Action ResearchPresentation By:

Muhammad YasirMuhammad Sufyan

NaheedHussainMaryam

Definition What is Action Research?Action research “is done by

systematically collecting data on your everyday practice and analyzing it in order to come to some decisions about what your future practice should be”(Wallace, 2002) 1

Action research allows freedom of choice of methods to use (kemmis & McTaggart2005) 2

1. The Proceedings of the Seventh OCU Conference on Applied English Teaching2. KEMMIS, S. & McTAGGART (2005) Participatory Action Research: Communicative Action and the

Public Sphere. In DENZIN, Norman K. and LINCOLN, Yvona S., (eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications

Definition What is Action Research?Action research aims to solve

current practical problems while expanding scientific knowledge. (Baburoglu and Ravn 1992) 3

3. MIS Quarterly Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 329-335/September 2004 329 SPECIAL ISSUE ON ACTION RESEARCH IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS: MAKING IS RESEARCH RELEVANT TO PRACTICE— FOREWORD By: Richard Baskerville, Michael D. Myers

Definition What is Action Research?A Two Staged Process

◦First, the diagnostic stage involves a collaborative analysis of the social situation by the researcher and the subjects of the research. Theories are formulated concerning the

nature of the research domain.

◦Second, the therapeutic stage involves collaborative change. In this stage, changes are introduced and the effects are studied (Blum 1955). 4

4. MIS Quarterly Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 329-335/September 2004 329 SPECIAL ISSUE ON ACTION RESEARCH IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS: MAKING IS RESEARCH RELEVANT TO PRACTICE— FOREWORD By: Richard Baskerville, Michael D. Myers

What is Not Action Research?

Action research is not what usually comes to mind when we hear the word “research.”

Action research is not a library project where we learn more about a topic that interests us.

It is not problem-solving in the sense of trying to find out what is wrong, but rather a quest for knowledge about how to improve.

What is Not Action Research?

Action research is not about doing research on or about people, or finding all available information on a topic looking for the correct answers.

It involves people working to improve their skills, techniques, and strategies.

Action research is not about learning why we do certain things, but rather how we can do things better. 5

5. ACTION RESEARCH Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory At Brown University by Eileen Ferrance

Background – Action Research

Action research originated in the social sciences out of the massive social changes of World War II.

Kurt Lewin (1947) developed the method at the Research Center for Group Dynamics (University of Michigan) in order to study social psychology within the framework of field theory.

Independently the Tavistock Clinic (later the Tavistock Institute) developed a similar method as a sort of psychosocial equivalent of operational research (see Trist 1976; Warmington 1980) 6

6. MIS Quarterly Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 329-335/September 2004 329 SPECIAL ISSUE ON ACTION RESEARCH IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS: MAKING IS RESEARCH RELEVANT TO PRACTICE— FOREWORD By: Richard Baskerville, Michael D. Myers

Five Philosophical Assumptions

Ontological AssumptionsEpistemological AssumptionsAxiological AssumptionsMethodological AssumptionsRhetorical Assumptions

FOUR WORLD VIEWS

Post positivism Constructivism

•Determination•Reductionism•Empirical observation and observation

•Understanding•Multiple participant meanings•Social and historical construction•Theory Generation

Advocacy/ participatory Pragmatism

•Political•Empowerment issue-oriented•Collaborative•Change oriented

•Consequences of action•Problem Centered•Pluralistic•Real world practice oriented

World Views – Action Research

Philosophical worldviews•Post positive•Social Construction•Advocacy/participatory•Pragmatic

Selected strategies of inquiry•Qualitative strategies (e.g. ethnography)•Quantitative strategies (e.g. experiments)•Mixed methods strategies(e.g. sequential

Research design•Qualitative•Quantitative•Mixed Research methods•Questions•Data collection•Data analysis•Interpretation•Write-up•Validation

The Framework of Design: The interconnection of World Views, Strategies of Inquiry and Research Methods

Action Research is Scientific

Philosophical foundations

Positivism postmodernism/hermaneutic

Critical realism and action research

Ontology Objectivist Subjectivist Objectivist

Epistemology Objectivist Subjectivist Subjectivist

Theory Generalizable Particular Particular

Reflexivity Methodological

Hyper Epistemetic

Role of researcher

Distanced from data

Close to data Close to data

(Susman and Evered, 1978; Riordan, 1995; Eden and Huxham, 1996; Greenwood and Levin, 1998, Gummesson, 2000; Reason and Torbert, 2001).

