Prayers

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Prayers
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Action Research An Introduction

• CE ELM MOMBASA
• APRIL 29, 2011

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Learning Opportunities

• Define action Research
• Explain the nature and purpose of action research
• Identify the key outcomes of action research
• Describe the four moments of action research

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Guiding questions for sessions on AR in Phase
One

• What is Action Research?
• When would it be appropriate for a
  teacher/educational leader to carry out Action
  Research?
• How do you identify an area of inquiry?

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Words What do they Mean?
Inquire
Investigate
Search
Research
Find
Explore
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Discussion

• What is your immediate reaction when you hear the
  word research?
• Has any of you been involved in any research?
  What was it about? What was your role?
• How then can you define research?

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Presentation

• EXPLORERSL

• INVESTIGATORSL

• FINDERSL

• SEARCHERSL

• RESEARCHERSL

• INQUIRERSL

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Research Definition

• Research is an ORGANISED and SYSTEMATIC way of
  FINDING ANSWERS to questions.
• From http//linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichse
  nl/researchmethods/RM_1_01.html

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Definition of AR

• Action research is an enquiry which is carried
  out in order to understand, to evaluate and then
  to change in order to improve educational
  practice, (Bassey, 1998 93).

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Definition of AR

• Action Research is the process by which
  practitioners attempt to study their problems
  scientifically in order to guide, correct, and
  evaluate their decisions and actions (Corey, 1953)

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Definition of AR

• Action Research is a methodology that combines
  action and research together. During a
  study, the researcher is repeating the process of
  performing an action, reflecting on what has
  happened and using this information to plan their
  next action. This process of action research has
  a refining effect on action and the researcher
  gains an understanding of what is going on.
• (Dick, 1999)

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Definition of AR

• Research may also be defined as a process of
  systematic investigation leading to increased
  understanding of a phenomenon or issue of
  interest. (Stringer , 2004)

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Cyclic nature of AR
(Kemmis and Mc Taggart, 1988)
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• A (usually cyclic) process by which change and
  understanding can be pursued at one time, with
  action and critical reflection taking place in
  turn. The reflection is used to review the
  previous action and plan the next one.

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The Plan

• Prior to action
• Constructed action
• Forward looking
• Tentative
• Should put into consideration the possible
  constraints
• Must be flexible

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Action

• Deliberate and controlled
• Thoughtful variation of practice
• Guided by the plan but not completely controlled
  by it
• It involves risk as it happens in real context
• It requires instant decisions
• It shows the practitioner at work thoughghtful
  and constructive

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Observation

• Has the function of documenting the effects of
  action (data gathering)
• Must be planned
• Must be responsive and open ended
• It should focus on the action, its effects, and
  the context
• Provides the basis for reflection

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Reflection

• Retrospective recall action as has been
  recorded
• Seeks to make sense of the process, problems,
  issues, constraints
• Should be aided by discussion among participants
• Has evaluative aspect
• Provides the basis for the revised plan

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Think Back

• List two concepts that you found intriguing in
  the presentation.
• List one aspects that is still puzzling in your
  mind

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Guest Speaker

• Action Research through the Habits of Mind

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Share

• Muddiest point

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Four Key Moments of AR

• SYSTEMATIC
• ORGANISED
• FINDING ANSWERS
• QUESTIONS

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SYSTEMATIC

• there is a definite set of procedures and steps
  which a researcher follows in the research
  process which are always done in order to get the
  most accurate results.

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ORGANISED

• there is a structure or method in going about
  doing research. It is a planned procedure, not
  spontaneous one.

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FINDING ANSWERS

• is the end of all research. Whether it is the
  answer to a hypothesis or even a simple question,
  research is successful when we find answers.
  Sometimes the answer is No, but it is still an
  answer.

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QUESTIONS

• are central to research. Research is focused on
  relevant, useful, and important questions.
  Without a question, research has no focus, drive,
  or purpose.

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QUESTIONING SKILLS BY GIOKO, A

• Sample Action Research

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Outcomes of Action Research

• Addresses practical problems
• Generates knowledge
• Enacts change
• Is participatory
• Is a cyclic process

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Levels of Action Research

• Individual Teachers
• Focuses on changes in one classroom e.g.
  classroom management, instructional strategies,
  use of materials, etc.

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Levels of Action Research

• Groups of teachers with similar concerns
• Focuses on changes in one or more classrooms,
  grade, team or department having the same
  problem.

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Levels of Action Research

• Institutional (School) Level
• Focuses on whole school issues e.g. school
  improvement, students discipline, school parent
  relationships, etc.

