ACTION RESEARCH

Meaning and Definition of Action Research in Education

Meaning:
Action research in education is a reflective and systematic inquiry conducted by
educators to improve their teaching practices, student learning outcomes, and
the overall educational environment. It involves identifying a problem, planning
and implementing interventions, collecting data, analyzing results, and making
necessary adjustments to enhance teaching and learning processes.
Definitions:
1. Stephen Corey (1953): "Action research is a process in which
practitioners study their own problems scientifically to guide, correct,
and evaluate their decisions and actions."
2. Kurt Lewin (1946): "Action research is a spiral process of planning,
acting, observing, and reflecting, aimed at solving practical problems
through collaboration."
3. John Elliott (1991): "Action research is the study of a social situation
with a view to improving the quality of action within it."

Characteristics of Action Research

1. Problem-Solving Approach: Action research focuses on studying and

addressing practical problems, particularly in social studies and
education.
2. Scientific and Systematic: It follows a structured, scientific procedure to
find practical solutions to current issues.
3. Practitioner-Oriented: The researcher, often a teacher or practitioner,
studies and investigates their own problems within their work
environment.
4. Improvement-Focused: The main goal is to enhance, modify, and
improve existing practices rather than just generating new theoretical
knowledge.
5. Individual and Group Study: Action research can be conducted to
address both personal and collective challenges in an educational or
social setting.
 6. Limited Contribution to General Knowledge: Unlike traditional research,
action research is primarily practical and does not significantly
contribute to the broader theoretical knowledge base.

Objectives of Action Research

1. Improving School Conditions: Enhancing the overall working

environment in schools to ensure better efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Developing a Scientific Attitude: Encouraging teachers, principals, and
students to approach problems with a logical and research-oriented
mindset.
3. Problem-Solving Skills: Equipping students and teachers with the ability
to analyze and solve their own challenges systematically.
4. Enhancing School Excellence: Promoting excellence among school staff,
including teachers and administrators, to improve educational
standards.
5. Empowering Administrators: Helping school leaders develop the skills to
modify and improve school conditions for a more conducive learning
environment.
6. Eliminating Outdated Practices: Moving away from traditional, rigid,
and mechanical teaching approaches to adopt more innovative and
effective methods.
7. Creating a Healthy Learning Environment: Making the school system
more effective in fostering a positive and engaging atmosphere for
student learning.
8. Boosting Student Performance & Aspirations: Raising the academic
performance and motivational levels of students, encouraging them to
set higher goals.

Steps of Action Research

1. Identification of the Problem:

o The researcher selects a specific issue from a broad field of study.
o The problem should be relevant, practical, and serious enough to
require action.
2. Defining and Delimiting the Problem:
o The problem is clearly defined to ensure focus and specificity.
o Delimitation involves narrowing the problem to a specific class,
subject, group, or time period.
3. Analyzing Causes of the Problem:
 o The researcher investigates the root causes using available
evidence.
o Causes are categorized into those that are within the
investigator’s control and those that are not.
o Understanding these causes helps in forming a hypothesis.
4. Formulating the Action Hypothesis:
o An action hypothesis is created based on the identified causes.
o It consists of two key components: action (intervention) and goal
(desired outcome).
o The hypothesis guides the next steps of the research.
5. Designing a Plan to Test the Hypothesis:
o A strategy is developed to test the hypothesis effectively.
o If the first hypothesis is rejected, a new design is created for
another hypothesis.
o The design remains flexible, allowing modifications as needed.
6. Drawing Conclusions and Implementing Findings:
o The results of testing the hypothesis lead to conclusions.
o These conclusions provide recommendations for improving school
or classroom practices.
o The findings help refine teaching methods, policies, and overall
school effectiveness.

Importance of Action Research

1. Scientific study of classroom and school problems can be done.
o Action research allows teachers and educators to investigate
issues in a structured and systematic way, using scientific methods
rather than relying on guesswork.
2. A new vision for change can be planned.
o Through action research, teachers and administrators can identify
areas for improvement and develop innovative strategies to
enhance teaching and learning.
3. Action research is a behavioral remedy in the context of classroom
problems.
o It helps in identifying and addressing behavioral issues among
students by testing different approaches and interventions.
4. It brings about rectifications in the school environment.
 o By continuously analyzing and refining teaching methods, school
policies, and classroom management strategies, action research
helps in improving the overall learning environment.
5. Possibility of changes and new thoughts become easy.
o Action research encourages flexibility and openness to change,
allowing teachers to experiment with new teaching techniques
and methodologies.
6. It makes the education process dynamic.
o Instead of following rigid, outdated methods, action research
introduces continuous improvements, making the learning
process more engaging and effective.
7. Teachers get the insight to solve classroom problems.
o By conducting research on their own classrooms, teachers develop
a deeper understanding of student needs, learning difficulties, and
potential solutions.
8. It helps in enhancing the quality of the teaching process.
o Action research enables teachers to refine their instructional
techniques, improve lesson planning, and adopt better
assessment strategies to enhance student learning.
9. It helps in finding out the immediate solution to the problems in a
short period of time.
o Unlike traditional research, which can take years, action research
focuses on quick, practical solutions that can be implemented
immediately in the classroom.
10.It helps in finding out the problems of Social Studies teaching.
 Social Studies, which involves critical thinking and real-world application,
often faces unique challenges. Action research helps identify and
address these specific issues.
11.The solutions applied in the classroom bring positive changes in the
students.
  By implementing research-based strategies, teachers can improve
student behavior, motivation, engagement, and academic performance.
Example of Action Research in Economics
Topic: Improving Students’ Understanding of Demand and Supply Concepts

Step 1: Identification of the Problem

An Economics teacher notices that Grade 11 students struggle to understand
the concepts of demand and supply, leading to low performance in quizzes
and difficulty in applying these concepts to real-world situations.

Step 2: Defining and Delimiting the Problem

 The problem is defined as students' difficulty in understanding demand
and supply curves and their shifts.
 The study is limited to Grade 11 students in a Microeconomics class
over a 6-week period.

Step 3: Analyzing Causes of the Problem

The teacher conducts student interviews, reviews test results, and observes
classroom participation. Findings reveal:
 Students struggle with graph interpretation and numerical applications.
 Lack of real-life examples makes concepts abstract.
 Limited student engagement in traditional lecture methods.

Step 4: Formulating the Action Hypothesis

Hypothesis: If students learn demand and supply through interactive methods
(such as real-world case studies, simulations, and group discussions), their
understanding and application of these concepts will improve.

Step 5: Design for Testing the Action Hypothesis

A 6-week intervention plan is developed:
1. Using Real-World Case Studies – Analyzing market demand for popular
products (e.g., smartphones, fuel, groceries).
2. Classroom Simulations – Role-playing as buyers and sellers to
demonstrate price fluctuations.
3. Graph Interpretation Activities – Step-by-step exercises on drawing and
shifting demand and supply curves.
4. Group Discussions & Debates – Discussing factors affecting demand and
supply, such as government policies and global events.
5. Weekly Assessments – Small quizzes to measure understanding.

Step 6: Conclusions of the Action Research Project

 After 6 weeks, students take a post-intervention test on demand and
supply.
 Results: The average score improves from 55% to 80%.
 Observations: Students engage more actively in discussions and can
relate economic theories to real-world markets.
 Conclusion: Interactive learning strategies significantly improve student
comprehension and application of demand and supply concepts.
 The teacher decides to incorporate these methods permanently into
future Economics lessons.