some may right and some may wrong)". So the instructor still needs to prompt questions to students to verify their understanding of the concept.

The Generation Y students like video clips, most of my lessons will have some short video clips to grab their attention; especially long hours class.

Thanks Mr Koh, for the constructive suggestion!

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interesting. If possible, provide some example about what is a database before introducing into the SQL. This is to avoid some students been wondering what programming language is this. Overall, quite impressive presentation. RATING SCALE: 1=WEAK 2=NEED IMPROVEMENT 3=AVERAGE 4=GOOD

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Reflection The text comment analysis indicated that participants comments were not in-depth but only on the surface and were not well structured. The exercise provided basic feedbacks which could be further enhance if there was a proper structure for comments. A detail class observation or evaluation should have the depth and breadth required in order to conduct a proper class observation and would include learning organization and management, knowledge of subject matter, encouragement to engage in critical thinking and instructional techniques. This lack of structure is due to the first issue mentioned where planning before commencement was not conducted at all. As the comment progress, the team did made an effort to construct a criterion for evaluation as shown by Participant #2 who commented on Participant #3.

Recommendations a. A commencement meeting should have been conducted to clarify the scope of evaluation and comments that group seeks during the video review b. The comments should be focused and should have the necessary breadth and depth c. A set of criterion for class observation and evaluation should be developed for this action research

3. Will Activity Theory Supplement Action Research The preceding observation and analysis of comments have highlighted the weakness in this action research pilot study. The group lack understanding of action research as it was their first time conducting an action research activity. Furthermore the absence of a framework in its initial action research activities became the major reason why the research fall short of achieving a significant impact on improving teaching skills among the participants. The lack of planning and organizing the activities as well as the incomprehensible dynamics of an activity yielded little positive effect. At this junction,

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activity theory seems significant and its framework could bring activities into order and lead to better outcomes when action research is conducted. The Rational Activity Theory clearly lays out the requirements and illustrates the dynamic nature of an activity. By being aware of the nature of activities and applying framework into action research, the participants will be aware of the elements that constitute an activity. This awareness could easily lead to better planning, organizing and management of the action research.

For example in the framework, the identified elements are subject, object, mediating artifacts, rules, community, division of labor which make it all possible for activities to make sense of meaning that will lead to positive outcomes as shown in Fig 7. which show Engestr ms, (1987, p. 78) framework for activity theory.

If each participant is aware of this framework, they would have a clearer perspective of the dynamics of group activities. Taking an example of a participants view that is aware of activity theory, he or she would be able to identify himself or herself as the Subject that has to interact with a group of participants called the Community in achieving the end goal which is the Object. With this understanding, participants would have organized kickoff meeting to get the activities organized by setting ground rules and decide on a workable evaluation for the teaching observation exercise. Furthermore, in order to enable the group to achieve this goal, Mediating Artifact in this case tools and signs are required to enable the activity to be achieved. The tools that were used for this activity were video recording equipment such a digital video recorder, IPads and Mobile Phones. Video editing tools such as Moviemaker was used to edit the video with synopsis and subtitles. Online video hosting portals such as Vimeo and YouTube were used to host the video and provided the participants an avenue to make their comments online. Activities are governed by predefine Rules such a processes and procedure that are used to set boundaries in order for the activities to be aligned toward the goals. On this note, the team did not have ground rules for the activity and therefore some participants

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were lost and were not able to provide objective comments which require more breadth and depth.

When the goals are achieve, making sense of meaning could be determined and therefore lead to positive outcomes. In the end of the first cycle of the action research, little was achieved due to the lack of planning and system to organize and managed the action research process. The outcomes achieve is minimal and the lesson learned from the first cycle of this action research would provide the team with a better understanding of how action research can be conducted more efficiently and productively when activity theory is reflected in the organizing and management of action research.

Reflection The activities carried out were rather haphazard and there were no planning conducted initially to develop criteria for teaching evaluation which lead to surface comments on the teaching skills. On the other hand if activity theorys framework was used in the beginning of the action research, the participants would have done better as the framework would have provided guidance and awareness.

Recommendations a. The team should consider using activity theory as the basis for the action research activities. It will provide a framework to guide and operationalize the action research.

Conclusion
This pilot study of action research by a group of lecturers who are taking a postgraduate programme at a local university has provided a significant insight into the importance of using activity theory as a framework to manage and organize the action research. The framework has spelled out the various elements in an activity and its interaction provided a clearer picture of the dynamics of an activity. The group initially had difficulties in conducting the first cycle of action research and this was due to their lack of understanding of action research. Furthermore their lack of planning and group collaboration led to confusion in providing their comments. It was a free flow of comments that had no structure and this therefore resulted in little value in the first cycle of the action research. The text comment analysis indicated that participants comments were not in-depth but only surface
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level and were not well structured. The exercise provided basic feedbacks which could be further enhance if there was a proper structure for comments. This weakness is mainly due to lack of organized activity and proper management. It is therefore the recommendation of this research article that activity theory has the right framework to assist action research. It has clearly define the elements that is part of an activity, supported by mediating artifact and demonstrate the dynamics of group collaboration to achieve its goals that will lead to positive outcomes. This structure will provide the framework to organize and research in a more productive and efficient manner. manage action

References
Dick, B. (2002). Action research: Action and Research. Retrieved 6th December 2012, <http://www.aral.com.au/resources/aandr.html#a_aar_whatis> Engestr m, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit. Moen, R. & Norman, C. Evolution of the PDCA Cycle. Retrieved 8th December, 2012 <http://pkpinc.com/files/NA01MoenNormanFullpaper.pdf> Muir, P. (2007). Action research in the scholarship of L & T. The RMIT Teaching and Learning Journal, Vol 2, Issue 3, 2007. NSW Department of Education and Training, (2010). Action Research in Education Retrieved 6th December 2012 < https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/docs/pdf/

actreguide.pdf > OBrien, R. (1998). An Overview of the Methodological Approach of Action Research. Retrieved 2nd December 2012 < http://www.web.ca/robrien/papers/arfinal.html> Ryder, M. (1998). Spinning Webs of Significance: Considering anonymous communities in activity systems., Fourth Congress of the International Society for Cultural Research and Activity Theory in Aarhus Retrieved 2nd December, 2012 <

http://carbon.ucdenver.edu/~mryder/itc/act_dff.html>

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