Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Second Edition/Chapter 14 Supplemental Materials/14.3.2

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[edit] Action Research

by Jillian Dudley


[edit] Background

The idea of Action Research first began with Kurt Lewin in 1946. He stated in his paper, action research is “a comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms of social action and research leading to social action” that uses “a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action, and fact-finding about the result of the action”. The original idea behind action did not begin with education, but Lewin’s response to social problem caused by industrialization, such as hunger and unsafe working condition. ( Schwalbach) It declined for a while and finally reached the United States as a part of education in the 1980’s.


[edit] What is Action Research?

Action research involves the teacher investing the curriculum, behaviors and various learning styles of students in the classroom. By observing, collecting data and asking questions teachers can understand what does and does not work in his or her classroom. The teacher takes on an investigator role by not just asking questions to the students but to fellow teachers as well Action research involves delving deep into student practices and the various individualities of every student.

[edit] What are the Benefits?

Action Research is for teachers teaching preschool, elementary, middle and high school. It is a simple but practical method of conducting research within the educational environment. (Tomal) According to Schwalbach action research has three benefits.
  1. Supports student learning – The teacher asks the students questions about student learning with the hope of learning more about their students specific need
  2. Initiates Teacher Learning – While teacher is asking questions from her students and fellow colleagues he or she broadens their own knowledge in their field
  3. Contribution to the profession of Education – It is a chain reaction, as teachers ask question to other teachers the begin asking questions as well and continue action research


[edit] Qualitative vs. Quantitative Designs

There are both qualitative and quantitative designs in action research. Quantitative research is based on the belief that knowledge is fixed, meaning you can discover it, measure it and use it to predict behavior. (Schwalbach) Using this design the teacher will collect and analyze a student’s behavior such as yelling out without hand raising. Qualitative research is based on the assumption that knowledge is relative; meaning it is constantly changing and specific to setting and the person involved. (Schwalbach) What applies to one child does not necessarily apply to the next. Quantitative research works well with predicting the behavior of a student, while quantitative is more complex and in-depth, IT does not predict behavior.


[edit] Proactive vs. Responsive Action Research

According to Schmuck there are two models of action research: proactive and responsive. They differ in terms of when and how the data is collected. Proactive research is based on learning from the past and trying a new approach. With responsive action research it is important to analyze the data carefully before implementing new practices.

[edit] Steps of Proactive Action Research

  1. Try a new practice to have a different effect on others or to bring about better outcomes
  2. Incorporate hopes and concerns into the new practice
  3. Collect data regularly to keep track of the students’ reactions and behavioral changes
  4. Check what the data mean
  5. Reflect on alternative ways to behave
  6. Try another practice (Revisions are made to make the next practice more effective.

[edit] Steps of Responsive Action Research

  1. Collect data to diagnose the situation
  2. Analyze the data for themes and ideas for action
  3. Distribute the data to others and announce changes that will be tried
  4. Try a new practice to have a different effect on others
  5. Check to see how others are reacting
  6. Collect data to diagnose the situation (This also goes back to step 1, but the methods previously used with also include specific questions about an issue.


[edit] The Four Stages

According to Sagor there are four stages to action research and along with each one of those stages is a question that the teacher must ask him or herself.

      Stage 1: Clarifying Vision and Targets
     Key Question: What do I want to accomplish?

     Stage 2: Articulating Theory
     Key Question: What do I believe is the approach with the greatest potential for achieving my goal(s)?

     Stage 3: Implementing Action and Collecting Data
     Key Question: What data will I need to collect to understand the efficacy and workings of my theory of action?

     Stage 4: Reflecting on the Data and Planning Informed Action
     Key Question: Based on this data, how should I adjust my future actions?

Overview: Action Research involves the teacher becoming the investigator and conducting his or own research right inside of the classroom. Through various steps, the teacher will observe behaviors or issues, collect data, and then make a decision on what is the correct course of action. Everyone benefits through action research: the student, the teacher and other teachers involved in the process.


Sidebar: I believe Action Research is an excellent resource for all teachers to try. Teachers are in direct contact with their students every day and are able to spend time studying their actions and behaviors. It makes sense that teachers would conduct their own research in the classroom using the valuable research of data collection.


Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is not a step of Proactive Action Research?

           a.	Reflecting on alternative ways to behave
           b.	Check to see how others are responding 
           c.	Incorporate hopes and concerns into new practice
           d.	Check what the data mean

2. Kurt Lewin first coined the term “action research” because

           a.  Upset with the way administrators were conducting research in the classroom
           b.	As a response to problems with data collection by teachers
           c.	As a response to social problems caused by industrialization
           d.	None of the Above

3. Action Research reached the United States in what decade?

           a.  1980’s
           b.	1990’s
           c.	1970’s
           d.	1950’s

4. According to Sagor, at what stage of the action research process should the teacher ask the question, “What Do I Want to Accomplish?”

           a.  Step 4
           b.	Step 3
           c.	Step 1
           d.	Step 2

5. Kelly is a 2nd grader who has had some trouble reading. Her teacher Mr. Smith collected data and came up with a plan for Kelly. Mr. Smith believes he can use his findings to apply to another child with reading problems. What method is Mr. Smith using?

           a.	Qualitative Method
           b.	Quantitative Method
           c.	Reactive Method
           d.	None of the Above


Essay Question: Based on Sagor’s Four Stages of Action Research, give an example of problem that might arise in your classroom. Then ask yourself each question that supplements each stage.

Sample Answer: I have a student who likes to get up from her seat and run out of the room when ever she has the opportunity to do so. At stage one; I would hope to motivate her to not want to leave the classroom. The approach that I believe would work with best with her is positive reinforcement. In order to find out if my plan will work or not I will need try positive reinforcement for a period of days then test to see if it works. Then I will stop the positive reinforcement and start it up again. The goal will be to find out if she stopped running out of the classroom as a result of my intervention or because of other factors. If it appears that she did stop running out of the classroom because of my plan I will continue to follow the plan until it becomes extinct.

Answers to Multiple Choice Questions

  1. B
  2. C
  3. A
  4. C
  5. B


Bibliography

Sagor, Richard. Guiding School Improvement with Action Research. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000. 3-7.
Sagor, Richard. The Action Research Guidebook. Thousand Oaks: Corwin P, 2005. 4-6.
Schmuck, Richard A. Practical Action Research for Change. Arlington Heights: IRI/Skylight Training and, Inc., 1997. 31-34.
Schwalbach, Eileen M. Value and Validity in Action Research. Lanham, Oxford: Scarecrow P, Inc, 2003. 3-8.
Tomal, Daniel R. Action Research for Educators. Lanham: Scarecrow P, Inc, 2003. 3-5.
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