An Introduction to Action Research

Presented by: Freddy James

Session Objectives
Themes for the day Reviewing the field of action research: Nature and Purpose Reviewing the process of enquiry: AR Phases Action research models Examples of AR projects

Long history: Lewin (1946) Distinct approach to educational change Bottom up rather than top down approach Improve understanding Participatory
It is teachers who in the end will change the world of the school by understanding it (Stenhouse, 1981)

Improve practice Improve understanding of practice Improve the situation where the practice takes place
(Carr & Kemmis, 1986).

Popularised by Kurt Lewin in 1946. The research needed for social practice can best be characterized as research for social management or social engineering. It is a type of action-research, a comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms of social action, and research leading to social action. Research that produces nothing but books will not suffice (Lewin 1946, reproduced in Lewin 1948: 202-3).

Action research- systematic enquiry designed to yield practical results capable of improving a specific aspect of practice and made public to enable scrutiny and testing (DCSF)

Action research is a form of collective selfreflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their social or educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices and the situation in which these practices are carried out.
(Kemmis and McTaggart. 1988, p5)

Corey (1953) advocated action research specifically for the study of education. Teachers, supervisors and administrators would make better decisions and engage in more effective practices if they were able and willing to conduct research as a basis of these decisions

Lawrence Stenhouse It is teachers who in the end will change the world of the school by understanding it (1981) and that being an extended professional involved studying the work of teaching and researching it oneself, not leaving it to others (1975). It involved three main elements: The commitment to systematic questioning of ones own teaching as a basis for development The commitment and the skills to study ones own teaching and The concern to question and to test theory in practice (p.143)

Commonalities among definitions: It is research by teachers It addresses a problem of concern to them. It is a process that involves: problem identification design implementation evaluation and identification of new problems. It involves collaboration with colleagues.

1. Individual
2. School 3. Triad (3 schools) 4. Inter-triad 5. Inter-network 6. Beyond networks

e) Monitoring change f) Analyzing data and review change

Phase 3

Phase 2

d) Introducing change

a) Defining the enquiry b) Developing a focus c) Collecting and analyzing data

Phase 1

Phases of Action Research

What is happening now? What change can we introduce? What is the effect of the change? There are four key principles to action research: Planning -> Acting -> Observing -> Reflecting

Disadvantages

Advantages

Time Expertise Confidence Insider problems

Insider opportunities Practitioner opportunities Practitioner-researcher opportunities Proximity to change

(adapted from Robson, 1997)

You do not have to start with a problem! You may seek to improve something ASK What is happening now? In what way is it problematic? What can I do about it?

1.I would like to improve the... 2.In what ways could..improve 3.To what extent does..enable 4.What difference does..make to 5.How can the use of.increase. 6.I have an idea I would like to try out in my class 7.How can the experience ofbe applied to

Issues that you can do nothing about Example: 1. What is the relationship between socio-economic status and achievement? 2. What is the effect of same sex schools on performance?

Examples
A. Students are unhappy with current assessment methods How can we collaborate to improve student assessment? B. Students seem to waste a lot of time in class. How can I increase the time students spend on task?

NOTE: Each example has two characteristics: 1.Identifying what is currently happening 2.Trying or doing something to improve

Good action enquiry is Systematic Illuminating Informative Interesting Motivating Time efficient And Very, very messy

Argyris, C. Putnam, R., and McLain Smith, D. (1985) Action Science, Concepts, Methods and Skills for Research and Intervention, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Argyris, C. and Schn, D. (1974) Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boutilier, M., Rajkumar, E., Poland, B., Tobin, S., Badgley, R. (2001) Community action success in public health: are we using a ruler to measure a sphere?, Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol 92, pp.90-4 Carr, W.and Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming Critical, Education, Knowledge and Action Research. London: Corey, S. (1953). Action research to Improve School Practices. New York: Columbia College Day, C (1999) Developing Teachers: The Challenges of Lifelong Learning. London: Falmer Press Elliott, J. (1991) Action Research for Educational Change. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Mkomboz: Participatory Action research http://www.mkombozi.org/publications/research_report/ 2006_03_research_report_education.pdf Teaching and Learning Research Programme Home-School Knowledge Exchange and Transformation in Primary Education (2001 - 2004) http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase11/phase2e.html What money means http://www.pfeg.org/Primary/WMM/AboutWMM.asp Art, action and articulation http://www.creative-partnerships.com/content/researchAndEvaluationProjects/ 53062/53077?view=Standards Action research and its role in reviewing teaching styles http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/CaseStudies/casestudy.cfm?id=188