ACTION RESEARCH 1 What is Research Doing ones

ACTION RESEARCH 1

What is Research? 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. 2

The Search for Truth Experience • Personal • Authoritative Reasoning • Deductive • Inductive-Deductive Research • Systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena. 3

ACTION RESEARCH IS: Persuasive Ø Relevant Ø Practical Ø Participative Ø Empowering Ø Interpretive Ø Tentative Ø Critical Ø Andra Salandy 4

ACTION RESEARCH 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. 5

ACTION RESEARCH This is planned inquiry- a deliberate search for truth, information, or knowledge. It consist of both selfreflective inquiry, which is internal and subjective, and inquiry oriented practice which is external and data based. 6

ACTION RESEARCH This is formal investigation into oneself and into one’s own social system. 7

ACTION RESEARCH 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. 8

ACTION RESEARCH It is the process of systematically evaluating the consequences of educational decisions and adjusting practice to maximize effectiveness (Mc Clean 1995) 9

ACTION RESEARCH This is a systematic investigation planned and carried out by teachers, for themselves. It is not imposed on them by someone else. 10

ACTION RESEARCH `It is examining one’s own practice 11

ACTION RESEARCH `The best source of improved knowledge about teaching is the teacher’ (John Dewey) 12

ACTION RESEARCH It requires teachers/administrators to: conceptualise problems design studies closely observe outcomes 13

ACTION RESEARCH Engages teachers/adm. in a four – step process namely to: Identify an area of focus Develop an Action Plan Collect Data Analyze and Interpret Data 14

ACTION RESEARCH Identifying Your Area Of Focus Is your area of focus an issue that: Involves teaching and learning? ü Is within your locus of control? ü You feel passionate about? ü You would like to change or improve? ü 15

ACTION RESEARCH Reconnaissance Is: Taking time to understand the nature of the problem. It involves : v Self Reflection v Description v Explanation Continue by reviewing the related literature. 16

ACTION RESEARCH Reconnaissance Self – 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 focus Explanation: § Explain the situation you intend to investigate by hypothesizing how and why the critical factors you’ve identified affect the situation 17

ACTION RESERACH Developing an Action Plan: ü Write an area - of - focus statement. ü Define the variables. ü Develop ü Describe research questions. the intervention or innovation. 18

ACTION RESEARCH ü Describe the membership of the action research group. ü Describe the negotiations that need to be undertaken ü Develop a time line ü Develop a statement of resources ü Develop data collection ideas. Andra Salandy 19

ACTION RESEARCH Two Models which differ in when the data are collected analysed. In proactive action research, action precedes data collection and analysis. In responsive action research, data are collected analysed before action is taken. 20

PROACTIVE ACTION RESEARCH Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Try a new practice. Incorporate hopes and concerns. Collect data. Check what the data mean. Reflect on alternative ways to behave. Step 6: Try another new practice. 21

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RESPONSIVE ACTION RESEARCH 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. 23

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Questionnaires Advantages ü Respondents can complete them easily. ü Open-ended responses offer rich quotations that are useful for data feedback. ü Questions with rating scales can be rated quickly and results presented in tables and figures. ü 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. 26

OBSERVATIONS 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 Ø The data collector’s presence can alter the respondent’s behaviour. Ø Long wait time to see what they seek to observe. Ø Same events – different data collectors – different reports. 27

Documents Advantages v Data are unaffected by the data collector’s presence. v Historical events can be studied objectively. Disadvantages v Records might be incomplete or amassed in biased ways. v The validity of the information might be questionable. 28

ETHICS AND THE TEACHER RESEARCHER v. Develop an ethical perspective that is close to your personal ethical position. v. Seek informed consent from all participants. v. Consider confidentiality and anonymity and avoid harm. 29

VALIDITY • 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. 30

DATA ANALYSIS REPORTING 31

Data Analysis and Interpretation Data Analysis reports the outcomes of findings in a dependable, accurate and reliable manner Data Interpretation focuses on the meaning of the findings. 32

Data Analysis and Interpretation Data Analysis Techniques ü Identify themes. ü Code surveys, interviews, and questionnaires. ü Ask key questions: who, what, why, when, where and how? ü Do an organizational review of the school. ü Develop a concept map. ü Analyze antecedents and consequences ü Display findings. ü State what is missing. 33

Data Analysis and Interpretation Data Interpretation Techniques ü Extend the analysis by raising questions. ü Connect the findings with personal experience. ü Seek the advice of critical friends. ü Contextualize findings in the literature. ü Turn to theory. 34

Data Analysis and Interpretation DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Definition of Measure Type used in Action Research A measure of central §Mean (average) tendency is a single §Mode (most frequently number that gives us occurring score) information about an §Median (middle score) entire group of numbers. 35

Data Analysis and Interpretation DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Definition of Measure A measure of variability tells us how spread out a group of scores are. Type used in Action Research 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) v 36

ACTION PLANNING STEPS TO ACTION Ø Findings of the research. Ø Recommended action. Ø Responsibilities. Ø Sharing findings with colleagues. Ø Ongoing monitoring (data collection). Ø Timeline for action. Ø Resources. 37

ACTION PLANNING Some Challenges Facing Teacher Researchers ü Lack of resources. ü Resistance to change. ü Reluctance to interfere with other’s professional practice. ü Reluctance to admit difficult truths. ü Finding a forum to share what you learned. ü Making time for action research endeavours. 38

ACTION PLANNING Facilitating Educational Change Ø Restructuring power and authority relationships. Ø Teachers must be provided with support. v. Top-Down and Bottom-Up can both work Every person is a change agent. Ø Recognize that change is difficult. Ø Pay attention to the culture of the school. Ø Outcomes must benefit students. v Being hopeful is a critical resource. Ø 39

REPORTING Celebrating Action Research Performance Texts Options ü Role-play ü Videotape a classroom activity ü Use drama ü Incorporate music ü Share a reading of text ü Add interactive multimedia ü Show pictures, slides, photographs or video ü Use other audiovisual aids. 40

CRITERIA FOR JUDGING ACTION RESEARCH 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? 41

CRITERIA FOR JUDGING ACTION RESEARCH v How have your efforts enhanced the lives of the students in your care? v What action have you taken? v How is the proposed action connected to your data analysis and interpretation? v How will you monitor the effects of your practice? v What would you do differently next time? v How did your colleagues respond to your findings and the actions recommended by your research? 42

CELEBRATING ACTION RESEARCH v Conferences: Formal and Informal § Poster sessions § Multimedia presentations q. Parent conferences - Student input - Parent input ØPrincipal meetings - Role-play by teachers and students - Poster sessions 43

CELEBRATION (Springer, 1996) Celebration is an important part of communitybased 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. 44

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