Action Research

Action research is a process through which teacher-researchers carefully and methodically examine their educational practice. Action research provides a systematic way for teachers to measure the success of curriculum, materials, and instructional methods. Teachers who conduct action research [Page 7]intend to inform, compare, and possibly change classroom practices.

Action research offers a systematic and orderly plan for small-scale, real-world investigations designed toward intervention in a specific setting, often a classroom setting. Action research focuses less on large-scale relationships or on testing theory, and more on an individual problem encountered by the researcher. This method empowers practitioners to investigate a problem or issue, create a detailed account of the situation, and devise plans to deal with existing problems. In the realm of research on the curriculum, action research provides an authoritative method by which to measure the relative usefulness of varying curricular structures, reforms, and materials.

Action research is preplanned and organized, can be shared explicitly with other interested researchers, and can be replicated, although not usually for the purpose of generalization. The process of action research is not often linear but is often iterative. Because it is based in daily practice, action research is persuasive and accessible to those in the field of practice. It challenges the established system of educational research, based on university expectations, and allows participants to develop and to own both the problem and the solution rather than to be dictated to by university experts.

According to Ernest Stringer, there are four key components to the process of action research. First, relationships need to be developed: Action research rests on the equal status of all participants and relies on conflict management, acceptance of difference, and consensus building. Next, communication is central to action research. Participants commit to frequent attentive listening and to truthfulness during the gathering and analysis of data. Third, continuous participation is key to the success of action research. Participants must remain involved from start to finish, offer support for one another, and celebrate the accomplishments of the process. Finally, inclusion plays a vital role in successful action research: as many pertinent participants as possible need to be included to gain full benefit from the process.