Action Research:

A Tool for
Continuous
Improvement
Carlo Magno, PhD.
crlmgn@yahoo.c
om
 What is Action Research?
• Reason and Bradbury “Handbook of
Action Research” (2001, 2006, 2008)
• “a participatory process concerned with
developing practical knowing in the pursuit
of worthwhile human purposes … It seeks
to bring together action and reflection,
theory and practice, in participation with
others, in the pursuit of practical solutions
to issues of pressing concern to people.”
 Characteristics of Action Research
• Grounded in real life experience
• Developed in partnership
• Addresses significant needs
• Develops new ways of seeing/interpreting the
world (i.e., theory)
• Works with (rather than simply studying) people
• Uses methods that are appropriate to the
audience and participants at hand
• Develops needed structures to allow for follow up
or institutionalization of new practices so that the
work may have a lasting, positive impact
 Comparison
Action Research in schools Basic
(Applied) Research
(Theoretical)
Seek solutions to practical Seeks solutions to
and ongoing problems theoretical problems (i. e.
expand theory/knowledge)
To improve the teaching and To arrive with models in
learning process (work process) explaining the teaching
and learning process
Greatly considers the Driven by the need to fill up
needs and concerns of the the gap in previous studies
stakeholders (literature reviews)
Providing and taking Recommendations are
“informed action” provided for further
study
 Action Research Process
Taken from ASCD (Sagor, 2000):
1. Selecting a focus
2. Clarifying theories
3. Identifying research
questions
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing data
6. Reporting results
7. Taking informed action
 Step 1—Selecting a Focus
• Selecting a focus begins with the teacher
researcher or the team of action
researchers asking:
• What element(s) of our practice or
what aspect of student learning do
we wish to investigate?
 Step 1—Selecting a Focus
• Some areas for investigation in Action Research
– Low student participation in class activities
– Irregular attendance/tardiness in class
– Students negative attitude towards
mathematics and science
– Low motivation of pupils to perform in the test
– Non accomplishment of homework, assignment,
or projects.
– Students unruly behavior
– Parents indifference in their child’s education
– Non-observance of healthy or hygienic practices inside
and outside of the school
– Students ‘learning in a group work
 Step 2—Clarifying Theories
• The second step involves identifying the
values, beliefs, and theoretical
perspectives the researchers hold relating
to their focus.
• Conduct search of literature reviews for
the theory needed.
• Example of theories:
– Self-determination theory
– Social cognitive theory
– Zone of Proximal Development
 Step 3—Identifying Research
Questions
• Generate a set of personally meaningful
research questions to guide the inquiry.
• Be specific with the Independent, dependent,
mediating, moderating, and dependent
variables (outcomes).
– Effect of Project Based-Learning on
students engagement.
– Effect of feedback strategy on students
spelling scores.
– Effect of CORI on students motivation on
reading.
• The relationship among the variables needs to
be explained and guided by the theory in step
 Step 3—Identifying Research
Questions
• Bad action research questions:
– What will improve critical thinking skills?
(too broad, no specific IV)
– Is the KPUP assessment effective in schools?
(no idea on what data will be collected)
– To what extent is the K to 12 program effective?
(there are several indicators of K to 12 to be considered ,
not outcome specified)
– Is there a significant difference between principals
leadership styles and teachers attitude on
teaching?
(Confused researcher: illogical to compare two
different variables)
 Step 3—Identifying Research
Questions
• Qualitative Action Research Questions:
– What are the difficulties of IP students in
answering mathematics word problem
tasks?
– What are the general and subject specific
characteristics of an intelligent
student
as perceived by grade 3 students?
– What metacognitive strategies are used by
Chinese students in comprehending their
reading of English books?
 Step 4—Collecting Data
• The data used justify that the actions are
valid (meaning the information represents
what the researchers say it does)
• The data are reliable (meaning the
researchers are confident about the accuracy
of their data).
• Must be confident that the lessons drawn
from the data align with any unique
characteristics of their classroom or
school.
 Step 4—Collecting Data
• Methods of collecting data:
– Experiment
– Survey
– Use of self-reports: tests, scales, and inventories
– Observation (checklists)
– Interview
– Focus group discussions
– Metacards
– Content analysis
– Indigenous methods: Pakikipagkentuhan,
pagtatanong-tanong, pakapa-kapa,
pakikipanuluyan
 Step 5—Analyzing Data
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Both quantitative and
qualitative
 Step 5—Analyzing Data
• Quantitative Analysis
– Sources of information: Surveys,
questionnaires, rating scales, checklists,
formative and summative assessments,
standardized tests
– Testing hypothesis
• Relationship of variables
• Comparing categories on a dependent variable
• Effect of an IV on a DV
– Use descriptive and inferential statistics
 Step 5—Analyzing Data
• Qualitative data analysis
– Sources: interview transcripts,
observational notes, journal entries, audio
and video transcription, records, reports.
