Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

Action Research: A Case Study

Marwa El Sayed
The American University in Dubai

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

Action Research: A Case Study

Although not a recent topic, classroom management remains one of the least
addressed issues in teacher education and training (Bennet, 2013). It is no surprise then that
teachers doubt how well prepared they are to deal with misbehavior in their classrooms
(Marzano, 2003). One of the most effective ways to allow teachers to gain the confidence
they need to improve their teaching skills is through conducting action research (Sadruddin,
2012). This action research paper aims to investigate the case of one student by uncovering
possible causes for their disruptive behavior and testing out potential solutions. The goal here
is to assess our ability as educators to gather relevant information, interpret it and use existing
theory to propose appropriate research-based solutions.
The Problem
X is an Egyptian, 10-year old boy in year 6, currently attending his second year at a
British school in Dubai. Xs family moved to the United Arab Emirates in September 2013,
before which he attended an American school in Cairo for the previous two years. X is a very
bright child who excels in almost all of his classes. He is in the highest ability levels for
English and Math and has been selected along with a few other students to attend year 7 Math
classes once a week. Most teachers would say that they enjoy having X in class, as he is an
active and engaged student. Xs family has moved a lot and as a result he has not been in any
one school for more than 2 consecutive years. Nevertheless, he is generally a happy child who
very much enjoys coming to school and has established a good circle of friends. At the start of
this year, Xs class was in the hands of Ms. B, who had to take sick leave in late November
and so the class was handed over to Mr. J.. Although the class cared very much for Ms. B.,
they were nevertheless happy to have Mr. J back as most of them were in his class the
previous year. This year, X has been exhibiting increasingly bad behavior both within and
outside of class. It began with his Arabic teachers complaining about his disruptive and at

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

times defiant behavior as well as his reluctance to apply himself fully in class. This seems to
have carried over from the previous year, when there were several complaints to his class
teacher from the Arabic department. A few months into the school year, other specialist
teachers started complaining, culminating in Mr. J. himself voicing concern. Based on my
observations and coupled with his teachers comments, Xs misbehavior included; answering
back rudely or interrupting teachers, questioning teachers decisions & authority, defying
teachers requests, annoying or disrupting other students in class, and using questionable
language during break times. In a school where behavioral problems are few and far between,
X was described as the worst behaving student in Year 6.
Literature Review
There have been many theories and approaches proposed to deal with the different
issues that may arise in our classrooms. Because different displays of misbehavior stem from
wholly different origins, the first step is always to investigate the causes. Rudolf Dreikurs
(2014) maintains that students have different motivations for misbehavior including; to gain
attention, for power & control, to seek revenge or to display inadequacy. After meeting with
Xs mother and class teacher, I was able to exclude a few factors. X is the eldest of 3 children
raised within a loving, involved, highly educated family. He does not seek attention nor does
he feel inadequate, he is a high achieving, popular kid who receives his fair share of attention
and sense of belonging from classmates and teachers. Initially, I hypothesized that perhaps he
is bored and unchallenged because he is such a bright student and yet I have discovered that
his classes are highly differentiated. Xs teachers are all well aware of his level and, as is the
case with other students, they have organized their classes to appeal to his level as well as his
interest and learning style. Interestingly, X does occasionally display vengeful behavior but it
is almost always in a reactionary manner. When scolded publicly or seemingly humiliated, X
will lash out in an almost self-destructive fashion which seems uncharacteristic of him.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

