What is Action Research?

• Reflective practice

• Explore your own teaching context: instructional strategies, assessment procedures, and interactions with student learners in order to improve their quality and effectiveness

• Intervene in a problematic situation to bring changes

According to some experts . . .

it is . . .

Eileen Ferrance, "Action Research," Providence, RI: The Education Alliance, 2000, available from www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

“a cycle of posing questions,

gathering data,reflection,and deciding on a course of action.”

Why should I do action research? If…

I am teacher

I am not paid for

thatIt is not in

my teaching schedule

I do not have

resources

You should do action research because…

You are reflective You are committed to developing as a thinking professional

Steps in Action Research (Ferrance, 2000)

According to Kemmis and McTaggart (1988),AR is a cyclical process which typically involves four broad phases in a cycle of research

P

Planning

You start out identifying a problem or issue and develop a plan of action inorder to bring about improvements

ActionA

P

Planning

It involves intervention which means you take action on your solution

ActionA O

P

Planning

Observation

This phase involves you in observing systematically the effects of the action and documenting the context, actions and opinions of those involved

ActionA

R

O

P

Planning

Reflection

Observation

You reflect on evaluate and describe the effects of the action.

ActionD

R

A

P

PD A

R

Planning

Reflection

Observation

Then, you repeat the process.

ActionA

R

O

P

PA O

R

PlanningP

Reflection

Observstion

A O

R

PAgain and again …

Models of Action Research

Many models exist but all share the same basic principles which are:– A central problem or topic– Observation or monitoring takes place– Collection and synthesis of data– Some type of action is taken – Next stage of action research (varies)

Calhoun’s Action Research Cycle

(Mertler, 2009)

Piggot-Irvine’s Action Research ModelMertler (2009)

Some AR features..

It involves evaluation and

reflectionIt is a small scale

project

It gives the opportunity to

investigate about inmmediate

concerns

It collects and analyze data

systematically

ACTIVITYIDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE

-The pros and cons of being an action researcher

-The kinds of topics that are investigated in AR

-The main differences between AR and applied research

-The relationships of AR to reflecting teaching

REFERENCESBurns, A. (2003). Collaborative action research for

English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ferrance, E. (2000). Action Research. Providence, RI, USA. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research reader. Victoria: Deakin University Press.

Mertler, C. (2009). Action Research. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications, Inc.