1. Reduction of large amounts of
narrative data.
Search for words or phrases in the observation
that begins to repeat themselves.
Coding – group data that provides similar types of
information.
 Step 5—Analyzing Data
• 2.Describe the main features of the
categories
– Make connections between the data
– Connect the data to the research
questions
• 3.Interpret the data
– Interpret the events for relationships,
similarities, and contradictions.
 Step 6—Reporting Results
• The reporting of action research most
often occurs in informal settings.
• Faculty meetings, brown bag lunch seminars,
and teacher conferences are among the
most common venues for sharing action
research with peers.
• Writing up the work for publication or
reports.
 Step 6—Reporting Results
• Parts of the report
– Introduction: What event or need lead the researcher
to
investigate the study?
– Review of related literature: What are the
previous studies that investigated the same
phenomena? What theory explain the relationship
among the variables?
– Research Questions
– Method: Design, Participants, Instruments,
procedure, analysis
– Results
– Discussion
– References
– Appendices
 Step 7—Taking Informed Action
• Create an action plan
– description of the implementation of a new education
practice.
– Alternative approaches to addressing the problem
– Plan to share the findings to colleagues
• Common outcomes:
– A greater understanding of the situation or the learner
is developed
– A new problem is discovered
– A plan, program or instructional method is found to be
effective or ineffective
– A plan, program or instructional method is found to
need modification
 Step 7—Taking Informed Action
Findings Recomme Who is Who Who will Time line Resources
per nded responsibl needs to monitor needed
question action e? be the
-Teachers consulted actions?
-students ?
-Principal
-parents
-Others
 Step 7—Taking Informed Action
• Levels of action Plan
– Individual action planning: lesson plans
– Team action planning: Implementation within
a level of subject area
– School level or district wide: Results
translated to practices, policies, procedures
 Three Purposes for Action Research
• Building the reflective practitioner
• Making progress on schoolwide
priorities
• Building professional cultures
 Building the Reflective Practitioner
• When individual teachers make a personal
commitment to systematically collect data on their
work, they foster continuous growth and
development.
• When the empirical investigation affect the teaching
and learning: Reflections on the findings from each
day's work inform the next day's instruction,
teachers can't help but develop greater mastery of
the art and science of teaching.
• The individual teachers conducting action research
are making continuous progress in developing their
strengths as reflective practitioners.
 Making Progress on Schoolwide
Priorities
• When a faculty shares a commitment to achieving excellence with
a specific focus—for example, the development of higher-order
thinking, positive social behavior, or higher standardized test
scores—then collaboratively studying their practice will not only
contribute to the achievement of the shared goal but would have
a powerful impact on team building and program development.
• Focusing the combined time, energy, and creativity of a group of
committed professionals on a single pedagogical issue will
inevitably lead to program improvements, as well as to the
school becoming a “center of excellence.”
• As a result, when a faculty chooses to focus on one issue and all
the teachers elect to enthusiastically participate in action
research on that issue, significant progress on the schoolwide
priorities cannot help but occur.
 Building Professional Cultures
• School faculties who wish to transform themselves
into “communities of learners” often empower teams
of colleagues who share a passion about one aspect
of teaching and learning to conduct investigations
into that area of interest and then share what
they've learned with the rest of the school
community.
• Multiple action research inquiries occur
simultaneously, and no one is held captive to
another's priority, yet everyone knows that all the
work ultimately will be shared and will consequently
contribute to organizational learning.
 Why Conduct Action Research
• Professionalize teaching
• Enhance the motivation and efficacy of
a weary faculty
• Meet the needs of an increasingly
diverse student body
• Achieve success with “standards-
based” reforms
 Workshop
Indicate the following:
1. What area, topic or concern in your
school needs to be addressed?
2. What theory explains the event you
will investigate?
3. State the research questions
4. Method of Collecting data
5. Analyzing data
6. What results are expected
7. Informed action to be made
 Example of Output
1. What area, topic or concern in your school needs
to be addressed?
Students seem interested in using their ipads and they
download educational apps. They read e-books
rather than their textbooks.
2. What theory explains the event you will
investigate?
The technology integration model explains that learning
is effective when students use instructional
materials as medium of learning (Teo, 2010).
3. State the research questions
Will students who read the social studies material in the
e- book have higher scores in the test than students
who read the books?
 Example Output
4. Method of Collecting data
- A test on the content of the lesson read will be
given
5. Analyzing data
The t-test for two independent samples will be used
to compare the two groups on their test
performance.
6. What results are expected
The results will be presented to the principal.
7. Informed action to be made
School level: Social studies materials will be made into
e- book and it will be used is the effects are