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Characteristics of Action Research

• AR tends to
• Cyclical (spiral) similar steps tend to recur,
  in a similar sequence.
• Participative the clients and informants are
  involved as partners, or at least active
  participants, in the research process.

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Characteristics of Action Research Cont.

• Qualitative it deals more often with language
  than with numbers
• Reflective critical reflection upon the process
  and outcomes are important parts of each cycle.

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Find out the key WORDS
E Q A L I T A T I V E E A R T
A E E A A E C A C H A N G E A
R E F L E C T R A E D A S E S
A B C Y C L I C R T D A T T Y
B E T R A T O O E D R I V E S
E A E P L A N E E R E T E R T
G R E R A S A E O B S E R V E
R A E O T P U R P O S E E R M
O F O C U S E T E A E R A A A
U E G E N E R A T E S E A E T
P I N S T I T U T I O N A L I
S E A S T R U C T E D E A R C
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KEY WORDS
Q A L I T A T I V E
C C H A N G E
R E F L E C T D S
C Y C L I C D Y
O D R I V E S
P L A N E T
G R O B S E R V E
R O P U R P O S E M
O F O C U S E A
U G E N E R A T E S T
P I N S T I T U T I O N A L I
S S T R U C T U R E D C
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Groups

• Leaders
• Material Managers
• Time Keeper
• Observers
• Presenters
• Social Guides

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White Paper
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What Are the issues We need to ACT on?

• Identify issues in your pedagogical leadership
  that you would wish changed or improved.
• List them on the plot allocated to you on the
  white paper.
• Rotate the paper to read the issues Identified by
  your colleagues
• List two common or most represented issues in
  the Island Plot.
• Share the Issue with the Team

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Reconnaissance

• The issues were raised due to personal
  experiences.
• Effort should be made to identify
• -Who is involved
• -Who should be involved
• -What should be done
• -when should it be done
• -How should it be done
• -This could lead to identifying the theories to
  analyze

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Problematize the ISSUE

• Rephrase the Issue to a problems that needs
  ACTION so that you could RESEARCH on the ACTION.

Action
Research
Teachers come late to school
How do I ensure that teachers in my school come
on time to school?
What -Could be Informed by Theories
Outcome
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Getting Started

• Begin with a problem or concern or an idea that
  might improve an aspect of your practice such as
• Few students participate in group work
• Several female students escort each other to the
  toilets.

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Group Activity

• Identify an area of concern in your
  class/department/school on which you would like
  to make an improvement?

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Formulating Research Questions

• Guidelines for Developing a Question
• High level questions which get at explanations,
  reasons or relationships.
• Avoid Yes or No answers.
• Use every day language avoid jargon.
• It should not be too long.
• It should be manageable within the time
  allocated.
• Something doable within the context of your work.

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Examples of Action Research Questions

• How can I enhance student-student interaction in
  my maths class?
• In what ways can I make wall displays bring about
  more learning in my social studies classroom?
• How can I use a CL strategy to enhance social
  skills in a science class?
• How can I help a colleague improve his/her
  questioning techniques?

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Group Activity Examples of Action Research
Questions

• Based on the area you identified earlier,
  formulate a possible research question and
  subsidiary questions to help you answer it?

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Reconnaissance Stage

• Finding more information about the issue you want
  to work on (on the ground and in literature)
• What are the constraints and opportunities?
• Identify who will be affected.
• Who should be involved?
• Start negotiating with gate keepers and
  participants.

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What are benefits of doing Action Research?

• AR gives the teacher the opportunity to reflect
  on their practice, find out what needs to
  improved and act to improve it.
• It puts teachers in control of their practice.
  When they conduct AR into their practice, they
  understand it and formulate their own theories.
• The knowledge the teachers get from their AR is
  practice-based and more authentic.

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What are benefits of doing Action Research?

• AR gives teachers the opportunity to work with
  other people in their schools and through this,
  they get to know each other.
• AR research makes teachers plan, act, observe and
  reflect more carefully and systematically than
  they would usually do in everyday life.

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What are benefits of doing Action Research?

• AR may help teachers to make sense of the
  theory-practice gaps in teaching.
• Teachers who conduct inquiry into their practice
  through AR are ultimately very good teachers.
• AR has the potential of bringing about positive
  changes at the school level.

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White paper

• Fold the paper into eight parts.
• Pair Up
• Write a question one paper
• Respond to the question by writing the answer of
  a piece of paper
• If the question is right you gain the question
  paper, if it is wrong you lose the answer paper.
• The process repeats and the winner is the person
  with most papers

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Who

• Has the most papers

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Thank You

• Learning to research or using research as a
  source of knowledge is beneficial to teaching and
  learning progression.
• Gioko, 2011