CLASSROOM

RESEARCH

Fabio Coelho
English Language Fellow (RELO)
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Reflection and Discussion

When something goes wrong with your

classroom, what do you do?
Reflection and Discussion

What do you already know about action

research or teacher research?
Planning the Project

• Which project should I do?

• What topic should I pick?
How do I Choose my Topic?

• Based on a
problem you have
been facing
• Improvements you
want to make.
 Understanding
Action Research

• Practical
• Reflective
• Recursive
Understanding Action Research
What? Traditional Research Action Research

Who? Professors, scholars, graduate Teachers and principals on

students on experimental and current students
control groups

Where? Environments where variables can Schools and classrooms

be controlled

How? Methods show relationship Methods explain the effect of

between variables interventions

Why? Report and publish conclusions to Lead to positive change in

large populations specific environment
Action Research

“Let’s study what is happening in our

school/classroom and decide how to make it
better”
(Calhoun, 1994)
Why Action Research?

• Participatory and democratic

• Socially responsive
• Takes place in context
• Helps focus on everyday issues
• Can transform learning environment
Levels of Action Research

• Individual researcher
• Small groups of
researchers
• Schoolwide research
Steps to Action Research
1. Identify a problem
2. Form a research question
3. Create an action plan
4. Enact the plan and collect data
5. Report results and get feedback
6. Act on the data
Identify a Problem

What are some of the common problems I face

when teaching English?
Form a Research Question

• If I (take a certain action), then will students

(demonstrate improvement on the problem)?
Create an Action Plan
• Seek Knowledge
• Articles (Professional Literature)
• School records
• Colleagues
• Internet sites of professional organizations
• Develop Action Plan
• Where will the research take place?
• Who will participate?
• What will happen to participants?
• What will be the specific research steps/sequence of actions?
• When will the research be conducted?
 Enact the Plan
and Collect Data
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
 Enact the Plan and Collect Data:
Triangulation Method

• Compensates for imperfection of data gathering tools

• Can increase confidence in results (multiple techniques)

• Can raise follow-up questions (when results fail to match)

 Enact the plan
and collect data:
Triangulation
method
Enact the Plan and Collect Data:
Triangulation Method
Enact the Plan and Collect Data:
Triangulation Method
Report Results and Get Feedback

• Analyze and interpret data

• Get a second look from a colleague/critical friend

• Report results
Act on the Evidence

• Modify the plan

• Try the plan again

• Study the plan again

 Contact Info

Email address: fabiocoelho.elf@gmail.com

Resources
• Nugent, G.,Malik, S.,Holligsworth, S. (2012). A Practical
Guide to Action Research for Literacy Educators.