Field Study 2

LEARNING EPISODE 3 – UNDERSTANDING ACTION RESEARCH CONCEPTS, PROCESSES AND

MODELS

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Learning Episode, I must be able to:

● Use concepts and processes of action research
● Identify sample models of AR such as DepEd, 2017; McNiff & Whitehead, 2006; and
Nleson, 2014

Clarify Your Task

Understanding and Using Action Research Concepts and Processes

Anchored on the idea of inquiry by John Dewey, several other authors have advanced the
concept of action research. Action research is a type of inquiry that is:
● practical as it involves making changes to practice.
● theoretical as it is informed by theory and can generate new insights.
● concerned with change and improvement.

Points to Consider:

⮚ Action research has been embraced in education for its value in transforming school
practices by the practitioners themselves. It is used to address practical problems in the
classroom.
⮚ It is a process that allows teachers to study their own classroom and school setting to
improve their effectiveness.
⮚ Teacher Action Research (TAR) is a method for educational practitioners (teachers,
school leaders) to engage in the assessment and improvement of their own practice.
⮚ It is a tool to help classroom teachers consider their teaching methods or to adopt a
strategy in order to solve everyday problem in the school setting.

MODELS AND GUIDE IN CONDUCTING ACTION RESEARCH

(McNiff & Whitehead 2006 – Adaptation)

Action Research Cycle The Action Research Process

OBSERVE Identify the problem.

1. Based on the observation and noticing, what problematic

situations prevail in the classroom or teaching-learning
environment?
 2. Which of these problems shall I focus on?

3. What does literature say about this problem? On what

theories or principles I leaned before is the problem
anchored?

REFLECT Reflect (Reflection continues all throughout the process.)

1. What do I hope to achieve? What do I intend to change

for the better?

2. Is doing this action research important to improve my

practice?

3. Can I do this alone? Or should I collaborate?

PLAN Plan an action research strategy.

1. What type of research shall I use? Quantitative?

Qualitative?

2. How will I describe my innovation? Intervention?

Strategy?

3. Is my plan doable within the given period of time?

ACT Take action.

1. How do I put my plan into action? How long?

2. How will I gather data or information?

3. What sense or meaning do I get out of the data?

EVALUATE Use findings.

1. Where do I apply results to improve practice?

2. Are my findings worth sharing?

MODIFY Move to another cycle.

1. Is there a need to modify intervention to get new results?

2. Should I move to another cycle of action research?

(Nelson, O., 2014 Model)

Action Research Cycle The Action Research Process
 OBSERVE Identify the problem.

1. Based on the observation and noticing, what problematic

situations prevail in the classroom or teaching-learning
environment?

2. Which of these problems shall I focus on?

3. What does literature say about this problem? On what

theories or principles, I leaned before is the problem
anchored?

REFLECT Reflect (Reflection continues all throughout the process.)

1. What do I hope to achieve? What do I intend to change

for the better?

2. Is doing this action research important to improve my

practice?

3. Can I do this alone? Or should I collaborate?

PLAN Plan an action research strategy.

1. What type of research shall I use? Quantitative?

Qualitative?

2. How will I describe my innovation? Intervention?

Strategy?

3. Is my plan doable within the given period of time?

ACT Take action.

1. How do I put my plan into action? How long?

2. How will I gather data or information?

3. What sense or meaning do I get out of the data?

(Department of Education (DO 16) 2017 Model)

Action Research Key Components Action Research Process

I. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE Identifying the Problem

1. Why am I doing this?

II. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS
2. What is the background of my action research?
 3. What problem/question am I trying to solve?

4. What do I hope to achieve?

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, Proposed Plan

INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY
1. What do I plan as a solution to the problem I
identified? (Describe.)

2. What innovation will I introduce to solve the

problem? (Describe.)

3. What strategy should I introduce? (Describe.)

IV. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS Plan of Action Research

a. Participants and/or other 1. Who are to participate? (students, peers, myself)

Sources of Data and
2. What are my sources of information?
Information
(participants)
b. Data Gathering Methods
3. How shall I gather information?
c. Data Analysis Plan
4. How will I analyze my data/information?

