St. Louise de Marillac College of Bogo, Cebu, Inc.

Sor Dorotea Rubio Street, Bogo City, 6010, Cebu, Philippines

Contact Numbers: (032) 434-7160, (032) 260-1365 or 0967-012-7261
Member: Daughters of Charity – St. Louise de Marillac Educational System (DC- SLMES)

LEARNING EPISODE Understanding

FIELD STUDY 2 3 Action Research
Concepts, Processes
and Models

To have a meaningful and successful accomplishment in this FS episode, be sure to read through the
whole episode before participating and assisting your FS 2 Resource Teacher’s class. Note all the
information you will need and tasks you will need to do before working on this episode.

I. TARGET Your Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Episode, I must be able to:

1. Use concepts and processes of action research

2. Identify sample models of Action Research such as of DepEd, 2017; McNiff & Whitehead, 2006; and
Nelson, 2014.

II. CLARIFY Your Task

Understanding and Using Action Research Concepts and Processes

The definition of action research evolved overtime. There is no singular definition of action
research. Anchored on the idea of inquiry by John Dewey, several other authors have advanced the
concept of action research.

Action research is the type of inquiry that is:

 Practical and it involves making changes to practice

 Theoretical as it is informed by theory and can generate new insights

 Concerned with change and improvement

Action research has been embraced in education for its value in transforming school practices by
the practitioners themselves. It is used to address practical problems in the classroom. It is a process that
allows teachers to study their own classroom and school setting to improve their effectiveness. Teacher
Action research (TAR) is a method for educational practitioners (teachers, school leaders) to engage in the
assessment and improvement of their own practice.it is a tool to help classroom teachers to consider their
teaching methods or to adopt a strategy in order to solve everyday problem in the school setting.

Here are some questions and answers that you need to know.

1. What are the Core Characteristics of Action Research (Titchen, 2015)?

 Systematic - Like any form of research, it follows a system

 Rigorous - It has rigor, meaning a strict adherence to the rules of empirical studies

 Reflective - It follows a continuous reflection and action

 Situational - It is more specific to the location (school) circumstances (teaching and learning)

 Participative - AR can be participative where teachers and learners are co-researchers

 Future-oriented - it seeks solution to the current problem for future improvement.

2. Why is Action Research (AR) useful to me as a Teacher Researcher?

 AR can help me to learn how to improve my practice as a teacher as a teacher in terms of

teaching methods, classroom management, preparation of the learning environment , developing
instructional materials ad assessment.

 AR can help me to learn more about a wider range of research methods that I can use in the
future.

 Ar can provide me more space to think deeply about the issues that confront teaching and
learning.

 AR can help me engage with my mentor and peers to enable me to enable me to improve my
teaching practices through action research.

 AR can help me develop new knowledge can help me develop new knowledge which is directly
related to my area of specialization.

3. What type of classroom action studies that can I engage in?

 Creating changes in the classroom practices. Example: What changes will daily writing have on
my students?

 Establishing effects of curricular restructuring. Example: Will the use of mother tongue enhance
the reading skills of my learning?

 Enhancing new understanding of learners. Example: What happens when students get
demotivated?
 Teaching a new process to the students. Example: how can I teach third graders to do reflection?

Models and Guide in Conducting Action Research

McNiff & Whitehead 2006 (Adaptation)

Action Research Cycle The Action Research Process

OBSERVE Identify the Problem

1. Based on observation and noticing, what problematic situations

prevail in the classroom or teaching-learning environment?

2. Which of these problems shall I focus on?

3. What does literature say about this problem? Or what theories or

principles I learned before is the problem anchored?

REFLECT Reflect (Reflection continues all throughout the process)

1. What do I hope to achieve? What do I intend to change for the

better?

2. Is doing this action research important to improve my practice?

3. Can I do this alone? Or should I collaborate?

PLAN Plan an Action Research Strategy

1. What type of research will I use? Qualitative? Quantitative?

2. How will I describe my innovation? Intervention? Strategy?

3. Is my plan doable within the given period of time?

ACT Take Action

1. How do I put my plan into action? How long?

2. How will I gather data or information?

3. What sense or meaning do I get out of the data?

EVALUATE Use Findings

1. Where do I apply results to improve practice?

 2. Are my findings worth sharing?

MODIFY Move to Another Cycle

1. Is there a need to modify intervention to get new results?

2. Should I move to another cycle of action research?

Nelson, O. 2014 Model

OBSERVE Identify the Problem

1. Based on observation and noticing, what problematic situations

prevail in the classroom or teaching-learning environment?

