1. ELT 329 ACTION RESEARCH Week 4
Asst. Prof. Dr. Seden Eraldemir Tuyan

2. Action research has the following characteristics:
Its primary goal is to improve teaching and learning in schools and classrooms and it is conducted during the process of regular classroom teaching.
It is usually small-scale and is intended to help resolve problems rather than simply be research for its own sake.
It can be carried out by an individual teacher or in collaboration with other teachers.

3. Purpose and benefits of action research
Action research is research based on teaching, it is best thought of as adding a research dimension to existing practice as a way to better understand and improve such practice.
It also seeks to redefine the role of the teacher by giving teachers the means to set their own agendas for improvement and by shifting the responsibility for change or improvement from an outsider (a school board, a principal, a supervisor, a researcher) to teachers themselves.
As Sagor (1992, p. 5) comments, “By changing the role of teachers, we can profoundly change the teaching and learning process in our schools.”
 Teachers who have carried out action research often report significant changes to their understanding of teaching.

4. What is Action Research (AR)?
Action research is classroom-based research conducted by teachers in order to reflect upon and evolve their teaching (self-improvement).
AR is problem focused, so it tries to find solutions to a specific problem.
AR is a systematic, documented inquiry into ONE aspect of teaching and learning in a specific classroom.

5. Features of Action Research
Contextualised, small-scale and local
Evaluative and reflective
Aims to bring about change
Changes are based on the collection of data which provides impetus for change
Cyclical.
(Adapted from Burns, 1999:30)

6. Procedures used for conducting action research
Action research consists of a number of phases, which often recur in cycles:
Planning
Action
Observation
Reflection

7. Steps in Action Research (Ferrance, 2000)

8. (e.g., recording classroom lessons).
The teacher (or a group of teachers):
1. Selects an issue or concern to examine in more detail (e.g., the teacher’s use of questions).
2. Selects a suitable procedure for collecting information about the issue
(e.g., recording classroom lessons).
3. Collects the information, analyzes it, and decides what changes might be necessary in his or her teaching.
4. Develops an action plan to help bring about the desired change in classroom behavior (e.g., a plan to reduce the frequency with which the teacher answers questions).
5. Observes the effects of the plan on teaching behavior (e.g., by recording a lesson and analyzing the teacher’s questioning behavior) and reflects on its significance.
6. Initiates a second action cycle, if necessary. (Richards & Lockhart, 1994, pp. 12–13)

9. Burns (2002) expands this process to a cycle of eleven events that characterize action research projects:
Exploring (finding an issue to investigate)
Identifying (analyzing the issue in more detail to understand it more fully)
Planning (deciding what kind of data to collect about the issue and how to collect it)
Collecting data (collecting data about the issue)
Analyzing/reflecting (analyzing the data)
Hypothesizing/speculating (arriving at an understanding based on the data)
Intervening (changing classroom practice based on the hypothesis one arrived at)
Observing (observing what happened as a result of the changes)
Reporting (describing what one observed)
Writing (writing up the results)
Presenting (presenting the findings to other teachers)

11. In planning action research, it is useful to keep these questions in mind:
Purpose. Why am I starting this action research project? Is it to solve a problem that has occurred in my classroom? Or is it something else?
2. Topic. What issue am I going to investigate? What is going on in my classes that is causing me concern?
3. Focus. How can I narrow down the issue to investigate to make it manageable within a specific time frame? What is the precise question I am going to ask myself ?
4. Mode. How am I going to conduct the research? What data-collecting methods will I need and why?

12. 5. Timing. How much time will it take and how much time do I have?
6. Resources. What are the resources, both human and material, that I can call upon to help me complete the research? How can my institution help?
7. Product. What is the likely outcome of the research, as I intend it?
8. Action. What action will I expect to take as a result of conducting this research? How will I carry out this action?
9. Reporting. How will I share the finding of this research with other teachers? What forum will I use for this and why?

13. Data Collection Techniques
Taxonomy of action research data collection techniques
Action Research
Data Collection Techniques
(The Three E’s)
Examining
Experiencing
Enquiring
(By using records)
(By observing)
(By asking)
Archival documents
Informal Interview
Journals
Participant Observation
(Active participant)
Maps
Structured formal
Interview
Audio and
Video recordings
Questionnaires
Passive Observer
Attitude Scales
Artifacts
Standardized Tests
Field notes

14. Data Collection Tools Audio/Video taping: Keeping journals:
Helps see all the details
Keeping journals:
Help observe student performance continuously and question one’s own teaching
Dialog journals:
Sharing ideas with the students helps teachers learn about their students’ learning experiences
Teachers can also use these journals to evaluate students’ writing

15. Data Collection Tools (2)
Class observation:
Asking colleagues to observe classes help teachers collaborate
Surveys and questionnaires:
Helps gather lots of information

16. Action Research Procedures
Initial Reflection:
Focus on one concern/problem
Examples
Students never seem interested in the topics I choose for conversation classes
Students don’t seem to make use of revision strategies I have presented
Turn your concern into a research question
How can topic choice be negotiated in the classroom?
Which teaching techniques would prepare students better for using revision strategies in writing?

17. ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE
PLAN
ACT
OBSERVE
REFLECT

18. PLAN Detailed plan is needed for the action
Who is going to do what?
When will it take place?
What modifications will be done?
How will it be implemented?...
Instruments to gather data is prepared

19. ACT Implementing the plan You might not follow the plan step by step
Make necessary changes considering your experience and feedback

20. OBSERVE
Observe whether what you have done has an effect; if so how does it affect…
Diaries and journals help you at this stage

21. REFLECT Evaluate the effects of your action for future
Possible to have a new AR cycle.
Possible to consider questions like
What are the barriers to change?
How can the changes be improved?

22. SUBMISSION

23. You must submit the paper for observation task NO LATER THAN 22nd December, 2017, Friday. Your paper will consist of the following parts:
The title of your study
Introduction (Plan):
Theoretical framework of your study,
The purpose of your study and
Your research question(s)
Your plans to conduct your study
Instrument(s) you planned to use to collect data (present the instrument here)

24. Observe: Write the findings/analysis of your data and discuss them
Act: Write how you acted (did you manage to follow the steps in your plan?, How did you do it?)
Talk about your data (present your data in your instrument)
Observe: Write the findings/analysis of your data and discuss them
Answer your research question(s)
You can develop some tables to present your analysis
Reflect: write your reflection
References: write the list of the studies you have used