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Action Research

Nature of action research Ignorance is an equal opportunity experience. And it recognized and openly acknowledge as such, it can be a catalyst for true collaborative learning-the kind of learning in which students learn from teachers, students learn from other students, and teachers learn as much from students as students learn from them.

The obvious benefit of action learning is that people work on real issues or problems, carrying real responsibility in real conditions. Its question-based approach to learning differs from much normal training by teaching them how to learn from others. Cliff Richards

Action research is undoubtedly the wave of the future. It is the new way of looking at the world. It is the new way of changing the world.

Ian Lowe

French and Bell describe Action Research as a process of systematically collecting research data about an on going system relative to some objective, goal, or need of that system; feeding these data back into the system; taking actions by altering selected variables within the system based both on hypotheses; and evaluating the results of actions by collecting more data

Action Research is a form of self reflective enquiry undertaken by participation in social (including educational) situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of (a) their own social or educational practices, (b) their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out. It is most rationally empowering when undertaken by participants collaboratively, sometimes in cooperation with outsiders. (Kemmis, cited in Hopkins, 1985)

Action Research is the systematic study of attempts to improve educational practice by groups of participants by mean of their own practical actions and by means of their own reflection upon the effects of those actions. (Ebbutt, cited in Hopkins, 1989)

Action research aims to contribute both to the practical concern of people in an immediate problematic situation and to the goals of social science by joint collaboration within a mutually acceptable ethical framework. (Rapoport, 1985) Research carried out by practitioners with a view to improving their professional practice and understanding it better. (Cameron-Jones,1983)

It would be argued that 3 conditions are individually necessary & jointly sufficient for action research to be said to exist: 1. A project takes as its subject matter a social practice regarding it as a form of strategic action susceptible of improvement; 2. The project proceeds through spiral of cycles of planning acting, observing and reflecting, with each of these activities being systematically and self-critically implemented and interrelated; 3. The project involves those responsible for the practice in each of the moments of the activity to include others affected by the practice, and maintaining to collaborative control of the process. (Carr& Kemmis 1986)

Action Research is an approach to improve education by changing it and learning from the consequences of changes. Collaborative , a process that involves key actors so bringing about a commitment to action and change. Data are systematically sought and recorded and then interpreted in order to find out what happened when certain procedures are employed.

Develop through self-reflective spiral cycles of planning acting, observing, reflecting then replanning, further implementation, observing and reflecting. Require systematic inquiry, the practioner be fully involved in the problem under investigation. Participatory, which typically arises from the clarification of some concerns generally shared by a group.

People describe their concerns, explore what others think, and probe to find what it might be possible to do. In the discussion they decide what it is that would be feasible to work on a group project. It may also start with a hypothesis but certainly will focuses on situation in terms of what is going on. It also collects data and seeks solutions or conclusion relevant to the situation.

Open minded about data, not only keeping records but also collecting and analysing own judgements, reactions and impressions. Involves keeping personal journal in which to record progress reflections about practices and process. Start small by working through changes which even a single person can try.

Give a reasoned justification of our educational work to others because we can show how the evidence we have gathered and the critical reflection we have done have helped us to create a developed, tested and critically examined rationale for what we are doing.

Action Critical Reflection What worked? What didnt? What have we learned? How might we do it differently next time?

Words tend to produce qualitative information. therefore, action research tends to be qualitative. A cyclic process can be flexible and responsive. You can refine your research design as you learn more about the situation. AR allow imprecise beginnings while progressing towards appropriate endings. With each cycle they become more precise.

Characteristics of Action Research in Schools


1. Investigates human actions and social situations which are experienced by teachers as: Unacceptable in some respects (problematic) Susceptible to change (contingent) Requiring a practical response (prescriptive)

2. Action research is concerned with everyday practical problems experienced by teachers rather than the theoretical problems defined by pure researchers within a discipline knowledge. 3. The aim of action research is to deepen the teachers understanding (diagnosis) of his problem. It therefore adopts an exploratory stance towards any initial definitions of his situation he may hold.

4. Action research interprets what is going on from the point of view of those acting and interacting in the problem situation. 5. Since action research looks at a problem from the point of view of those involved it can only be validated in unconstrained dialogue with them and there must be free information flow between them.

6. Action research cannot be undertaken properly in the absence of trust established by fidelity to a mutually agreed ethical framework governing the collection, use and release of data.

HOW TO CARRY OUT AN ACTION RESEARCH? Deciding on an Area of Focus should involve teaching and learning. something that is within your locus of control. something that you feel passionate about. something that you would like to change or improve on.

Explore your own understandings of: The theories that impact your practice The educational values you hold How your work in schools fits into the larger context of schooling and society The historical contexts of your school and schooling and how things got to be the way they are

The historical contexts of how you came to believe what it is that you believe about teaching and learning (Mills, in press)
Review of Related Literature

Getting Started
Get an action research group together and participate yourself. Establish a time line and realistic trial period. Be persistent about monitoring. Those who are involved shared responsibility for the whole AR process.

Must defined common goals evolved from its need to solve a problem. The goal must be flexible, important to the group and significant to the organisational functioning. The goal should be feasible to those concerned. Group members must be willing to try out proposed improvements.

Basically the process of action research consists of a number of phases: Initial reflection Planning Action Observation Reflection Where possible or appropriate most projects go through several cycles of spiral of the basic phases.

Plan

Act

Reflect

Observe

To develop a plan of critically uniformed action to improve what is already happening. To act to implement the plan To observe the effects of the critically informed action in the context in which it occurs, and To reflect on these effects as a basis for further planning, subsequent critically informed action and soon, through a succession of cycles.

