RESEARCH METHODS IN Education Course Code MajB Eds312

RESEARCH METHODS IN Education Course Code: Maj/B. Eds-312 Instructor: Dr. Ghazala Noureen Associate Professor Department of Education(Planning & Development) Lahore College for Women University, Lahore. B. Ed(Hons) Secondary Semester VI Session(2017 -21) Spring 2020

Unit. 11 Action Research

What Is Action Research? Action research is conducted by one or more individuals or groups for the purpose of solving a problem or obtaining information in order to inform local practice. Those involved in action research generally want to solve some kind of day-to-day immediate problem, such as how to decrease absenteeism or incidents of vandalism among the student body, motivate apathetic students, figure out ways to use technology to improve the teaching of mathematics, or increase funding. There are many kinds of questions that lend themselves to action research in schools. What kinds of methods, for example, work best with what kinds of students? How can teachers encourage students to think about important issues? How can content, teaching strategies, and learning activities be varied to help students of differing ages, gender, ethnicity, and ability learn more effectively?

Examples Some examples of action research that have been conducted by educational researchers are as follows: • “ Partners in Diabetes: Action Research in a Primary Care Setting. ” Understanding of Poverty from Those Who Are Poor. ” • “An • “Claiming a Voice on Race. ” • “ First Graders and Fairy Tales: One Teacher’s Action Research of Critical Literacy

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTION RESEARCH The key characteristics of action research can be derived from the research studies of the connections between research and practice and the apparent failure of educational research to affect teaching. This research has provided the following insights; ■ Teachers do not find research persuasive or authoritative. ■ Research has not been relevant to practice and has not addressed teachers’ questions. ■ Findings from research have not been expressed in ways that are comprehensible to teachers. ■ The education system itself is unable to change, or conversely, it is inherently unstable and susceptible to fads

Types of Action Research PRACTICAL ACTION RESEARCH Practical action research is intended to address a specific problem within a classroom, school, or other “community. ” It can be carried out in a variety of settings, such as educational, social service, or business locations. Its primary purpose is to improve practice in the short term as well as to inform larger issues. It can be carried out by individuals, teams, or even larger groups, provided the focus remains clear and specific. To be maximally successful, practical action research should result in an action plan that, ideally, will be implemented and further evaluated.

PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH Participatory action research, while sharing the focus on a specific local issue and on using the findings to implement action, differs in important ways from practical action research. The first difference is that it has two additional purposes: to empower individuals and groups to improve their lives and to bring about social change at some level—school, community, or society. Accordingly, it deliberately involves a sizable group of people representing diverse experiences and viewpoints, all of whom are focused on the same problem. The intent is to have intensive involvement of all these stakeholders , who function as equal partners

ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS

Finding an area of focus can be hard work for teacher researchers who, confronted with many problems in their classrooms and schools, are not sure which one to choose. It is critical in the early stages of the action research process that the researcher take time to identify a meaningful, engaging question or problem to investigate.

One technique that can help in identifying an area of focus is to ensure that four criteria are satisfied: (1) the area of focus should involve teaching and learning and should focus on your own practice; (2) the area of focus is something within your locus of control; (3) the area of focus is something you feel passionate about; and (4) the area of focus is something you would like to change or improve.

Gaining Insight Through Self-Reflection The next important step in the action research process is reconnaissance, or preliminary information gathering. More specifically, reconnaissance is taking time to reflect on your own beliefs and to understand the nature and context of your general idea. Doing reconnaissance involves gaining insight into your area of focus through self-reflection, descriptive activities, and explanatory activities.

You can begin reconnaissance by exploring your own understandings of theories that affect your practice, the educational values you hold, how your work in schools fits into the larger context of schooling and society, the historical contexts of your school and schooling and how things got to be the way they are, and the historical contexts of how you came to believe what it is that you believe about teaching and learning.

Collecting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Data The type of data collected for an action research study is largely determined by the nature of the problem. A teacher researcher must determine how the data will contribute to the understanding and resolution of a given problem. Hence, data collection during action research is often idiosyncratic, fueled by the desire to understand one’s practice and to collect data that are appropriate and accessible. Therefore, data collection strategies (and hence research design) are chosen on the basis of the type of research problem confronted by the action researcher. No single method is better (or worse) than another but is chosen on the basis of the research questions.

Action Planning One of the final tasks in action research is for the researcher to share the findings with others, in both formal and informal settings. For example, results can be shared with other teachers, both in the researcher’s school or in other schools, and results may be presented verbally—in formal presentations and informal conversations—or in written reports. Writing can lead to further analysis, improved interpretation, and deeper understanding of the problem—as well as suggestions for how to act on the findings. Writing also creates a permanent record of the research that others may use. Other teachers, administrators, researchers, and current or potential investors in the program may be in a position to benefit from the results