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CONTENTS
When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to:
Define what is action research
Justify the use of action research
Describe the steps involved in action research
Differentiate between the types of action research
Discuss the role of ethics in action research
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
PREAMBLE
This chapter focus on understanding what is action research and how it is used in
qualitative research. The rationale for using action is discussed and who are the
people are often involved in action research. There are many several models of action
research but in this chapter focus will be one approach that consists of six steps.
Different types of action research are identified as well the issue of ethics is
discussed.
Have you reflected or though about your teaching? Have you asked yourself
whether what you have doing in the classroom is really helping all students learn? Is
there another way of doing things? Action research is a qualitative research method
that encourages the practioner (or teacher) to be reflective of his or her own practice
with the aim of improving the system (McNiff, 1994). As schools are increasingly
being held publicly accountable for student achievement, action research may provide
a way for helping schools understand better their problems and to make more
informed decisions about their practice that can lead to desired outcomes.
Action Research
THEORY PRACTICE
his or her own personal theories of educational practice. Action research helps the
teacher to bridge the gap between theory and practice (see Figure 4.1). Here teachers
have the opportunity to test some of their personal theories in the classroom using
action research.
According to Guskey (2000), educational problems and issues are best
identified and investigated where the action is, i.e. at the classroom and school level.
By bringing research into these settings and engaging those who work at this level in
research activities (i.e. teachers), findings can be applied immediately and problems
solved more quickly. Action research in education has also been called several
different names such as:
classroom research,
self-reflective inquiry,
teacher research,
teacher self-evaluation,
teacher as researcher.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Second, action research is not about learning why we do certain things, but rather
how we can do things better. It is about how we can change our instruction to
impact students.
Third, the main focus of action research is on turning the people involved
into researchers (OBrian, 1998). People learn best, and more willingly apply
what they have learned, when they do it themselves. The teacher or practioner
as researcher spends refining the methodological tools to suit the demands of
the situation, and collecting, analysing, and presenting data on an ongoing,
cyclical basis.
Fourth, the researcher makes no attempt to remain objective, but openly
acknowledges his or her bias towards the subjects or participants
Fifth, action research has a social dimension whereby the research takes place
in real-world situations, and aims to solve real concerns.
There are two main reasons for action research. One is to involve practioners
(such as teachers) in their work. The other is to encourage practioners (or teachers) to
be researchers with the purpose of bringing about improvement in what they are
doing. Action research means ACTION, both of the system under consideration and
of the people involved in that system.
The system could mean schools, factories, offices, airlines and so forth.
The people means teachers, managers, workers, supervisors, principals and so
forth.
For example, a teacher who discovered that if he adopted an alternative style
of dealing with students with discipline problems, student attention in class greatly
improved. He recommends the alternative method to his colleagues and soon the
whole school is seen practicing the method in all the classes. The action of action
research, whether on a small scale or large scale, implies change in peoples lives, and
therefore in the system in which they live.
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 (OBrian, 1998).
However, action research is most often used when you want change to take place
quickly or holistically and is preferred because it is flexible. It is often selected as a
method by practitioners who wish to improve understanding of their practice or an
academic invited into an organisation by decision-makers aware of a problem
requiring action research (OBrian, 1998).
6
LEARNING ACTIVITY
ACTING PLANNING
OBSERVING REFLECTING
EXAMPLE:
Planning: How can I make my dog better behaved? Perhaps I should take him to
training classes.
[source: Kurt Lewin, 1946. Action Research and Minority Problems, Journal of
Social Issues, 2: 34- 46]
This first phase continues to the second phase of the cycle involving Re-planning,
Acting, Observing and Reflecting. Lewin did not intend for his ideas to be applied in
education as he was more interested in social issues in organisations. However, his
concept crept into education and today his basic model is widely adopted in
educational settings with slight modifications [Refer to the action research model by
Kemmis and McTaggart].
Later the data on the outcome of the intervention is studied and reviewed to
find out how well was the plan was carried out and whether the outcomes was
successful or not. The Problem is reassessed and cycle starts again and continues to
evolve until an adequate solution is found.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Phase 1
Phase 2
The diagram shows the four steps in action; the movement from one critical
phase to another, and the way in which progress may be made through the system.
Action research is all about what happens in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged
to be researchers investigating what is happening in their classrooms.
Basically it is an approach to improve your own teaching practice. You start
with a problem you encounter in your teaching practice. It could be a concern that
students do not spend enough effort in reviewing course materials; or they have great
difficulty learning a particular topic in the course. Faced with the problem, the action
researcher will go through a series of phases (reflect, plan, action, observe) called the
Action Research Cycle to systematically tackle the problem.
In practice, things rarely go perfectly according to plan first time round.
Usually you discover ways to improve your action plan in light of your experience
and feedback from the students. One cycle of planning, acting, observing and
reflecting, therefore usually leads to another, in which you incorporate improvements
suggested by the initial cycle. Projects often do not fit neatly into a cycle of planning,
action, observation and reflection. It is perfectly legitimate to follow a somewhat
disjointed process if circumstances dictate.