Planning: Who is going to do what, and by when? What are the proposed alterations? Action Do not be afraid to make minor deviations from your plan in the light of experience and feedback. New insights are likely to arise.

Observation Detailed observation, monitoring and recording enables you to asses the effect of your action and hence the effectiveness of the proposed change. All involve should keep a diary or journal where additional observation and insights are recorded on a regular basis.

Reflection Should reflect critically on what has happened using the planned observations and notes made in diaries. How effective were your changes? What have you learnt? What were the barriers to change? How cqan you improve the changes you are trying to make in the future?

Technique For Data Collection


Kemmis and Mc Taggart (1982) suggest the following data sources: Diaries: Personal accounts written daily or on a regular schedule to record observations and feelings about classroom procedures, student reactions, and other relevant matters.

Logs: Similar to diaries but usually are organised by time allocations for particular classroom activities. Usually include some commentary on what is going on. Portfolios: Collection of materials that are relevant to the problem or issue under investigations.

Questionnaires/Surveys: Collected from students, parents or teachers about their attitudes and opinions. Structured using multiple-choice responses, rating scales or open-ended allowing respondents to express opinions in their own words. Interviews: Can be informal chat or they can be highly structured with a specific of questions to be asked.

Tape Recording: Recordings of lessons, meetings, and discussions can produce large amounts of useful information. Video Recording: It can capture the dynamics of studentsteacher interaction during a lesson. Teachers and students can observe their own behaviour and analyse it with input from peers.

Photographs and Slides: Useful for recording critical incidents in a classroom. They provide visual reinforcement of data collected by diaries or logs. Rating scales Inventories Journals Attitude scales Standardized tests Field notes

Triangulation
The use of a combination of methods to study the same phenomena or programs. Increases validity as the strengths of one method and data type can compensate for the weakness of another method & another type of data.

Four basic types of triangulation: Methods Triangulation Data sources Triangulation Investigator Triangulation Theory Triangulation Methods Triangulation In a qualitative study, the three most commonly used methods are observation, interviewing and document analysis.

Observations provide a check of what is reported in the interviews. Interviews permit the observer to go beyond external behaviour to explore the internal states of person who have been observed. Document analysis, however, provides a behind-the scene look at the program that may not be directly observable and about which the interviewer might not ask appropriate questions without the lead provided through the documents.

Triangulation of Qualitative Data Sources Comparing and cross-checking the consistency of information derived at different times and by different means within qualitative methods. Triangulation through multiple observer Using several interviewers, helps reduce the potential bias that comes from a single person and provides means of more directly assessing the reliability and validity of the data obtained

Theory Triangulation Using different theoretical perspectives to look at the same data. Example: examine interviews with therapy clients from different psychological perspectives: psychotherapy and Gestalt, Adlerian, and behavioral psychology.

For reducing systematic bias in data. Involves checking findings against other sources or perspectives. Triangulation is a process by which researcher can guard against the accusation that a studys findings are simply an artifact of a single method, a single source, or a single investigators biases.

Validity validity refers to the degree to which scientific observations actually measure or record what they purport to measure (Pelto and Pelto, 1978, p. 33). Reliability The consistency with which our data measures what we are attempting to measure over time. refers to the repeatability of scientific observations" (Pelto and Pelto, 1978)

Generalizability As teacher researchers, we are more concerned with finding appropriate solutions to our own problems than we are with trying to generalize what we believe works for us, and our students, to other educational contexts.

Ongoing Analysis and Reflection Action research projects provide you with data that can be used formatively and summatively, that is, during the research and at the completion of the research. It is critical that you "pause" during the study to analyze and reflect--to pay attention to what you are attending to and what you are leaving out of your study.

Data Analysis Techniques Identify themes Code surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Ask key questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how Do an organizational review of the school Develop a concept map Undertake a problem analysis of antecedents and consequences Display findings (Mills, in press)

Data Interpretation Data interpretation is an attempt by the teacher researcher to find meaning in the data and to answer the question "So what?" Focus on the implications or meaning of the findings (analysis) of the study. Challenge the teacher researcher's takenfor-granted assumptions and beliefs about what it is they have investigated.

Action Planning Action planning is a natural next step in the action research process. To plan how to follow through with action based on what you learned in your inquiry. Developing Action Plans Based on what I have learned from this investigation what should I do now?" "What are the effects of this action on student performance?"

Challenges Facing Action Researchers we must be prepared to address (potential) obstacles. These hurdles include a lack of resources, resistance to change, reluctance to interfere with others' professional practices, reluctance to admit difficult truths, and the challenges of finding a forum to share what you have learned and making time for action research endeavors (Mills, in press).

An outline of an action research report


Background/Introduction Aim of the research Research question Limitations of the study Literature review Methodology Data analysis Conclusion Reflection Reference

Differences between Traditional Research and Action Research Sampling procedure TR : Place a high value on sampling procedure. AR : More concern with the particular subjects they are studying in a specific situation.

Research design:
TR : A great deal of attention is devoted to planning the research. AR : More flexibility in terms of design. Hypothesis tested and methods to be used are subject to change as time progress.

Qualification expected
TR : Competency in research design, sampling theory, and statistical analysis. AR : Such knowledge is not as critical for action researchers. AR is more qualitative.

Quality
TR : the quality is judge by its predictive value in generalising to other populations and situations. AR : Determined by its success in improving practice in a given situation.

Participation TR : The researcher is likely to be separated or apart from the system being research. AR : The researcher is always an integral part of the system being research. Process TR : involve individuals AR : Individual work groups and key actors.

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