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Action Research

Action Research. Dr. Ali Hussain Al Bulushi + Dr. Abdullah Ambosaidi College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. Outline of the workshop. Task: What do you know about action research? What is it? Why are people conducting it? Action research vs. formal research

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Action Research

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  1. Action Research Dr. Ali Hussain Al Bulushi + Dr. Abdullah Ambosaidi College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University

  2. Outline of the workshop • Task: What do you know about action research? • What is it? • Why are people conducting it? • Action research vs. formal research • What are the different phases/processes it includes? • Group Reflections

  3. Task 1: What do you know about action research? • Within your school’s team discuss the following questions and come up with a unified answer for each. You only have 10 minutes. • What do you think action research is? • Why would a teacher or a school in general conduct action research? • What are the main phases of conducting action research at a school? • Who should be responsible for conducting it? • How different is it from formal academic research? • How generalizable are the results? • Have you (individually or collaboratively) done it before at your schools? If so, briefly describe an example?

  4. What is Action Research? • An enquiry which is carried out in order to understand, to evaluate and then to change, in order to improve education practice (Bassey, 1998: 93) • Action research combines a substantive act with a research procedure; it is action disciplined by enquiry, a personal attempt at understanding while engaged in a process of improvement and reform (Hopkins, 2002: 41) • An on-the-spot procedure designed to deal with a concrete problem located in an immediate situation (Cohen and Manion, 1994: 192) • A constructive enquiry during which the researcher constructs his/her knowledge of specific issues through planning, acting, evaluating, refining, and learning from the experiences. It is a continuous learning process in which the research learns and also shares the newly generated knowledge with those who may benefit from it (Koshy, 2008:9)

  5. Why are people conducting it? • Research can be set within a specific context or situation • Researchers can be participants – they don’t have to be distant and detached from the situation • Action research involves continuous evaluation and modifications can be made as the project progresses • There are opportunities for theory to emerge from the research rather than always follow a previously formulated theory • Supports the professional development of practitioners • Builds a collegial networking system • Helps practitioners identify problems & seek solutions systematically • Can be used at all levels & in all areas of education

  6. Action Research vs. Formal Research: Action Research Formal Research Extensive training Generalizable Identified by reviewing previous research Random sampling rigorous control Pre and Post tests for evaluation Emphasis on theoretical significance Published report • On your own • Applies to local situation • Identified by assessing current problems • Use of own students • Loose procedures with lots of change • Convenient measures for evaluation • Emphasis on practical significance • Informal sharing

  7. Contexts or Themes of Action Research • Contexts for action research? • Enhancing classroom practice • How can I improve my questioning skills? • Who does most of the talking in my class – the children or me? • How can I improve children participation in CT? • Studying of a particular theme • What is personalized learning and how can I implement it in my classroom? • Can we teach problem-solving skills and does the teaching of problem-solving enhance children’s performance in other areas of their work? • What is meant by creativity in the classroom? What is creativity and how can I encourage children to be creative?

  8. Institutional focus • How can we enhance the motivation of our students? • How can we increase participation at parent’s meetings? • How can we encourage more discussion during staff meetings? • Implementation of a new initiative? • Setting up a learning mentor scheme and producing a set of guidelines for schools on how to implement them effectively. • How can we make school-based in-service sessions more effective? • Adopting the new assessment for learning framework?

  9. What are the different phases/processes it includes?

  10. Cyclical (EdChange.org, 2003)

  11. Smith, (2001)

  12. (Gabel,1995)

  13. Group Reflections

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