Action Research as Educational Research

1. Action Research as Educational Research Tamara Brooks t.brooks@worc.ac.uk

2. The Research Question: “Developing a learning environment to support children with profound autism to engage as effective learners”

3. Overall Aim: Employ evidence-based research to develop a classroom learning environment which supports children with profound autism to engage as effective learners.

4. Specific Objectives: • Identify elements of the classroom learning environment which require modification in order to improve engagement in students with ASDs. • Source modifications to improve engagement. • Trial modifications within the classroom. • Evaluate the influence of trialled modifications on student engagement.

5. Using PAR to Meet the Objectives • Participatory Action Research (PAR) (Lewin, 1946) was utilised to meet these objectives by: • studying 6 children learning within their normal working classroom environment, • acting upon this environment, • studying the effects of these actions (Anderson, Herr & Nihlen, 2007). • Each modification to the environment aimed to build upon and enhance prior modifications (Carr & Kemmis, 1986).

6. The PAR spiral – the backbone of this research IDENTIFY INITIAL AREA REQUIRING MODIFICATION EVALUATION: EVALUATE MODIFICATION TO DETERMINE IF IT IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT IDENTIFYING PROBLEM: IDENTIFY ANOTHER AREA OF THE CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHICH REQUIRES MODIFICATION PLANNING: SOURCE SUITABLE MODIFICATION TO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ACTION STEP: INTRODUCE MODIFICATIONTO THE CLASSROOM

7. PAR Spirals • As the project evolved, it became clear that numerous sub-spirals were developing within the overall framework. • The following slides show in more detail, two of the sub-spirals which developed throughout the course of my research.

8. School chairs cycle IDENTIFYING PROBLEM: Classroom observations: Students repeatedly rocking back on their chairs – a distraction and a health and safety risk. PLANNING: Search for new chairs: found a company called Dlb who claimed to design a ‘Max’ chair which ‘actively prevent students from rocking back on their chairs.’ (Dlb website) EVALUATION: Various problems with Max chairs encountered, including manufacturing errors and problems with flexibility of the materials the chairs are made from. ACTION STEP: Max chairs introduced to classroom.

9. School Chairs Cycle Contd ACTION STEP: Chair designer invited to Sunfield to discuss modifications to increase suitability for the students at Sunfield FURTHER PLANNING: Chairs modified following discussions with designer. ACTION STEP: A few modified Max chairs introduced to classroom EVALUATION: Modified chairs are an improvement, however problems still experienced with robustness and students rocking on the chair backs. Students are still not rocking back on chair legs.

10. School Chairs Cycle Contd ACTION STEP: Further modified chairs introduced to the classroom FURTHER PLANNING: Problems discussed with designer and chairs further modified. EVALUATION: Students are still rocking on the chair backs and chairs are getting bent out of shape extremely quickly. FURTHER PLANNING: Chair designer contacted, problems discussed with him. He stated that there was an error and the latest chairs are not the newest design. He will be changing manufacturers in December and has suggested we start again in January.

11. School Chairs Cycle Contd FURTHER PLANNING: Chair designer has decided not to send further samples. Since the chairs have not been proven to be suitable, an alternative has been sorced. An alternative called the Titan Chair which claims to be anti-tilt, robust and safe has been found. ACTION STEP: Titan chair introduced to the classroom. EVALUATION: Although not as aesthetically pleasing as the Max chair, the Titan chair is extremely robust, and the students are not rocking on either the chair legs or the chair backs.

12. School Chairs Cycle Contd

13. ‘Rocking’ Chair Cycle IDENTIFYING PROBLEM: Classroom observations: Students require a chair to obtain the ‘rocking’ sensation they crave. PLANNING: Suitable rocking chair researched and sourced. ACTION STEP: Rocking chair integrated into the classroom EVALUATION: Students fighting over the rocking chair and tipping dangerously back on the legs.

14. ‘Rocking’ Chair Cycle Contd FURTHER PLANNING: Alternative chair for rocking sourced – Balance Ball chair ACTION STEP: Balance Ball Chair introduced to the classroom EVALUATION: Students throwing the ball within the classroom. Ball chair removed but successfully integrated into another class for use during computer time. FURTHER PLANNING: Alternative chair for rocking sourced called an Lchair

15. ‘Rocking’ Chair Cycle Contd EVALUATION: Lchair an excellent success. Absence of legs eliminates health and safety risk from students tipping dangerously back. Shape of chair requires students to exercise in order to control extent of rocking. ACTION STEP: Lchair introduced in to the classroom. FURTHER PLANNING: 4 more Lchairs ordered for other classes. Incontinence issues of students discussed with designer, who agreed to make bespoke covers to protect the chairs.

16. Rocking Chair Cycle Contd

17. Meeting the Objectives Thus, through PAR it was possible to successfully (if a little messily!) meet the objectives of this research: IDENTIFY PROBLEM = 1. Identify elements of the classroom learning environment which require modification in order to improve engagement in students with ASDs. PLANNING = 2. Source Modifications to improve engagement. EVALUATE = 4. Evaluate the influence of trialled modifications on student engagement ACTION STEP = 3. Trial modifications within the classroom.