School-Based

Action
Research
Key Topics
 Purposes and uses of Action
Research
 Types of action research designs
 Key characteristics of action
research
 Steps in conducting an action
research study
 Evaluating an action research study
What is action research?
 Action research is systematic inquiry done
by teachers (or other individuals in an
educational setting) to gather information
about, and subsequently improve, the
ways their particular educational setting
operates, how they teach, and how well
their students learn (Mills, 2000).
When do you use action research?

 When you have an educational

problem to solve
 When educators want to reflect on
their own practices
 When you want to address school-
wide problems
 When teachers want to improve
their practices
 When educators want to
participate in a research project
 Types of action research
designs Action Research

Practical Participatory

•Studying local practices •Studying social issues

Involving individual or team- that constrain individual lives
based inquiry •Emphasizing equal
•Focusing on teacher development and collaboration
student learning •Focusing on “life-enhancing
•Implementing a plan of action changes”
•Leading to the teacher-as-researcher •Resulting in the emancipated
researcher
The problem is only one phase
in which to enter
Evaluating
Identifying Collecting Taking
Existing
“Problem” Data Action
Data

Point of Point of Point of Point of

Entry Entry Entry Entry
What are the steps in
conducting action research?
 Determine if action research is the best design to
use.
 Identify the problem to study
 Locate resources to help address the problem
 Identify the information you will need
What are the steps in
conducting action research?
 Implement the data collection
 Analyze the data
 Develop a plan for action
 Implement the plan and reflect