Meanwhile, William Glasser (2014) relates our behavior to a desire to fulfill a need
for survival, belonging, power & importance, freedom & independence, and fun. I believe
Glasser (2014) is much more in line with the details of this case. Xs mother emphasized in
more than one instance the fact that X does not like to be treated as a child. He has always
been a fast learner and prides himself on his mental maturity. When pressed to explain
further, she elaborated that he likes to feel like he is in charge rather than being ordered
around. I have observed how Mr. J. is aware of this fact and makes it a point to treat X like a
young adult, by allowing him choice and independence in many matters. I have also observed
that when questioned about his behavior, X will simply say he was joking, having fun and
didnt mean it or he will shift the blame to someone else entirely.
Others such as Jacob Kounin (2014) would place the responsibility for misbehavior
more heavily on the teachers shoulders. According to him, teachers can avoid misbehavior
altogether if they exhibit with-it-ness, overlapping, momentum, smoothness and group focus.
Another initial hypothesis I had was that X behaved better in Mr. J.s class because he was
familiar to him and they shared an old rapport. However, after observing his classes, it
became clear that the reason was that Mr. J. exemplified very closely Kounins (2014)
characteristics of an effective teacher. The same cannot be said of the other specialist
teachers, each of whom had a different style and reacted in a different way to Xs actions.
Firstly, they did not all create the kind of atmosphere that would prevent problems from
occurring in the first place. Further, each teacher was coming up with consequences as they
went along rather than referring back to a set of rules that were decided upon at the beginning
of the year. This highlighted one striking aspect which had been absent from Xs school
experience, an aspect which surprisingly all theorists would agree is a vital one, namely
consistency. The fact that X has moved schools and even countries and now this year has
even changed class teachers points to a lack of general consistency. In fact, this inconsistency

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

worked against all of the teachers collectively. The Arabic teachers delayed mentioning Xs
behavior to his mother because they come from the same cultural background and shared a
good rapport. Other specialist teachers simply dealt with his behavior on a class-by-class
basis. This situation was exacerbated by the fact that there was no school-wide behavioral
policy for all the teachers to refer back to.
Another aspect, which follows on the inconsistency, is the general lack of
assertiveness exhibited by Xs teachers. The assertive discipline model (Marzano, 2003)
involves stating rules & expectations clearly, applying positive consequences when
expectations are met or negative consequences when they are not, and finally being assertive
rather than passive or hostile in dealing with students. On occasion, the Arabic teachers had
been known to say clearly inappropriate and hostile statements such as, What is wrong with
you? Stop behaving like a baby in Kindergarten, why do you always sit with girls X, you
are so strange. This was coupled with making threats that were almost never followed
through with. On several occasions, they would warn him by saying, I will tell your mother,
or I will send you to the principal. Both of which signal to the student that the teacher is not
in control, makes idle threats, and can be manipulated further. Meanwhile the music and
French teachers had been passive with X by mostly ignoring his disruptive behavior until it
had gotten out of hand. More often than not, when those teachers approached him, X managed
to use his wit and eloquence to come up with excuses and lay the blame elsewhere. The main
exception was Mr. J. who acted assertively, clearly delineating rules and applying
consequences. Unfortunately and quite expectedly, Xs misbehavior eventually began spilling
into his class as well.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

Methodology
Data collection strategies
Observations. Over the course of six weeks, from February 10th until March 26th, I
have observed 10 hours of Mr. J.s class time. Initially my focus was on recording
preventative measures which Mr. J. employs as well as his responses to any misbehavior. I
was able to correlate many of his practices and techniques to the approaches we learnt in
class. As this is a school with very few serious behavioral problems, none of the students
really stood out initially. It was Mr. J. who alerted my attention to X and after a couple of
sessions I understood why. After coming up with the proposed plan, I began observing any
changes in Xs behavior following implementation. Although I requested attending classes
with Xs other teachers, where it seems most of the problems occurred, they all declined. As a
result, I received weekly comments from Mr. J. regarding his behavior in those other classes.
Please see the Appendix section for the template used to record my observations in class.
Interviews
Class teacher. Overall, there were 3 official interviews conducted with Mr. J., Xs
class teacher. The first was prior to the start of the observations on the 9th of February and
involved general questions related to the school, how the class is conducted, and the overall
behavior of the students. After 5 hours of observation, another meeting was conducted on the
3rd of March where more questions were asked relating to X in particular and an overall plan
was suggested. Before the end of the schools term, a very quick interview was conducted on
March 25th to assess the efficacy of the plan. Please see the Appendix for the most important
highlights from those interviews.
Xs Mother. Perhaps owing to the fact that X and my own son are friends, and I had
known Xs mother since last year, she agreed to sit with me for a quick interview. The
meeting was kept at a casual note so as not to make her feel uncomfortable and it mostly
centered on her assessment of the situation and her suggestions. It was also a great resource in

