COURSE PRO FORMA

Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan Dengan Kepujian

(Sains Pendidikan Rendah)

Course Title
Action Research I – Primary Science (Methodology)
Penyelidikan Tindakan I-Sains Pendidikan Rendah (Kaedah)

Course Code SCE3113

Credit 3 (3+0)

Contact Hours 45 hours

Medium of
English
Instruction

Pre-requisite to
None
entry
Learning Outcomes 1. Describe educational research methods and their use in
education.

2. Explain the basic aspects of research including types of

educational research, research designs, procedure and ethics.

3. Analyse and discuss current issues in education that can

be investigated through action research.

4. Discuss what is action research and its process.

5. Acquire the skills of planning and implementing an action

research in school.

6. Acquire the skills of writing an action research proposal,

report and journal article.
Synopsis This course provides knowledge on action research method in
primary science. It discusses the research methods in
education, types of educational research, various types of
educational research design, educational research procedure,
concepts of action research and models, action research
process, planning and proposal, data collection methods, data
collection considerations, data analysis, interpreting the action
research data, writing an action research report and article, and
ways of making action research data public.

Kursus ini memberi pengetahuan tentang kaedah penyelidikan

tindakan di dalam sains pendidikan rendah. Kursus ini
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Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009
 membincangkan pelbagai kaedah dalam penyelidikan
pendidikan, pelbagai rekabentuk penyelidikan pendidikan,
prosedur penyelidikan pendidikan, konsep dan model-model
penyelidikan tindakan, proses penyelidikan tindakan,
perancangan dan cadangan, kaedah-kaedah pengumpulan
data, pertimbangan dalam pengumpulan data, analisis data,
interpretasi data penyelidikan tindakan, penulisan laporan dan
artikel penyelidikan tindakan, dan cara-cara menyebarkan data
penyelidikan tindakan.

Topic Content Hours

Introduction to research methods in education

• The aims of educational research

• The characteristics of educational research

1 • Approaches in educational research

- The positivist approach (quantitative) 3
- The interpretive approach (qualitative)

• Ethics of educational research

- The important aspects of research ethics
- Ethical codes

Types of educational research

- Basic research
- Applied research
- Action research
- Evaluation research

Introduction to various types of educational research

design
• Quantitative research
2 - Experimental
- Quasi-experimental
3
- Survey
- Correlational

• Qualitative research
- Ethnography
- Case study
- Historical

3 Educational research procedure 3

• Choosing a research problem
• Determining the research objective
• Determining the research questions
Berkuatkuasa mulai Januari 2007
Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009
 • Determining the research hypotheses
• Reviewing the literature
• Planning the research design
• Determining the sampling procedure
• Constructing the research instrument
• Constructing the validity and reliability of the
h..aqinstrument
• Determining the data collection procedure
• Collecting data
• Analysing and interpreting the data
• Reporting the results and findings

Action research: Concepts and model

• Definition and concepts
• The characteristics of action research
• The importance of action research
• Issues related to action research
4 Models of action research 3
- Stephen Kemmis’s model
- John Elliott’s model
- Dave Ebbutt’s model
- Jack Whitehead’s model
- Jean McNiff’s model
- Kurt Lewin’s model

Action research: The process

Adapted from the models of Lewin, 1946 and

Laidlaw,1992:
• Identifying an aspect of the educational practice to
improve
• Planning an action
5 • Implementing the action 3
• Collecting the data
• Reflecting on the action (before, during and after
the action)

Taking further action

Developing the second cycle of action research

6 Action research: Planning and proposal 3

• Context
• Focus / aspect of practice to improve
• Research questions
• Literature review
• Subjects of the study
• Action plan
Berkuatkuasa mulai Januari 2007
Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009
 •Implementation of action plan
•Data collection methods
•Reflection: Data analysis and interpretation
•Work schedule
•Budget
•Sources of reference
Action research: Data collection methods
• Observation: : observer, participant-observer,
participant
7
• Document analysis 3
• checklists
• Interview: structured, semi-structured, unstructured

Action research: Data collection methods

• Questionnaires
• Video and cassette recordings
• Logs
• Field notes
8 • Photographs
3
• Portfolios
• Anecdotal records
• Slides
• Journals
• Diaries

Action research: Data collection considerations

Sampling, validity, reliability, bias

• Sampling and bias
• Validity:
9 - External critics (originality of the data)
3
- Internal critics (accuracy of the data)
- Data triangulation

• Reliability- The generalisability of findings

• Ethics

10 Action research: data analysis 3

Qualitative data
• Content analysis
• Categorising the data
• Coding the data
• Arranging the data into analysis grids
• Identifying the issues/themes/assertions
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Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009
 • Further research activities
Action research :data analysis

Quantitative data
11
• Descriptive analysis: Frequency, percentage, 3
mean, mod, median, standard deviation,
correlation coefficient

Interpreting the action research data

• Integrating various sources of data
• Connecting the data with literature review
12
• Summarising the results and drawing conclusions 3

Writing an action research report

• The context/background of the study
• Literature review
• Focus/ aspect of the practice to improve
• The action plan
• Implementation of action plan
13
• Data collection methods 3
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Reflection and implications
• Plan for further action
• Citation of references :American Psychological
Association (APA)

Writing an action research article

• Abstract
• The context
• Research focus
• Action plan
14
• Implementation of action plan 3
• Data collection methods
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Reflection and implications
• The next step
• Bibliography

Ways of making action research data public

15  Seminars
3
 Publications
 Action research networks

Berkuatkuasa mulai Januari 2007

Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009
 45
Total
Assessment Course work 50%
Examination 50%

Main References Cohen, L. , Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2001). Research

methods in education (5th. Eds.). London: Routledge Falmer.

Creswell, J. W. (2005). Educational research. Planning,

conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative
research. Ohio: Prentice Hall.

Additional
References Fraenkel, J.R. & Wallen, N.E.(1990). How to design and
evaluate research in education. USA, McGraw-Hill.

Gillham, B. (2003). The research interview. London: Continuum.

Jones, J. (2005). Management skills in school. London: Paul

Chapman Publishing.

Kembar, D. (2000). Action learning and action research.

London: Kogan Page.

Mills, G. E. (2000). Action research. A guide for the teacher

researcher. Ohio: Prentice Hall.

Macintyre, C. (2000). The art of action research in the

classroom. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.

Berkuatkuasa mulai Januari 2007

Kemaskini 15 Disember 2009