Participatory Nature of Action ResearchPhilosophical Assumptions

Participatory World view

ontology Political reality (findings are negotiated with participants)

Epistemology Collaboration( researchers activity involves participants as collaborators)

Axiology Biased and negotiated(Researchers negotiate with participants about interpretations)

Methodology Participatory (Researchers involve participants in all stages of the research and engage in cyclical reviews of results)

Rhetoric Advocacy and change (researcher will use language that will bring about change and advocate for participants)

Action Research & its Participatory Nature

Types of Action Research

Action Research

Critical Practical

• Based on a body of critical theory

• The goal is liberating individuals through knowledge gathering

• Also known as ‘Theory – Based’ or ‘Emancipatory’

• Emphasizes more on ‘how – to’ approach & has a less philosophical bent• Underline assumption is that, to some degree, individuals are autonomous & can determine the nature of investigation• The goal is ‘Problem Solving’ / Reform• Used often

Look

Think

Act

Look

Think

Act

Action Research - Methodology

Analyze andInterpret Data

Develop an Action Plan

Collect Data

Identify anArea of Focus

Action Research - Methodology

Limitations

Time constraint EnergyGeneralization Create resistance to change

/Negative feeling if changes are not implemented 

Validity

An Example of Action Research

Promoting Discussion in lower secondary science classroom

Anwar, N. P. (2007). Promoting Discussion in Lower Secondary Science Classroom. Journal of Research and Reflections in Education. 1(2), pp 175 – 200

19

Research Question

How can I improve my practice as a science teacher to develop discussion in lower secondary science classroom?

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Reconnaissance

Teaching and learning was predominantly teacher centered

Students were recipient of knowledge

Rote memorization

21

Intervention Phase 1: Initiate DiscussionRecitation Discussion (bridging

phase, ‘listening –no talking phase’ (Arends, 2004)

Quasi Discussion (Chiapetta et al, 1999)

Where the students were

22

Phase 2: Sustained Discussion

Inquiry or Problem based discussion

Engage students to high order thinking

Daily life materials and activities Predict – Observe – Explain (POE)Problem SolvingDiscrepant Event

23

Phase 2: Sharing Based discussionMany controversial issues related

to daily life experiences were discussed

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What I learnt ?

Ensure everyone participation in the Discussion

Guide and scaffold students’ thoughts

Improvement in questioning skill

25

What Students Achieved

Conceptual understandingInvolvement & engagement Communication skill and thinking

processes

26

References The Proceedings of the Seventh OCU Conference on Applied English Teaching KEMMIS, S. & McTAGGART (2005) Participatory Action Research: Communicative Action and

the Public Sphere. In DENZIN, Norman K. and LINCOLN, Yvona S., (eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications

MIS Quarterly Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 329-335/September 2004 SPECIAL ISSUE ON ACTION RESEARCH IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS: MAKING IS RESEARCH RELEVANT TO PRACTICE— FOREWORD By: Richard Baskerville, Michael D. Myers

ACTION RESEARCH Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory At Brown University by Eileen Ferrance

(Susman and Evered, 1978; Riordan, 1995; Eden and Huxham, 1996; Greenwood and Levin, 1998, Gummesson, 2000; Reason and Torbert, 2001).

Gay, L. R. (2008). Educational Research – Competencies for Analysis and Application (9th ed.): Action Research. pg. 485 – 504

Kagan, C. Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology: Action Research. Prepublication Draft

Ferrance, E. (2000). Action Research (pg. 3–5). Providence: LAB Cohen, L. (2007). Research Methods in Education: Action Reearch (pg. 297 – 312). New

York: Routledge Bosher, M. (2002). How can I as an educator and Professional Development Manager

working with teachers, support and enhance the learning and achievement of pupils in a whole school improvement process?. Ph.D. University of Bath.

Kang, N. (2007). Elementary Teachers’ Teaching for Conceptual Understanding: Learning From Action Research. J Sci Teacher Educ, 18(4), pp.469-495.

Anwar, N. P. (2007). Promoting Discussion in Lower Secondary Science Classroom. Journal of Research and Reflections in Education. 1(2), pp 175 – 200

QAThank you!