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

finding out what happens in Xs other classes. Please see the Appendix section for the most
important highlights from that interview.
Informal discussions. Although Xs specialist teachers declined my request to attend
and observe their classes, they were nevertheless available for informal discussions during
school hours where I was able to ask them a few questions.
Participants
The participants taking part in this action research included X, his mother, his teachers
and the schools principal. Please note that all names of participants have been changed to
maintain confidentiality.
The Plan
After putting together all the pieces from the data I had collected, I was ready to
propose a plan, one which would attempt to tackle the problem from several angles. Three
factors seemed to exacerbate Xs misbehavior:
1. The lack of consistency across the different subjects and teachers
With no consistent overall school policy, my first suggestion was that our plan must
be consistent in all of Xs classes. Management theorists may not agree on many points but
the importance of consistency in carrying out behavioral plans is one which is shared by all.
More than anything X needs a consistent system which is predictable, responsive, fair and
compassionate. He needs to be aware that what he does in Arabic class will impact his day,
just as what he does in music or in math class. Also he needs a way where his behavior is
transparent to all teachers so that he cannot talk his way out of incidents the way he used to.
This consistent system needs to be communicated and followed up on by his parents as well.
Previously, teachers have tried applying consequences in school such as missing break or
golden time with no success. The addition of the parents element means that his behavior in
school will have a direct impact on his life beyond school as well.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

The proposed solution. In thinking about a swift and responsive solution to this escalating
problem I started thinking of establishing consistent, positive and negative consequences to
Xs behavior. I suggested to Mr. J. that we create a system where each teacher can assess Xs
behavior at the end of each class and based on the comments we apply a series of predetermined positive and negative consequences. It was then that Mr. J. came up with a more
Skinnerian (2014) and quantitative proposition. He decided to institute a points system
whereby in every single session at school, X receives a 0, 1 or a 2, including lunch times. At
the end of the week, the points are tallied and if they fall above our agreed upon scores (500
points), he receives positive consequences and vice versa. As per the report, more than 2
zeros per day means he loses his extra-curricular activities. Eventually, the idea is to phase
this report out once Xs behavior reaches a consistent level of acceptance. Please see the
Appendix for a template of the report used. I then suggested that these consequences be
decided upon in collaboration with X and his parents so that he can feel some responsibility
and investment. Also, I did not want the consequences to simply be thinly disguised
punishments but rather reinforcements to encourage positive behavior. We discussed
introducing the plan to X in the presence of his parents and/or principal (who I know is a very
friendly and well-loved character at school) so that X can feel a sense of magnitude and that
all parties are there to help him. Ultimately, the school decided that the parents should not be
at the meeting so as not to intimidate X so Mr. J. and the Principal met with him alone.
2. The lack of assertive discipline
Ideally, X would benefit most from having all his teachers model Mr. J., who exemplifies
very closely the kind of teacher Haim Ginott (2014), Kounin (2014) and Gordon (2014)
would approve of. On the emotional level, he is compassionate, respectful and non-judging.
His class sessions are full of praise and positive reinforcement with very minimal
admonishments. Even during those times when students have been known to cause

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

disruptions, he responds in a positive, yet assertive manner. Further, he is aware of everything