2. Which of these problems shall I focus on?

3. What does literature say about this problem? Or what theories or

principles I learned before is the problem anchored?

REFLECT Reflect (Reflection continues all throughout the process)

1. What do I hope to achieve? What do I intend to change for the

better?

2. Is doing this action research important to improve my practice?

3. Can I do this alone? Or should I collaborate?

PLAN Plan an Action Research Strategy

1.What type of research will I use? Qualitative? Quantitative?

2. How will I describe my innovation? Intervention? Strategy?

3. Is my plan doable within the given period of time?

ACT Take Action

1. How do I put my plan into action? How long?

2. How will I gather data or information?

3. What sense or meaning do I get out of the data?

 Department of Education (DO 16) 2017 Model

Action Research Key Action Research Process

Components

I. CONTEXT AND Identify the Problem

RATIONALE

II. ACTION RESEARCH Reflect (Reflection continues all throughout the process)
QUESTIONS

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, Plan an Action Research Strategy

INTERVENTION, AND
STRATEGY

IV. ACTION RESEARCH Take Action

METHODS

V. ACTION RESEARCH WORK Use Findings

PLAN AND TIMELINES

VI. COST ESTIMATES Move to Another Cycle

VII. PLAN FOR

DESSIMINATION AND
UTILIZATION

VIII. REFERENCES

Practitioners like teachers, study their own practice to solve their personal or professional
practical problems. Further on, John Illiot in 1993 clarified that action research is concerned with every
day , practical problems experienced by the teachers, rather than the theoretical problems defined by
pure researchers.

Action research is grounded on the reality of the school, classroom, teachers, and students.
Sometimes, it is labeled as Teacher Action Research (TAR) but is popularly known simply as Action
Research (AR).

Action research is the process that allows teacher to study their own classrooms, schools, and
educational setting to understand them better and to improve their quality and effectiveness. The
processes of observation, reflection, and inquiry lead to action that makes a difference in the teaching-
learning. It bridges doing (practice0 and learning (study) and reflection (inquiry).
 III. Participate and Assist

Understanding fully the concept and process of Action Research will enable you to learn
and provide the needed assistance to your teacher mentor in doing Action Research.

IV. OBSERVE, ANALYZE, REFLECT

A. ANALYZE
Choose the AR sample that you submitted in Episode 2.
 Analyze the components vis-a-vis only one model out of the three presented.
if you choose to compare with a Model A - McNiff & Whitehead, 2006, here are the
components.
Title and Author of the Action Research
Key Components Entry From the Sample AR
OBSERVE The Problem

REFLECT Reflection

PLAN Plan of Action

ACT Implementation

EVALUATE Findings

MODIFY Recommendation

if you choose to compare with a Model B - Nelson, O, 2014, here are the
components.
Title and Author of the Action Research
Key Components Entry From the Sample AR
OBSERVE The Problem

REFLECT Reflection

PLAN Plan of Action

ACT Implementation


if you choose to compare with the DepEd Model, 2017, here are the components.
Title and Author of the Action Research
Key Components Entry From the Sample AR
I. Context and Rationale Study background

II. Action Research Question Action Research Questions

III. Proposed Innovation, Describe

Intervention Strategy Innovation/Intervention/Strategy
 IV. Action Research Methods Describe Action Research Methods
a. Participants/other sources of
Data
b. Data Gathering Methods
c. Data Analysis Plan

V. Action Research Work Plan Summarize Action Research Work

Plan
VI. Cost Estimate Write cost estimate

VII. Plan for Dissemination and Describe how the results will be
Utilization shared
VIII. References Write at least 3 references

B. REFLECT

1. As a future teacher, is conducting Action Research worth doing?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
Why? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How can Action Research be useful for every classroom teacher?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

V. Write Action Research Prompts

1. Observe
Remembering my classroom observation in FS 1, I noticed that there are many questions that I
raised in my mind. These include:
a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Reflect
Thinking deeply about those problems, perhaps something must have been done to solve the
problem or answer the question, like:
a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Plan
Now that I am in FS 2, I plan to make a plan for my solution to problem (choose from a, b, c)
because_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_

4. Act
My action will come later, given enough time in FS 2 or during my teaching internship
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

VI. Work on my Artifacts

(Your artifact will be a full-blown completed Action Research)