Action

Research

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 Action Research

Conducted by
teachers, principals,
school counselors
etc. that involves
gathering
information about
the ways in which
their particular school
operate, teachers
teach, and students
learn.

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Action Research
PURPOSE

Provide teacher
researchers with a
method for solving
everyday problems in
schools so that they
may improve both
student learning and
teacher effectiveness.
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Action research is done
It is about
by teachers, for
developing the
themselves; it is not
professional
imposed on them by
dispositions of
someone else.
teachers that is
encouraging
teachers to be
continuous learners
– in the classroom
and of their
practice.

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 Action research significantly contributes to the
professional stance that teachers adopt because
it encourages them to examine the dynamics of
their classrooms, ponder the actions and
interactions of students, validate and challenge
existing practices, and take risks in the process.
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 Teachers
goals

to be professional
problem solvers
who are
committed to
improving both
their own practice
and students
outcomes
provides a
powerful
reason to
practice action
research

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Characteristics of Action
Research
1.
Persuasive &
Authoritative

5. 2.
Not a Fad Relevant

Characteristics

4.
Challenges the 3.
Educational Accessible
System

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 1. Action Research is
Persuasive and Authoritative
Research done involves collecting persuasive
data, because teachers are invested in the
legitimacy of the data collection, they identify
data sources that provide persuasive insights into
the impact of an intervention on outcomes.

In doing action research, teacher researchers

develop solutions to their own problems. The
teachers are the ‘experts’ or authorities on what
works in the classroom.
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2. Action Research is Relevant

An outcome of action research is that it

satisfies the desire that all teachers have
to increase the predictability of what
happens in their classroom.

The results of action research are relevant

to the work of individual teacher
researchers.
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 3. Action Research is
Accessible
Educational research does not affect teaching
because it does not address teachers’ prior beliefs
and values.

It addresses the concern that teachers have little

access to research findings.

Even if teachers were informed of the results of

studies, most would be unlikely to change their
practices.
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4. Action Research Challenges
the Intractability of Reform of
the Educational System
Action research gives teacher
researchers the opportunity to
embrace a problem solving
philosophy and practice as an
integral part of the culture their
schools and their professional
disposition and to challenge the
intractability of educational reform by
making action research a part of the
system.

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5. Action Research is Not a Fad

Good teachers have always systematically

looked at the effects of their teaching on
students learning.

Teachers’ reflection and practice may not be

formal enough to be labeled research, but it
is action research.

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 Types of Action Research

1. Critical • Based on a body of critical theory.

Action • Has a goal of liberating individuals through
knowledge gathering.
Research

2. Practical • Emphasized the “how-to” approach to the

processes of action research.
Action • An assumption is that teachers are
autonomous and can determine the nature
Research of the investigation to be undertaken.

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 1. Critical Action Research
Critical action research should exhibit the
following characteristics:

iii.
Liberating:
i.
providing
Democratic:
freedom
enabling the
from
participation
oppressive iv.
of all people ii.
Enhancing:
Equitable:
enabling the
acknowledge
expression o
people’s
people’s full
equality of
human
worth
potential
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 2. Practical Action Research
Component of a practical
perspective of a action research

Teacher Teacher Teacher

Teacher
researchers researchers researchers will
researchers
have are committed choose an area
will use a
decision- to continued of focus,
systematic
making professional determine data
approach for
authority development collection
reflecting on
and school techniques,
their practice
improvement analyze and
interpret, and
develop action
plans.

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 Level of Action Research

Education
action research
can be
undertaken at
three levels:
3. The
school
1. The wide
individual level
teacher 2. The
level single
school or
department
level

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 Action Research Process
Identifying
an area of
focus

Action Data
planning collection

Data analysis
and
interpretation

A process known as the dialectic action research spiral

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The area of focus for action research should involve
teaching and learning, and should focus on your
practice and be within your locus of control.

It should be something you feel passionate about

and something you would like to change or
improve.
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Insight into an area of focus can be gained through:

2.
Descriptive
activities
1. 3.
Self- Explanatory
reflection activities

Data collection techniques used in action research

depend on the area of focus.
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Qualitative data collection techniques are
more often applied to action research
problems than are quantitative research
designs.

Teachers do not routinely assign

children on a random basis to
an experimental group that
receives a treatment or to a
control group that does not.

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 Action research is
action oriented.
Action researchers
follow through with
their action plans to
ensure that lessons
learned are
implemented in the
classroom or school
setting.

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Thank you.

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