JOHN ELLIOTT'S MODEL

BAVANI MOORTHY
DURKA GOVINDASAMY
PANIMALAR TAMBIRAS

JOHN ELLIOTT
Professor of Education in UK.
He is well-known internationally for his role in developing the theory and
practice of action research in the contexts of curriculum and teacher
development.
John Elliott has directed a number of funded collaborative classroom
research projects with teachers and schools.

Agrees with the basic

action-reflection spiral of
cycle

Aim : to use research in

improving educational
practice

Elliot & Stenhouse argued

that the effective curricular
improvements could only
come about through
development process

John
Elliots
model

Emphasis on
constant evolution &
redefinition of the
original goal

Includes
: identifying a general idea,
reconnaissance or factfinding , planning, etc

Reconnaissance should
involve analysis & fact
finding. Constantly recurring
in the spiral of activities

John Elliotts Action Research

Model
The model outllines the following stages:
Identify the general idea
Seek or obtain consent
Reconnaissance (examine the practice in
detail)

3 Cycles
Implementation of Cycle 1
General planning
Monitor the effect of the implementation
Reconnaissance (examine the
implementation and effect)

2 Cycles
Implementation of Cycle 2
Review the planning
Monitor the effect of the implementation
Reconnaissance (examine the implementation
and effect)

3 Cycles
Implementation of Cycle 3
Review the planning
Monitor the effect of the implementation
Reconnaissance (examine the implementation
and effect)

John Elliot Action Research Model (in Ebbutt, 1985)

Example of Action Plan

using John Elliots Model
Issue : Passive Students

1st Recon

- Document Analysis
- Observation (ss)
- Interview (tr & ss)

* lit review about topic of concern

* document analysis (ss profile, school b/g)

Cycle 1
Action Step 1 : Charade
Action Step 2 : Talking with
puppets
Action Step 3 : Q&A with
microphone
- Observation
Monitor
- Interview
Implementation and
- Facilitate and guide
Effects
General
Plan

2nd Recon

Revising
shortcoming
s

Action Steps are steps taken in 1

lesson plan. By right, the Action Steps
should be scaffold system of one
intervention.
For example, the chosen intervention
is charade, thus the action steps are:
AS 1 : guided charade
AS 2: semi guided charade
AS 3: free charade

- evaluate effectiveness of the intervention

- come up with a different intervention for the
next cycle

STRENGTHS

Flexible
Allows sharing of idea
Idea is always ever changing
Intervention ideas are made at the end of
each cycle.

WEAKNESSES
Time consuming
Deviate from actual idea

CONCLUSION
Argues that the general idea should be
allowed to change, that reconnaissance
should include analysis as well as fact finding
and should occur throughout the action
research process and not only at the
beginning.