Action Research

Action research is a
reflective process of
progressive problem solving led
by individuals working with
others in teams or as part of a
"community of practice" to
improve the way they address
issues and solve problem
Action Research gives teachers
the skills needed to work on
problems specific to their
classrooms and their schools.
By using an actual research
procedure, researching
teachers can resolve their own
teaching challenges.
ACTION RESEARCH is a CYCLE.
Plan, act, observe, reflect.
Revised plan, act, observe,
reflect.
Five Phases of Action
Research
1. Problem Identification
2. Plan of Action
3. Data Collection
4. Data Analysis
5. Plan for Future Actions
Problem Identification

 Why do you want to study this

topic?
 What is the proposed change?
 How do you plan to introduce this
change?
 Is this problem broad enough to
illustrate student achievement and
narrow enough to be manageable?
 Who will be part of the action
research group?
Plan of Action

 Will you look at your existing

practices or develop and
implement a new strategy?
 How will you focus your
question to increase student
achievement?
Data Collection

 Who are the subjects of the

action research effort?
 What is the sampling plan?
 What are the data collection
methods?
 How will you ensure that you
have multiple perspectives?
Data Collection Methods

 Quantitative:
(Counting and Sorting)
* Questionnaires or surveys
* Assessments: Projects, Open-
ended questions, tests,
quizzes, or other statistical
analyses.
 Qualitative
(Telling “Stories”)
* Logs and Journals
* Individual Interviews and
Focus Groups
* Opinion Essays
Data Analysis

 What can you learn from your data?

 What patterns, insights, and new
understandings can you discover?
 What long term changes will you
make?
 What is the plan for sharing your
findings?
Plan for Future Actions

 What will you do differently in

your class/school as a result of
this study?
 How will you write about what you
have learned so that your findings
will be useful to others?
Final Action Research
Report
 Identify
 Question addressed
 Instrument used to collect data
 Data used
 Reflections
 Conclusions (Future directions)