EXAMPLE:
Planning: I am not happy with the textbook we are using, but it is the only
one available. What can I do about it? I cannot change the
book: should I change my method of using it? Perhaps I should
try paired work.
Acting: I show the children how to ask and answer questions of each
other to make otherwise boring material relevant to themselves.
We try out this technique in class.
Reflecting: The activity is lively, but some questions wander from the text.
I want to get across the material in the text.
Acting: The children record their own conversations. There are not
enough tape recorders to go around, so they work in fours,
taking it in turns to listen and talk. At the end of the two sets of
interviews they listen and comment on individual recordings.
11
[source: Carr, W. & Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming Critical: education, knowledge and
action research. Lewes, Falmer]
CASE STUDY:
ACTION RESEARCH IN PRIMARY MATHEMATICS TEACHING
Phase 1:
1. PLAN:
I will reduce the amount of content to be covered. Break it down into smaller
manageable bits. Pupils are broken up into groups of three with one good pupil (i.e.
tutor) assigned to help the other two pupils (i.e. tutee) in the group.
2. ACT:
I begin the lesson with teaching the whole class about fractions. Then, pupils work
in their groups on the problems given to them. The good pupil is told to help the other
two weak pupils in his or her group. My role is that of a facilitator attending to
questions and issues raised by students.
3. OBSERVE:
[You have to decide what kind of evidence you need to collect to help you make some
judgement about what is happening]. I join the different groups and listen to their
conversations. I record as much of their conversations as possible which is jotted in a
journal. I keep notes of my impressions.
4. REFLECT:
The lesson is lively but not all students are asking questions. They are not discussing
with other. Some tutors did not know what to do and how to help their groups mates.
This is not what I had in mind. [You have to check that your judgement about what
has happened is reasonable, fair and accurate].
Phase 2:
1. REVISE PLAN:
I have to train pupils on the process of peer tutoring and strategies for
fulfilling their role of tutor or tutee.
I have to device a structured tutoring procedure in which tutors present
material previously covered by the teacher, and provide feedback to the tutee.
2. ACT:
Tutor: Look at Picture #1. Tell me how many small squares there are in the
picture.
Tutor: Good! This is the number of small parts in the whole figure. Write that
number in the square at the bottom of the fraction sheet.
Tutor: Great! This is the number of shaded squares in the whole figure. Write
this number on the top in the shaded square of the fraction sheet.
Tutor: Now we want to name this fraction by using the number of shaded
squares and the number of small squares. What are the numbers?
Tutee: 1 and 4
Tutee: That is correct! To name the fraction we say 1 out of 4. The bar divides
the parts on the top with the whole on the bottom. Another way is to say it is
that 1 shaded square out of 4 squares means , or one fourth.
3. OBSERVE:
Record their interactions by placing a tape-recorder in each group. Students are really
enjoying themselves. There is greater group discussion and consensus in decision
making.
4. REFELECT:
Weak pupils when grouped with a good pupil benefits from the peer tutoring process
which results in mastery of skills in fractions. I also realises that tutors tended to drill
their tutees to master the concept of fractions. Peer tutoring should move beyond
drillings skills. Should I aim for this sort of learning more often and with other
classes? I am worried about practical difficulties such as too much noise.
.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
There are different types of action research depending upon the participants
involved. According to Ferrance (2000), a plan of research can involve a single
teacher investigating an issue in his or her classroom, a group of teachers working
on a common problem, or a team of teachers and others focusing on a school- or
district-wide issue. She identified the following types of action research:
ETHICS
Decisions made about the direction of the research and the probable outcomes
are collective
Researchers are explicit about the nature of the research process from the
beginning, including all personal biases and interests
There is equal access to information generated by the process for all
participants
The outside researcher and the initial design team must create a process that
maximises the opportunities for involvement of all participants.
16
LEARNING ACTIVITY
KEY WORDS
Action research
Act
Observe
Reflect
Plan
Learning by doing
Practitioners
Cycle
Change
Ethics
17
SUMMARY
Action research is based on the belief that the teacher (or practioner) is the
best judge of his or her teaching (or practice).
Action research helps the teacher to bridge the gap between theory and
practice where teachers have the opportunity to test some of their personal
theories in the classroom using action research.
Action research in education has also been called several different names such
as classroom research, self-reflective inquiry, teacher research, teacher self-
evaluation, teacher as researcher.
Action research is not problem-solving or consulting in the sense that you are
trying to find out what is wrong, but rather a quest for knowledge about how
to improve.
Action research leads the teacher to come to their own understandings about
their own teaching.
One cycle of planning, acting, observing and reflecting, therefore usually leads
to another, in which you incorporate improvements suggested by the initial
cycle.
REFERENCES
Carr, W. & Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming Critical: education, knowledge and action
research. Lewes, Falmer.
Lewin, K. (1946). Action Research and Minority Problems, Journal of Social Issues,
2: 34- 46.
NEFSTEM, The Northeast Florida Science, Technology, and Mathematics Center for
Education. 2006. http://www.nefstem.org/teacher_guide/intro/definition.htm
Winter, R. (1996). Some Principles and Procedures for the Conduct of Action
Research, In Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt (Ed.). New Directions in Action Research,
London: Falmer Press, 16-17.
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