Action Research refers to:

A particular way of researching your own

learning;
A practical way of looking at your practice in
order to check whether it is as you feel it should
be;
If you feel that your practice needs attention in
some way you will be able to take action to
improve it, and then produce evidence to show
in what way the practice has improved

Jean McNiff, 2002
Action Research Principles and Practice

Action Research
ASSESS need for a change or
action
IMPLEMENT the change or action
STUDY the results
RETHINK the need, the change,
and the results


Characteristics of an Action
Researcher
Acquiescence is not a characteristic of an
action researcher. He is resourceful,
committed, tenacious, and above all,
curious. He will not be satisfied with a
given system if he sees elements of the
system as unsatisfactory. He will seek to
change it. In doing so, he refuses to be a
servant, but becomes an acting agent. He
rises above the role of a skilled technician
and becomes an educator.
Jean McNiff, Action Research, Principles and
Practice, McNiff,1988, 50

The Focus of the Research:
A problem from your classroom

A puzzle or dilemma about the learning of a
particular student or group of students

A question you have about your teaching

A situation that has arisen in your classroom

How to develop and support particular learning
qualities

The Question:

What do I want to figure out?
What do I want to know about my
teaching?
What do I want to know about
student learning?
What classroom situation do I
want to analyze?

Things to Think About:
What issue am I interested in researching?
Why do I want to research this issue?
What kind of evidence can I gather to show
why I am interested in this issue?
What can I do? What will I do?
What kind of evidence can I gather to show
that I am having an influence?
How can I explain that influence?
How can I ensure that any judgments I might
make are reasonably fair and accurate?
How will I change my practice in the light of
my evaluation?
How do I do action research?
The basic steps of an action research process constitute an
action plan:

We review our current practice,
identify an aspect that we want to investigate,
imagine a way forward,
try it out, and
take stock of what happens.

We 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)
monitor what we do,
review and evaluate the modified action, and so on

(see also McNiff, Lomax and Whitehead, 1996, and forthcoming)
The end