that takes place in class and is able to handle several students at the same time while keeping
everyone engaged and on task. He does not believe in publically reprimanding students but
rather prefers discussing any issues with them privately. Often times, he chooses to ignore
minimal disruptions or infringements and addresses them instead at the end of the class
period. Unfortunately, the only access I have is to Mr. J.s classes with no means of
suggesting things to the other teachers.
The proposed solution. I asked Mr. J. if there was some way perhaps he could share his
methods with the other teachers. Upon discussing this with the principal, it was decided that
during their next professional development meeting he could present other teachers with
several strategies of preventing misbehavior as well as those that handle them successfully.
This would be accomplished in a general manner without pinpointing those teachers who
seemed to lack assertiveness. Nevertheless, particular attention was to be paid to the Arabic
department since they had exhibited the most inappropriate methods. I also suggested that the
department attends regular workshops to the same effect. Ideally, this should be the way all
teachers do things but it seemed difficult to suggest a school-wide policy at this point. For
now, Mr. J. and the principal saw that the use of the daily report would be one way of alerting
them and ensuring they act more assertively.
3. The lack of responsibility or ownership exhibited by X.
One of the elements that I believe should be included in any behavioral plan is a way
to empower the students themselves to self-regulate and prevent future problems. When
confronted with incidents of his misbehavior, X is quick to place the blame on others, whether
teachers or students. He defends himself by claiming he was just having fun or didnt mean to
cause trouble but he never actually admits that it is the direct result of his choices. In fact
what he really needs is to take ownership of his actions and the related choices that he makes.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

10

He needs to be aware that he is not working towards the greater good of the class as a group
and is in fact causing disharmony and harm to others. Even if the points system ends up
working and his teachers gain assertiveness, without actually changing something intrinsic in
Xs way of thinking, there is no way of preventing a recurrence.
The proposed solution. I believe X could benefit from a higher sense of self-awareness and
in exercising self-reflection in relation to the choices he makes. According to Glasser (2014)
and choice theory, all behavior is chosen and the only behavior we can control is our own. As
a result, to make the right choices, he recommends that we ask ourselves the following
questions:
1. What do you want?
2. What are you doing to achieve what you want?
3. Is it working?
4. What are your plans or options?
I mentioned the choice flower, which although below Xs age, was an example of a
practical application of this approach. We also discussed creating a personal book for Xs
thoughts in the form of journal entries. I discovered that he does not particularly enjoy writing
so I suggested voice-notes or video blogs as an alternative. Mr. J. mentioned that he loved
reading and drawing comics so we ultimately decided to give him the choice of the medium
so long as he created a journal which included his responses to the above questions. Mr. J.
gave him a new copybook and asked him to write or draw whatever he liked on the outside to
personalize it. At the same time, Xs mother gave him a USB stick and told him it was to
record his video blogs and voice notes.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

11

Results
Implementation of the plan began on the 4th of March and lasted until the 26th of
March after which the school was off for a two-week spring vacation. Initially, the plan was
off to a shaky start with X scoring less than required on the report during the first two days.
On one occasion he forgot to hand in his homework and attempted to talk his way out of it.
Previously, that would have probably warranted a simple word of disapproval but this time it
was included in his report. His journal entries for the first week were also sparse and lacked
any depth. It was clear that he had rushed his way through them. As a result, X was not
allowed to visit his favorite bookstore over the weekend, an outing which he looks forward to
throughout the week. By the second week however, X was scoring better marks and incurring
fewer incidents in all of his classes. During the third week of the plan, he scored full marks
and an email was circulated by Xs specialist teachers to his class teacher praising his
improvement. Although I could see that X was still talkative and at times a little challenging,
he had stopped disrupting others and being rude to the teachers. A copy of that same email
was also forwarded to the principal and Xs parents. On the last day of school before the
spring break, X was awarded the schools weekly achievement certificate for key stage 2,
recognizing his improved behavior. This was followed by a short meeting with the principal
who commended him and assured him that they would all work together as a team to ensure
his continued support and success. Mr. J. decided that the report would continue after the
spring break at least for a couple of more weeks until he was sure that Xs behavior had
become the norm. My hope is that the report is used simply as a temporary crutch to be
phased out as X learns to self-regulate and make the right choices.
An interesting phenomenon, which I had not anticipated, was the fact that Xs love for
math and logical reasoning would make him interested in actually implementing the plan. Mr.
J. as well as his mother commented that he would spend a few minutes per day playing

