Action Research

By Lynn Woolever
AED 615
November 6th, 2006
 What Is Action Research?
• Research to inform local teachers and other
educational professionals of a way to solve
day-to day immediate problems.
 Types of Action Research
• Practical
• Participatory
 Practical
• To address specific issues
• To improve short term practice and inform
long term decisions
• Should result in an action plan to be
implemented and evaluated
 Participatory
• To empower life improvement
• To bring about social change
• To address specific issues
• Should result in an action plan to be implemented
and evaluated
• Involves a sizeable group of people with diverse
experiences that want to solve the same problem
• All those affected should participate in the study
in some form or fashion
 Steps To Use
1. Identifying the Research Question
2. Gathering the Necessary Information
3. Analyzing and Interpreting the
information
4. Developing an Action Plan
Step 1: Identifying the Research
Question
• Clarify the problem
• The problem should be narrow in scope
• The problem should be manageable
Step 2: Gathering the Necessary
Information
• Decide what data is needed and how to
collect it
• Possible collection methods include:
experiments, surveys, casual-comparative
studies, observations, interviews, analysis
of documents, and ethnographies
• One or more of these methods may be used
 Step 3: Analyzing and
Interpreting the Information
• The data must be examined in relation to
the question or problem to be solved
• Questions to be asked to analyze the data
should be Who, What, When, Why,
Where, How
• Opinions of all involved should be taken
into account during data analysis
 How Is Data Analyzed?
• Reflecting on all opinions involved
• Those involved work collaboratively to
create descriptions of hoe the data related
to the problem being addressed
• Much less complicated than other forms of
research
 Step 4: Developing an Action
Plan
• Based on the findings a plan should be
initiated to implement changes that can be
evaluated
 When Is It Appropriate?
• When systematic inquiry is used
• Intent to solve a small local day to day task
• Value-based research
• Purposive samples are selected
• Generalizability can be limited
• Teacher-developed instruments
• Carried out by a teacher or other educational
professional
 Assumptions for Use
Teachers and other educational professionals:

 Have the authority to make decisions

 Want to improve their practice
 Committed to continual professional
development
 Will and can engage in systematic research
 Limitations of Use
• Not meant for broad generalization
• For a small day to day task, not a large
ongoing problem
 Journal Article
Future demand, probable shortages, and
strategies for creating a better future in food
supply veterinary medicine

J. Bruce Prince, PhD; David M. Andrus, PhD;

Kevin P. Gwiner, PhD

Link to article:
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.229.1.57
 How Action Research Was
Employed
• Specific targeted small population to address the
current issue of shortages in food science
veterinary medicine
• A panel of experts was involved in the research
and analyzing the data
• Used to improve the numbers of veterinary
students going into food science veterinary
medicine
• A action plan was developed and implemented
because of the study
 Work Cited
Prince, J., Andrus, D., & Gwinner, K.
(2006). Food Supply Veterinary
Medicine: Future demand, probable
shortages, and strategies for creating a
better future in food supply veterinary
medicine. Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association, 229(1),
57-69.