action research as a school improvement strategy

Action Research as a School Improvement Strategy

Discussions

• What is Action Inquiry Research?• Why is it important?• How does it relate to teaching and

learning?• Have you been involved in Action

Research before? If so, what were the outcomes?

Definition (1)

• Action research is a research that ANY of us can do on his/her own practice to improve it.

• It can be conducted with the assistance or guidance of professional researchers in order to improve strategies, practices, and knowledge of the environments within which they practice.

Action Research - Power Point by: Dr. Tarek Chebbi, FIU

Definition (2)

• Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice, systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research.

… is systematic inquiry done by teachers (or other individuals in the teaching/learning environment) to gather information about- and subsequently improve- how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn.

Action Research

action research...…teacher-initiated, school-based

research used to improve the practitioner’s practice by doing or changing something

…where the teacher is the researcher and the teacher’s practice is the focus of the research

• The main reason for teachers to engage in action research is to learn from and to improve their own teaching activities…

…by re-examining their practice and altering their taken-for-granted beliefs and understandings

• but, action research can also be used to form a more egalitarian community of professional educators…

…as principals, teachers, and other staff conduct in-school research

…used in school improvement efforts as the research results are applied to the school and/or its classrooms

Participatory Action Research:

• Method used to involve community residents, clients, and other constituents in social change oriented research.

• Participants work with a facilitator to identify a community problem, develop research methodology, collect data, and analyze findings.

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Participatory Action Research

• The data is then used to make recommendations about how the problem should be resolved.

• Participants advocate for funding, legislation, or government action to adopt the findings.

• The end result is to alleviate oppression or improve community or service quality.

Participatory action research generally is not focused on agency operations, but addresses a social problem that affects constituency group members.

Action Inquiry Research

Collaborative action research is a process

which can be used by educators to reflect on

their beliefs and improve their practices,

through implementing a plan of action in

collaboration with others in the workplace.

(DET & ACER 1996)

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Types of action research designs

Action Research

ParticipatoryPractical

• Studying local practices Involving individual or team- based inquiry• Focusing on teacher development and student learning• Implementing a plan of action• Leading to the teacher-as-researcher

• Studying social issues that constrain individual lives• Emphasizing equal collaboration• Focusing on “life-enhancing changes”• Resulting in the emancipated researcher

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Collaboration

Administrators

Staff

Teachers

Students

Parents

CommunityStakeholders

CollaborativeTeam

Action Research Cycle (Zuber-Skerritt, 1992)

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Practical action research: Mills (2000) Dialectic Research Spiral

Analyze andInterpret Data

Develop an Action Plan

Collect Data

Identify anArea of Focus

Mills, G. E. (2003). Action Research: A guide for the teacher researcher, 2nd ed. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Develop an Action Plan

Collect Data

Identify an Area of Focus

Analyze and Interpret Data

Planning

To Do:

1. Select an appropriate area of focus.

2. Do reconnaissance.

3. Review related literature.

4. Write and research plan to guide your work.

Steps to Planning anAction Research Project

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

A dynamic process

• Dynamic process of spiraling back and forth among reflection, data collection, and action

• Does not follow a linear pattern• Does not follow a causal sequence from

problem to action

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

The problem is only one phase in which to enter

Identifying“Problem”

CollectingData

EvaluatingExisting

Data

TakingAction

Point ofEntry

Point ofEntry

Point ofEntry

Point ofEntry

PLAN

• What is our context?• What is the data telling us?• What targets do we want to achieve?• What information/support can we access?• What is our research question?• What methodology will we use?• What data will we collect?• How will we evaluate our project?• How will we share our findings?

The research question

An effective research question should:• reflect the context of the school/year/Stage/ class

involved in the research• respond to relevant data and syllabus outcomes• be collaboratively developed by the people involved in

the research• be manageable in terms of cohort, targets, methodology

and data collection• be framed as a question

Developing a research question

Think of your own experience as a teacher. In relation to the learning outcomes of your students:

• Is there any question which you have been wanting to investigate for a long time?

• Which of your strengths would you like to develop?• Which areas of your practice would you like to improve?• Are there any aspects of your work which you find

puzzling?• Are there any situations which cause difficulties and which

you would like to cope with more effectively?

Connecting with Quality Teaching

1. What do I want the students to learn?

2. Why does it matter?

3. What am I going to get the students to do/produce?

4. How well do I expect them to do it?

Data Collection and Analysis

Brainstorm as a group your definition of ‘data’ in relation to your school

context.

“a collection of facts from which conclusions can be drawn” (Online dictionary)

“a collection of facts, observations or other information related to a particular

question or problem” (Webster’s Dictionary)

Types Of Data

• Qualitative

- uses mostly verbal descriptions

lesson observation notes, interviews• Quantitative

- uses numerical data to summarize and explore information

Types Of Data

• Student Data

works samples, photos• Teacher Data

staff meeting agendas, surveys• Parent Data

surveys

Types of Data

As a school team, brainstorm the types of data you currently collect.

Classify each piece of data using the checklist.

• Were there any noticeable trends?

Reflecting on our Data Collection

Data Qualitative Quantitative Student Teacher Parent

SMART Targets• focus on Student learning outcomes• inform school planning• are data-driven, data informed• are Measured and monitored• are Manageable & Attainable in number• are Realistic but challenging• must be Resourced• are unambiguous• are based on a realistic Timeframe• help schools raise standards for improved student

performance

Targets might be measured by:• an increase/reduction in the number/percentage

of students achieving a certain level of performance

• a reduction in the gap between school performance and state performance

• the percentage of parents who respond positively to issues raised in a survey

• percentage of students achieving syllabus outcomes for a certain stage

A word on data collection

• Triangulation involves collecting multiple sources of data for every issue being investigated to ensure validity

• Data sources should ensure all stakeholders have a voice – teachers, students and parents should be considered as a means of triangulating data from different perspectives

Methods of Data Collection

Sample 1: Triangulation Matrix

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Taxonomy of action research data collection techniques

Action ResearchData Collection Techniques

(The Three E’s)

Experiencing EnquiringExamining

(Through observation and field notes)

When the researcher asks

Using and makingrecords

Participant observation (Active participant)

Privileged, active observer

Passive observer

Informal Interview Structured formal Interview Questionnaires Attitude Scales Standardized Tests

Archival documents JournalsMapsAudio and VideotapesArtifacts

Fieldnotes

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

Sharing research

• Groups of stakeholders• Local schools, educational personnel• Local or state individuals• Not specifically interested in publication

but in sharing with individuals or groups who can promote change

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

How do you evaluate action research?

• Does the project clearly address a problem or issue in practice that needs to be solved?

• Did the action researcher collect sufficient data to address the problem?

• Did the action researcher collaborate with others during the study? Was there respect for all collaborators?

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

How do you evaluate action research?

• Did the plan of action advanced by the researcher build logically from the data?

• Is there evidence that the plan of action contributed to the researcher’s reflection as a professional?

• Has the research enhanced the lives of the participants by empowering them, changing them, or providing them with new understanding?

Educational Research 2e: Creswell

How do you evaluate action research?

• Did the action research actually lead to change or did a solution to a problem make the difference?

• Was the action research reported to audiences who might use the information?