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

12

around with the numbers, calculating his averages, estimating how much he needed to score
and even placing bets as to what score he would receive that day or week. He even drew a
rough graph to illustrate the change in scores from one week to the next! That brings to mind
a comment Dr. Nora said in class while discussing a previous case study. She had said that we
could use multiple intelligences to draw the student back on track if we are aware of their
inclinations towards a particular intelligence. For X, the use of a numerical system was
attractive to him because he enjoyed manipulating the numbers and predicting his points.
Although this was a serendipitous rather than a conscious effect of the plan, I will be sure to
think of that beforehand the next time I analyze a case.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it was to have a teacher who would actually
listen to an observers suggestions, and an administration flexible and willing enough to
implement those changes. Further, the fact that Xs mother was an intelligent, open-minded
individual allowed her to see the case without much bias and to implement the suggestions
without falsely siding with or defending her son. Finally, Xs case is one which is free from
the possible complications of family problems or psychological issues. That means that most
of the variables are in fact in our hands as educators, rather than being outside our circle of
influence.
Limitations
Naturally, the biggest limitation in this research is the fact that I am a bystander and
not the actual teacher. In effect, all I have are pieces of information and a limited ability to
actually affect change. Because I have no access to other classes, I was only able to observe
Mr. J.s class, during which X was probably at his best behavior. I was unable to see exactly
what happens during other classes, how the teachers deal with it and whether or not the
teachers applied any of the proposed changes. As a result I was unable to observe actual
changes taking place in other classes and had to rely on teachers narrative. The second aspect

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

13

here is the novelty effect of having me in class. Mr. J. commented that in almost all the
classes I attended, the students were better behaved than their norm. Finally, the fact that the
entire process lasted around 6 weeks means that time is another limiting factor. For a more
valid assessment of the proposed solutions, we would need a much longer amount of time.
Conclusions
Behavioral problems in schools around the world present a serious challenge to
educators, both new and experienced. In the US, an annual Gallup poll surveying peoples
attitudes towards public school identifies the lack of discipline as the single most serious
problem in schools (Marzano, 2003). Meanwhile in the UK, a third of teachers will quit
within 5 years of teaching, half of whom cite students behavioral problems as the primary
factor (Bennett, 2013). Having gone through this process, I can say that this is a very effective
way of allowing educators to be truly self-reflective while also assessing the effectiveness of
different theories and approaches within our own contexts. I also have a newfound respect for
the difficulty teachers may face when they are working within an inflexible administration or
with uncooperative parents. Ultimately, the more in sync teachers, administrations and parents
can be, the more likely they are to work together towards a successful solution. Personally, I
feel a lot more confident now in my ability to prevent problems and when necessary to
propose possible plans to tackle them if they do exist. There might not be some magic
formula for success but there is certainly a dependable process that if followed, has the
potential to yield surprisingly positive results.

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

14

References
Bennett, T. (2013). The Behaviour Guru: Behaviour Management Solutions for
Teachers. London: Continuum International Pub. Group.
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/Rudolf Dreikurs. (2014, October 28).
Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. Retrieved 12:40, April 1, 2015 from
http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Classroom_Management_Theorists_and_Theories/Rudolf_Dr
eikurs
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/Jacob Kounin. (2014, October 28).
Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. Retrieved 12:55, April 1, 2015 from
http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Classroom_Management_Theorists_and_T
heories/Jacob_Kounin&oldid=2718900.
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/Burrhus Frederic Skinner. (2014,
October 28). Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. Retrieved 12:00, April 1, 2015 from
http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Classroom_Management_Theorists_and_Theories/Burrhus_Fr
ederic_Skinner
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/Haim Ginnott. (2014, October 28).
Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. Retrieved 12:47, April 1, 2015 from
http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Classroom_Management_Theorists_and_Theories/Haim_Gin
ott
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/William Glasser. (2014, October 28).
Wikibooks, The Free Textbook Project. Retrieved 12:58, April 1, 2015 from
http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Classroom_Management_Theorists_and_Theories/William_G
lasser

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY

15

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. (2003). Classroom Management That
Works: Research-based Strategies for Every Teacher. Alexandria, Va: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Sadruddin, M. M. (2012). Discipline - Improving Classroom Management through
Action Research: A Professional Development Plan. Journal Of Managerial Sciences, 6(1),
23-42.