MAF 202 – Methods of Research

Joey F. Valdriz Master of Arts in Technological Education

Major in Mathematics

Action Research

PRACTITIONER RESEARCH

Definition:

“Any piece of research carried out by a

practitioner which has as its focus the

concerns of that practitioners’ profession”

(Edwards and Talbot, 1994)

ACTION RESEARCH

Definitions:

• “It is the process by which practitioners attempt to

study their problems scientifically in order to

guide, correct, and evaluate their decisions and

actions” (Corey)

• “It is done by systematically collecting data on

your everyday practice and analyzing it in order to

come to some decisions about what your future

practice should be” (Wallace, 1998)

Difference between Conventional Research and

Action Research

Conventional Research is a careful, systematic,

patient study and investigation in some field of

knowledge which conforms to formal or accepted

standards or rules

1. Conventional research is more difficult to

undertake. It requires careful thought in planning the

design of an investigation before it is launched.

2. Action research is short and can be accomplished in a

shorter period of time while conventional research is

sophisticated and therefore requires more time.

3. The quality of fundamental research and the quality of

research are to be judged by different criteria. The value

of the former is determined by the amount of dependable

knowledge it adds to that already recorded and available to

anyone who wants and needs the information. The value of

action research is determined primarily by the extent to which

its findings lead to the improvement in the practice of the

people engaged in the research.

4. Conventional research is ordinarily designed so

that generalizations can be extended to large

population. Action research inquiry is conducted by

investigators studying a particular existing

population.

5. Action research usually requires the joint efforts

of a group of people while conventional research is

seldom conducted by a team of researchers.

6. Conventional research is the prerogative of

professional students of research in their field of

specialization or of highly trained research

specialists; while action research is for all

educational workers who wish to improve their

practices and who believe that they could render

better decisions as to what practice will meet the

needs and demands of modern life.

TYPES OF ACTION RESEARCH

1. Practical Action Research

• This is intended to address a specific problem within a

classroom, school or other communities.

• It can be carried out in a variety of settings such as the

educational, school service or business locations

• The primary purpose of practical action research is to improve

practice in the short term and to inform larger issues.

• This is performed by individuals, teams or larger groups

provided the focus remains clear and specific.

• The result of this research is an action plan

2. Participatory Action Research

• This type of research involves individuals which are called

stakeholders

• These individuals function as equal partners

• In this type of research the subject and the researcher find

ways to bring about social change and improve their lives.

• Stakeholders may not be involved at the beginning of the

research but become active early in the process and jointly

plan the study.

• A collaborative research provides people with the means to

take systematic action in an effort to resolve specific

problems

Action Research - Power Point by:

Dr. Tarek Chebbi, FIU

Action Research Designs

Action Research

Participatory Practical

•Studying local practices

Involving individual or team-

based inquiry

•Focusing on teacher development and

student learning

•Implementing a plan of action

•Leading to the teacher-as-researcher

•Studying social issues

that constrain individual lives

•Emphasizing equal

collaboration

•Focusing on “life-enhancing

changes”

•Resulting in the emancipated

researcher

Significant Elements of a Design for Action

Research

1. The identification of a problem area about which

an individual or a group is sufficiently concerned to

want to take some action

2. The selection of a specific problem and the

formulation of a hypothesis or prediction that implies

a goal and a procedure for reaching it

Significant Elements of a Design for Action

Research

3. The careful recordings of actions taken and the

accumulation of evidence to determine the degree to

which the goal has been achieved.

4. The inference from this evidence of

generalizations regarding the relation between action

and the desired goal

Significant Elements of a Design for Action

Research

5. The continuous retesting of these generalizations

in action situations

QUOTE

“It’s not the strongest species that survives nor the

most intelligent, but the one most responsive to

change.”

~Charles Darwin