 ACTION RESEARCH

Action research is undertaken in a school setting. It is a reflective process that allows for inquiry and discussion as components of the “research.” Often, action research is a collaborative activity among colleagues searching for solutions to everyday, real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to improve instruction and increase student achievement.

 Rather than dealing with the theoretical, action research will allow us to address those concerns that are closest to us, ones over which we can exhibit some influence and make change.  However action research has research theory that supports or challenges the hypothesis

 So Why Action Research?

Enhancing our professional growth and development  Creates greater awareness  Builds an inquiry habit of the mind/ a way of thinking  We learn from each other  Build’s our capacity to analyse and use data  Improves knowledge and skills specific to classroom practice and pedagogy  Encourages development of new ideas.  Expansion of knowledge for all.  Gives all of us ownership.

What Action Research is not  Action research is not what usually comes to mind when we hear the word “research.” Action research is not a library project where we learn more about a topic that interests us.  It is not problem-solving in the sense of trying to find out what is wrong, but rather a quest for knowledge about how to improve.

 Action research is not about doing research on or about people, or finding all available information on a topic looking for the correct answers. It involves people working to improve their skills, techniques, and strategies.  Action research is not about learning why we do certain things, but rather how we can do things better. It is about how we can change our instruction to impact students.

5 phases of Inquiry  Identification of problem area  Collection and organization of data  Interpretation of data  Action based on data  Reflection

Components of Action Research The 5 C’S..  C ommitment  C ollaboration  C oncern  C onsideration  C hange, ( Borgia & Schuler, 1997).

 Deciding what to look at? Collecting DATA

Data Collection Multiple sources give a better understanding of what is happening  Relevance  Questionnaires/ surveys  Interviews  Observations  Assessments, pre, post  Work samples  Existing Records  Think about Validity and Reliability

Analyse and Interpret Data  Reduction of data  Relate to Research Question  Sort, sift, discard, extract, catalogue  Quantitative / Qualitative  Systematic search for Categories, Patterns, Themes

Develop an Action Plan Individual, collaborative, whole school  Application of plan – individual / collaborative  Defined structure  Implement Strategies and Interventions carefully  Document plan and collect data using the same methods as in the collection of the original data

Reflecting, Reviewing & Communicating  Critical and Systematic  Determine effectiveness of Action Plan  Ask questions  Share and Communicate Results