Action research's characteristics, Slides of Research Methodology

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Lecture 2

Characteristics of Action Research

Characteristics of Action Research

Cyclical

Participative

Qualitative

Reflective

Characteristics of Action Research

• A cyclic process of planning, action, and evaluation; situational and conducted by active participants in the teaching/learning process;
• A continuous feedback of the research results to all parties involved
• Collaboration is important (co-operation between researchers, practitioners, and clients);
• Application of the principles that govern social life and group decision making;
• Taking into account differences in value systems and power structures of all the parties involved in the research;
• Using action research concurrently to:
  • solve a problem
  • improve the current state of affairs and
  • generate new knowledge

Main characteristics of AR

• AR is situational, the research is initiated by practitioner and derived from a real problem in the classroom
• It is concerned with the identification and solution of problems in a specific context
• Collaboration is important
• It is carried out to improve the current state of affairs within the educational context
• It is an on-going cycle

Differences between Action Research & Traditional Research What? Traditional Research Action Research Who? by university professors, and scholars. by teachers and principals. Where? In environment where variables can be controlled. In schools and classrooms How? - Using rigorous research design to show a cause-effect relationship.

• Major attention is given to reducing error and bias.
  • Using less controlled procedures to understand the effects of some educational intervention.
  • Changes are made during the study. Why? To obtain knowledge that is generalize and to develop and test educational theories. To obtain knowledge that can be applied directly to the local classroom situation and to give the participating teachers in- service training.

Steps in the action research cycle Identification of problem area Collection and organization of data Interpretation of data Action based on data Reflection

ACTION

RESEARCH

CYCLE

Steps in the action research cycle

• Step 1: Initiation
• Step 2: Preliminary investigation
• Sep 3: Hypothesis
  • A teacher comes to me with a problem: His class does not seem interested or motivated. What should be done?
  • We spent sometime colleting baseline data through observation and recording classroom interaction
  • After reviewing initial data we form the hypothesis that Ss are unmotivated as the content of the lessons are not addressing the needs and interest of the Ss

Steps in the action research cycle

• Step 4: Intervention
• Step 5: Evaluation
• Step 6: Dissemination
• Step 7: Follow-up
  • The teacher derives a number of strategies for encouraging the Ss to relate the content of the lessons to their own backgrounds and interests
  • After several weeks, the class is recorded again. There is much greater involvement of the Ss, and the complexity of their language and S- led interactions is enhanced
  • The teacher runs a workshop for colleagues and presents a paper at a language conference
  • The teacher investigates alternative methods of motivating Ss

Kemmis and McTaggart’s model (1988): 4 steps

Specifying learning Evaluating Taking action Action planning (^1) Diagnosing 2 3 4 5 STEPS TO CONDUCT AR (Susman, 1983: 3)

16 Steps to Conduct an AR Strickland (1988: 76)

• Identify an issue, interest or problem
• Seek knowledge
• Plan an action
• Implement the action
• Observe the action
• Reflect on your observations
• Revise the plan Nunan D. (1993: 19) Step 1: Initiation Step 2: Preliminary Investigation Step 3. Hypothesis Step 4. Intervention Step 5. Evaluation Step 6. Dissemination Step 7. Follow- up

Research techniques

• Field-notes, log, journals, diaries, personal accounts and verbal reports (think-aloud)
• Observation
• Evaluation and trialing
• Interviews and questionnaires
• Case studies
• Experiments
• ‘Cutting corners’

Class observation

Types of observation:

• Non participant observation
• Participant observation Forms of observation:
• Observations by teacher of colleague on classroom action
• Notes or recorded comments by teacher while the class is in progress
• Audio- or video-recording of classroom interactions between T - Ss or S
• Maps, layouts or sociograms of the classroom that trace the interactions bt Ss and T
• Photographs of the physical context

Observation sheets

• Systematic or structured observation
• Using coding system or checklist
• Observation sheets collect data which can be treated

quantitatively

( Read Burns (2010) from page 57 to 73)