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Doing one’s damnedest to find answers to perplexing questions.

A systematic approach to finding answers to questions.

We may find answers to questions that don’t exist yet.

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Experience• Personal• Authoritative

Reasoning• Deductive• Inductive• Inductive-Deductive

Research• Systematic, controlled, empirical and critical

investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena.

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IS: Persuasive

Relevant Practical

Participative Empowering Interpretive

Tentative Critical

Andra Salandy4

This is to study a real school situation with a view to improving the quality of actions and results within it.

It offers a means for changing from current practice toward better practice.

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This is planned inquiry- a deliberate search for truth, information, or knowledge. It consist of both self-reflective inquiry, which is internal and subjective, and inquiry oriented practice which is external and data based.

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This is formal investigation into oneself and into one’s own social

system.

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This is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers, principals, school counsellors, or

other stake holders in the teaching-learning environment, to gather

information about the ways that their particular schools operate, how they

teach and how well their students learn.

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It is the process of systematically evaluating the consequences of

educational decisions and adjusting practice to maximize effectiveness

(Mc Clean 1995)

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This is a systematic investigation planned and carried out by teachers, for themselves. It is not imposed on

them by someone else.

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`It is examining one’s own practice

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`The best source of improved knowledge about teaching is the

teacher’(John Dewey)

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It requires teachers/administrators to:conceptualise problems

design studies closely observe outcomes

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Engages teachers/adm. in a four – step process namely to:

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Identify an area of focus

Collect Data

Analyze and Interpret Data

Develop an Action Plan

Identifying Your Area Of Focus

Is your area of focus an issue that:

Involves teaching and learning? Is within your locus of control?You feel passionate about?You would like to change or improve?

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ReconnaissanceIs: Taking time to understand the

nature of the problem. It involves : Self ReflectionDescriptionExplanation

Continue by reviewing the related literature.

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ReconnaissanceSelf – Reflection:

Reflect on your area of focus in light of your values and beliefs.

Description: Describe the situation you wish to change or

improve Describe the evidence you have that the area of

focus is a problem Identify the critical factors that affect your area of

focusExplanation: Explain the situation you intend to investigate by

hypothesizing how and why the critical factors you’ve identified affect the situation

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Developing an Action Plan:Write an area - of - focus

statement.

Define the variables.

Develop research questions.

Describe the intervention or innovation.

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Describe the membership of the action research group.

Describe the negotiations that need to be undertaken

Develop a time lineDevelop a statement of resourcesDevelop data collection ideas.

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Two Models which differ in when the data are collected and analysed.

In proactive action research, action precedes data collection and analysis.

In responsive action research, data are collected and analysed before action is taken.

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Step 1: Try a new practice. Step 2: Incorporate hopes and

concerns. Step 3: Collect data. Step 4: Check what the data mean. Step 5: Reflect on alternative ways

to behave. Step 6: Try another new practice.

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Step 1: Collect data. Step 2: Analyse data. Step 3: Distribute the data and

announce changes. Step 4: Try a new practice. Step 5: Check others’ reactions. Step 6: Collect data.

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Advantages Respondents can

complete them easily.

Open-ended responses offer rich quotations that are useful for data feedback.

Questions with rating scales can be rated quickly and results presented in tables and figures.

Different questions can be asked to get the same response.

Disadvantages Open-ended

responses can be ambiguous.

Analysis of open-ended responses takes time.

The data collector cannot ask respondents to clarify their answers.

Some questionnaires are poorly constructed.

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Advantages Can gather data

about behaviours, not just perceptions and feelings.

Can see things that some respondents will not be able to report.

Data can be gathered via video.

Disadvantages The data

collector’s presence can alter the respondent’s behaviour.

Long wait time to see what they seek to observe.

Same events – different data collectors – different reports.

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Advantages Data are unaffected

by the data collector’s presence.

Historical events can be studied objectively.

Disadvantages Records might be

incomplete or amassed in biased ways.

The validity of the information might be questionable.

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Develop an ethical perspective that is close to your personal ethical position.

Seek informed consent from all participants.

Consider confidentiality and anonymity and avoid harm.

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• Validity refers to the degree to which scientific observations measure what they purport to measure. In qualitative research trustworthiness is the term used.

Different types of validity are:Face, concurrent, and content. Trustworthiness is established by

addressing:Credibility, transferability, dependability and

confirmability.

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REPORTING

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Data Analysis reports the outcomes of findings in a dependable, accurate and reliable manner

Data Interpretation focuses on the meaning of the findings.

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Data Analysis Techniques Identify themes. Code surveys, interviews, and

questionnaires. Ask key questions: who, what, why,

when, where and how? Do an organizational review of the

school. Develop a concept map. Analyze antecedents and consequences Display findings. State what is missing.

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Data Interpretation TechniquesExtend the analysis by raising

questions.Connect the findings with personal

experience.Seek the advice of critical friends.Contextualize findings in the

literature.Turn to theory.

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DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

Definition of Measure Type used in Action Research

A measure of central tendency is a single number that gives us information about an entire group of numbers.

Mean (average)

Mode (most frequently occurring score)

Median (middle score)

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DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

Definition of Measure Type used in Action Research

A measure of variability tells us how spread out a group of scores are.

Standard deviation (a measure of distance from the mean that helps us to understand approximately how much a particular score deviates from the average score)

STEPS TO ACTION Findings of the research. Recommended action. Responsibilities. Sharing findings with colleagues. Ongoing monitoring (data collection). Timeline for action. Resources.

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Some Challenges Facing Teacher Researchers

Lack of resources. Resistance to change. Reluctance to interfere with other’s

professional practice. Reluctance to admit difficult truths. Finding a forum to share what you learned. Making time for action research

endeavours.

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Facilitating Educational Change Restructuring power and authority

relationships. Teachers must be provided with support.

Top-Down and Bottom-Up can both work Every person is a change agent. Recognize that change is difficult. Pay attention to the culture of the school. Outcomes must benefit students. Being hopeful is a critical resource.

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Celebrating Action ResearchPerformance Texts Options Role-play Videotape a classroom activity Use drama Incorporate music Share a reading of text Add interactive multimedia Show pictures, slides, photographs or

video Use other audiovisual aids.

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Does your action research lead to an action?

Who is the intended audience for your report?

Have you presented the report using an acceptable format?

Have you shared any prejudices that may have affected your findings?

How has the action research effort contributed to your reflective stance on the way you view teaching and learning?

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How have your efforts enhanced the lives of the students in your care?

What action have you taken? How is the proposed action connected to

your data analysis and interpretation? How will you monitor the effects of your

practice? What would you do differently next

time? How did your colleagues respond to your

findings and the actions recommended by your research?

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Conferences: Formal and Informal Poster sessions Multimedia presentationsParent conferences- Student input- Parent inputPrincipal meetings- Role-play by teachers and students- Poster sessions

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Celebration is an important part of community-based work. It not only satisfies the very human, emotional elements of the experience, it works to enhance participants’ feelings of solidarity, competence, and general well-being.

It is a time when the emotional energy expended in particularly difficult activity can be recharged, and when any residual antagonisms developed during the project can be defused and relationships among stakeholders enhanced.

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