INTRODUCING

ACTION
RESEARCH

Prepared by:
ANGEL MARIE S. ROMISCAL
ARIEN VERGARA
 DEFINITION

Action research is conducted by one or

more individuals or groups for the purpose of
solving a problem or obtaining information in
order to inform local practice.
 ACTION RESEARCH
IN EDUCATION

 When applied to teaching, action research

involves gathering and interpreting data to
better understand an aspect of teaching and
learning and applying the outcomes to
improve practice.
 CHARACTERISTICS

 Action research is a process that improves

education, in general, by incorporating
change.
 Involving educators working together to
improve their own practices.
 Collaborative; that is, it is composed of
educators talking and working with other
educators in empowering relationships.
 CHARACTERISTICS

 Participative, since educators are integral

members—not disinterested outsiders—of
the research process.
 Practical and relevant to classroom
teachers, since it allows them direct access
to research findings.
 Cyclical process of planning, acting,
developing, and reflecting.
 CHARACTERISTICS

 Not simply problem solving; it involves the

specification of a problem, the development
of something new (in most cases), and
critical reflection on its effectiveness.
 Not done “to” or “by” other people; it is
research done by particular educators, on
their own work, with students and
colleagues.
 GOAL

The main goal of action research is to address

local-level problems of practice with the
anticipation of finding immediate answers to
questions or solutions to those problems.
 To assess how
effective the new
approaches were

To explore and
To share feedback
test new ideas,
with fellow team
methods, and
members
materials

AR gives
To make decisions
educators new Why use about which new
opportunities to
reflect on and action approaches to
include in the
assess their research? practice.
teaching
 To solve an
educational
problem

When
teachers When do To help
you use educators
want to
reflect on
improve action their own
their
practices research? practices

To address
school-wide
problems
Basic process of conducting action research consists of
four steps:

(Mertler & Charles, 2011)

1. The planning stage

2. The acting stage
3. The developing stage
4. The reflecting stage
 PLANNING ACTING DEVELOPING REFLECTING

1. Identify and 5.Collecting 7.Developing 8. Sharing and

limiting topic data an action communicating
plan
2. Gathering
6.Analysing 9. Reflecting on
information
data the process
3. Reviewing
related
literature
4. Developing
a research
plan
 TYPES OF ACTION
RESEARCH
 Individual Action
Research
 Collaborative Action
Research
 System Wide Action
Research
INDIVIDUAL ACTION RESEARCH

 Researchquestion is decided and study

conducted by individual researcher.

 Immediate audience is individual who is

addressing a problem and wants to find a
better way
 COLLABORATIVE ACTION
RESEARCH
 Team of researchers of different but
complementary strengths work togetherto
develop research questions.

 Each makes important contribution to the

investigation.
 SYSTEMWIDE ACTION
RESEARCH

 Focus on changing something large, such

as entire school or district.

 Largest in scope of action research types

 COMPARISON
BETWEEN ACTION
RESEARCH AND
TRADITIONAL
RESEARCH
 SIMILARITIES

ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Types of data Quantitative or Quantitative or

gathered qualitative qualitative
Inquiry Systematic inquiry Systematic inquiry
DIFFERENCES

ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Led by Teachers or other Researcher who is not

local education usually involved in
professionals local situation.
 ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Purpose Solve practical Develop new

problem, improve knowledge
practice
 ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Instrument Uses primarily Uses primarily

teacher-developed professionally
instruments. developed
instruments.
 ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Training Little formal Considerable

training required training required to
to conduct such conduct such studies.
studies.
 ACTION TRADITIONAL

RESEARCH RESEARCH

Primary Members of the Other researchers,

audience school community government or
private agencies
 Tentative Practical

Empowering Participative
Why Action
research is a
valuable form of
inquiry for
educators
Action research is a valuable form of
inquiry for educators because it is...

Practical
◦ Focuses on practical improvements
Participative
◦ teachers, administrators, students and parents
can all be involved in meaningful ways.
Action research is a valuable form of
inquiry for educators because it is...
Empowering
◦ all participants can contribute to and benefit
from the process.
Tentative
◦ there are not always right or wrong answers;
rather, there are possible solutions based on
multiple view points