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Action research as related to education is a process by which a teacher, group of teachers, school, school district, or university observes a problem, creates a plan for action, implements that plan (action), observes the results (research), and plans on further action (Ferrance, 2000, 26). It is in this way that an individual teacher becomes aware of the advantages and disadvantages of her own teaching methods and improves the performance of her students (Ferrance, 2000, 3). It is also in this way that a teacher increases reliance on herself and her own teaching abilities, concurrently enhancing, over the long-term, the progress of her students.
While most of the literature for this assignment seems to focus on action research as related to K-12 education, I believe that it is also appropriate to higher...
The basic steps of action research are these: (1) observe a problem, (2) develop a plan for improvement, (3) implement the plan, and (4) "[reflect] on the effects of the plan for further planning and informed action" (Donato, 2003). These steps could adapt without a problem to classrooms in colleges and universities, as any professor or department is fully capable of going through the steps listed above. Moreover, ethical concerns that present difficulties for K-12 education, such as informed consent (Nolan and Putten, 2007, 402), may be easier to overcome, as college students may be more likely to be receptive to the application of research in their classrooms.
Ferrance states that the purpose of action research is to "chart the effect of implementation of a curriculum or strategy, to study student learning and responses, or to profile individual students" (2000, 27). As such, a specific example of a situation where action research would be appropriate in higher education is this: by mandating that in 2 years, academic standards by which it hold its students will increase, a university department has just made it easier to "flunk out" of the program by raising the minimum GPA required to maintain the major. Naturally,…
This example creates a number of opportunities for action research. It could be applied on the individual level. That is, individual professors have the potential to take the problem into their own hands. They already know the problem: it is now more difficult for students to complete this major. Creating a plan of action, they could decide to introduce new teaching methods and new types of learning material. After they have implemented their plan, they can observe the various effects. Once the effects have been recorded and understood, they now have a new set of information to work with. For example, new teaching method A increased students' examination scores as well as did new teaching method B. While both teaching methods were improvements on teaching methods implemented before action research began, teaching method A was more effective. Just as in the circular direction often referred to in action research literature, this new information could then be used for more research on how to maximize the effects of teaching method A, or to isolate what exactly made teaching method A work so well.
Another way this situation presents an opportunity for action research is by allowing a group of people (the department) to collaborate as a team on the issue. In this way, more than a couple new teaching methods could be tested, which would naturally lead to more accurate end results. Not only will this process generate more insight into what works and enhanced student performance, but it will also create "stronger relationships" and "increased sharing and collaboration" among members of the department (Ferrance, 2000, 14).
Action research, which "seeks to create knowledge, propose and implement change, and improve and practice performance," is fully appropriate for addressing problems in both K-12 and higher education (Donato, 2003). Its cyclical nature allows for any teacher or professor to test their own solutions to classroom problems, observe the results, build on these results, and so on.
Action Research on the Impact of Video Technology Classrooms on Student Achievement Audio-Visual Technology & Student Achievement Research problem / topic. The proposed research study will examine the impact of integrating video technology in classroom lessons on the achievement of students. In this study, consideration will also be given to students' perceptions of the impact of integrated video on their achievement and gender-based differences in achievement related to the integration of video
The case studies compiled and edited by Caro-Brice (2007) provide a somewhat broader perspective than the singular case study conducted by Coles-Ritchie and Lugo (2010). These studies are all geared towards promoting equality in instructional methods and learning rates in diverse classroom settings, however, making them directly useful in this review and plan development. Some of the central common findings of the studies compiled by Caro-Brice (2007) and the lessons that
Do you ever read English for pleasure? If yes, include follow-up question below. Follow-up: What do you like to read in English? [Interviewer could have several examples of ESOL reading materials to help identify specific examples here.] 3. Do you seek help when you don't understand something you read? If no, include follow-up question below? Follow-up: Are there peer-tutoring resources available to you? Have you used these resources in the past? If
Indeed, it may be argued that action research is uniquely suited to the conditions within the classroom. So reports the text by Ferrance, which indicates that "action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research. It is based on the following assumption. . . teachers and principals work best on problems they have identified for themselves." (p.
Program Evaluation The difference between action research and program evaluation might seem rather negligible on the surface, but a basic understanding of how action research differs from more traditional research methods also leads to great clarity in understanding the differences in evaluative methods. Action research is essentially a method of formative evaluation, where the evaluation is an ongoing process embedded in the experimental phases of the research; program evaluation is more
appreciative inquiry, action research and process consultation, a high level of participation among the members of the system desiring change is important. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that the consultant is an outsider, and as such cannot know everything about the organization. The internal stakeholders are critical to understanding the issues and dynamics at work within the organization. The second reason is that