V. ACTION RESEARCH WORK Action Research Work Plan

PLAN AND TIMELINES
1. What should my work plan contain? (targets,
activities, persons involved, timeline, cost)

2. How long will I conduct my intervention? For

reliable results 8 to 12 weeks)

VI. COST ESTIMATE Action Research Cost (Consider also the maximum cost if
externally funded like DepEd, LGUs, NGO or personal)

VII. PLANS FOR DISSEMINATION Sharing Results

AND UTILIZATION
1. How will I share the result of my action research?
(Publication, presentation, flyers, LAC sessions)

2. Can I collaborate with other teachers to continue

or replicate my study?

VIII. REFERENCES References

1. What reading materials and references are

include in my review of literature?
Participate and Assist

Understanding fully the concept and the process of Action Research will enable you to learn
and provide the needed assistance to your teacher-mentor in doing action research.

Notice

What concepts have been emphasized in the task? Give at least four?

1. Focus on the 2. Planning of

problem the strategy
and actions

4. Evaluation of
findings
3. Acting upon
the problem

Since the three models are all action research, what are the common elements of the three?

Three Models of
Action Research

The three elements share the same pattern in coming up with a good action
research. These 3 elements share the same goal though they may have different
methods but the process is all the same and they will still come up with a good
output.

Analyze

Choose the Action Research sample Abstract that you accomplished in Learning Episode 2.
Analyze the components vis-à-vis only one model out of the 3 presented.
● If you choose to compare with McNiff & Whitehead, 2006 Model, here are the
components:
Title and Author of the Action Research: Increasing Reading Level of Primary
Learners

Key Components Entry from your Sample Action Research

OBSERVE The Problem

- High numbers of slow readers in Primary level

REFLECT Reflection

- Reading is one of the macro skills in English.

Low reading proficiency could affect the
child’s academic performance as well as her
relationship with other people.

PLAN Plan of Action

- Preparing some reading materials

- Providing schedules for reading hours.

ACT Implementation

- Conducting of Phil Iri to practice and improve

the learner’s reading skill
- Putting up a mini library inside the classroom.

EVALUATE Findings

- By conducting the Phil Iri, the teacher will be

able to know the reading proficiency level of a
learner.
- It will be easier for her to increase the reading
level of learners.

MODIFY Recommendation

- Through continuous reading practice, the

teacher will succeed in developing the reading
skill of each learner.
What have you understood about the concept of Action Research and how will these be utilized
in your teaching practice?

Action research should be done

according to its process in order for you to
come up with the good result. As a
teacher, the concepts of action research
will be a big help to address the real
problems and to formulate solution to
those.

Reflect

Based on the findings you made and the previous activities that you have done,

As a future teacher, is conducting an Action Research worth doing? Why?

Yes, conducting action research allows

you to identify the problem in your classroom
and at the same time guides you in taking
How can Action Research be useful for every classroom teacher?

Knowing how to conduct a proper action research gives you the

advantage to every problem that may come your way as a
teacher.

Writing Action Research Prompts

Observe

Remembering my classroom observation/s, I noticed that the there are many questions that I
raised in my mind. These include:

a. How effective virtual learning is? Does it serve the purpose of teaching and learning?
 b. Is the relevance between the learning targets and the acquired learning of the students
visible?
c. Is online teaching really convenient to all students? How are these learners able to catch
up with the new learning setup?

Reflect

Thinking deeply about those problems, perhaps something must have been done to solve the
problem or answer the question., like:

a. In order for the teacher to know how much the learners are focused on the teaching
process, she can ask them lesson-related questions in the midst of the discussion.
b. Assessments after lesson could be done for the teacher to know if the learners learning
are matched with the learning targets she has plotted.
c. To know if the learners are able to catch up with the new learning setup, the teacher
can ask her co-teachers how the learners perform in their other subjects and also asking
the learners questions about their status in different nature (e.g., connectivity,
scheduling, learning resources, time management, etc.

Plan

a. Now that I am in FS 2, I plan to make a plan for my solution to problem (b. Is the
relevance between the learning targets and the acquired learning of the students
visible?) because at the end of each lesson the learning acquired by the learners is what
matters most. The goal of each teacher is to teach and therefore learning targets
administered by the teacher should be accomplished otherwise the teaching and
learning process will become useless. The learning targets and the learners’ acquired
learning should match to call it a successful learning.

Act

My action will come later, given enough time in FS 2 or during my Teaching Internship.