CONDUCTING AN ACTION

RESEARCH
SEMINAR –WORKSHOP FOR DEP ED TEACHERS
LAMUT ,IFUGAO
OCTOBER 28 -29, 2015

Alice Y. Brawner
(Lecturer)
Instructor
IFSU-College of Education and Arts
Think about this…….
RESEARCH IS
Thinking about ……

5 Wives
and
1 Husband……….
Research the problem

Innovate the program

Generate Income

Improve the
Teaching-Learning Process
 WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS

 A
Action research is the process by which:

 practitioners attempt to study their

problems scientifically in order to
guide, correct and evaluate their
decisions and actions.
the future.
research is the process by which that the researchisor her practices in
WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS

 C Action research specifically refers to

a disciplined inquiry done by a
teacher with the intent that the
research will inform and change his
or her practices in the future.t,.
practices in the future
WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS

 A self-reflective inquiry undertaken by

participants- teachers, students or principals
in educational institutions in order to improve
the rationality and justice of:

 Educational practices
 The understanding of these practices

 The situations or institutions in which

these practices are carried out.

( Carr and Kemmis, 1986)
WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS

Learning by doing in which a person

identifies a problem,
does something to resolve it,
sees how successful his or her efforts
were,
and if not satisfied ….. TRY again.

( O’Brian, 1998)
WHAT ACTION RESEARCH IS

McNiff (1994) states that:

it is an approach to improving education

through change, by encouraging teachers:
 to be aware of their own practice

( reflective)
 to be critical of that practice , and

 to be prepared to change it.

ACTION RESEARCH IS NOT
 a library project where we learn more
about a topic that interests us.

 problem-solving in the sense of trying to

find out what is wrong, but rather a quest
for knowledge about how to improve.libout
a topic that interests us.
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

 learning why we do certain things, but

rather how we can do things better. It is
about how we can change our instruction
to impact students.
 FEATURES OF A QUALITY
ACTION RESEARCH
 providing evidence/proof for all claims;
 must be ethical;

 emphasizing quality, rather than quantity

(conciseness);
 must be of publishable standard;

 must be flawless in style, structure and

presentation; and
 displaying originality.
 FEATURES OF A QUALITY
ACTION RESEARCH
 true participation and collaboration;
 research must enable action;

 contributing to knowledge in theory

and practice;
 clear projection of reflective processes;

 critical and self-critical approach;

 must have an argument (the golden thread);

WHY SHOULD WE CONDUCT ACTION
RESEARCH?

1. To improve educational practices

2. To respond to the call of the 21st
century learning
3. To improve one’s craft
4. To initiate school-wide
transformation
5. To collaborate for school
improvement
6. To be engaged in deep and critical
reflection
THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF
ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION

Diagn
osing

Specifyin
Action
g
Planning
Learning

Evalu Taking
ating Action
ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

GATHER
DATA
NEXT
STEPS

EVALUATE
INTERPRET
RESULTS
DATA

ACT ON
EVIDENCE
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Parts of An Action Action Research Model
Research (Susman, 1983) Parts of a Parts of a
paper( Fraenkel & Research Research
Wallen, 2010) proposal Report
FORMAT STEPS

1. Introduction 1. Diagnosing √ √
2. Action Planning √ √

2. Method and 3. Taking Action √ √

Design

3. Results 4. Evaluating/ √
Studying the
Consequences of
Action
4. Conclusion √
5. Specifying
INTRODUCTION/ PROCESS
 1. Diagnosing

 Problem Solving process

 Gap Analysis
 Essential Questions
 Writing Process
INTRODUCTION / TOOLS/ GAP
ANALYSIS
Assessment of current practices , performance,
behavior or situation based on standards:
 Area or Focus

 Target Group

 Baseline data

 Pieces of Evidence
 INTRODUCTION
1. Diagnosing
 A1.Gap Analysis
What What is What Essential Writing
should actual? is the questions Process
be? gap?
1. All 60 Only 40 15 1. What is Narrate
pupils pupils pupils the how the
must be are are non- prescribed gap
readers. readers. readers. performance analysis
or behavior? was
conducte
d.
Cite
evidence
s.
INTRODUCTION
What What is What is Essential Writing
should actual? the questions Process
be? gap?
2. What is the
actual
performance,
behavior or
situation?
3. What is the
difference
bet. the std.
and the
actual
performance?
EXAMPLES….. What Should Be?
All 60 pupils must:
1. be present regularly
2. submit assignments.
3. have normal weight.
4. 75% proficiency in numerical skills
5. have good eyesight.
6. attend afternoon classes.
7. know how to use the computer.
8. have parents who come regularly
during the giving out of cards.
CRITICAL THINKING TOOL
B. Identification of the causes of the problem

1. What are the possible immediate ,

underlying and root causes of the most
relevant, most important , most urgent
and the most doable gap?

2. What are the pieces of evidence

presented?
CRITICAL THINKING TOOL

A2. Critical Thinking Tool

 Essential Questions: Which of these

gaps is the most

1. relevant?
2. important?
3. urgent?
4. doable?
HOW TO CONDUCT AN
ACTION RESEARCH
 Stage 1: Problem Statement/Initial
Diagnosis

The study presents the problem statement

indicating that the school was on the
beginning
of an educational crisis and was
experiencing low teacher morale, conflict,
mediocre student test scores, high
disciplinary incidents, poor facilities, and
instructional materials.
STAGE 2: DATA COLLECTION

 The method of collecting data

consisted of an organizational
survey and examination of
student test scores from a Test of
Basic Skills of Reading and Total
Mathematics.an Total Math.
STAGE 3: ANALYSIS/FEEDBACK
 The analysis consisted of establishing a
benchmark of the student tests based upon
the Standardized Test of Basic Skills of
Reading and Total Math as well as the mean
scores from the organizational survey, which
consisted of items such as staff morale,
school facilities, instructional programs, fiscal
management, etc. The feedback process
involved reporting the results of the survey
to the stakeholders (e.g., educators, parents,
and community members
STAGE 4: ACTION PLANNING

 The action planning process consisted of

forming quality teams (e.g., multicultural,
policies, student achievement, and safety) in
which action plans were developed.
STAGE 5: IMPLEMENTATION
 The action plans were implemented, which
included an extended school day,
multicultural events, staff development,
improved school policies, upgrading school
facilities, and new instructional programs.
STAGE 6: EVALUATION AND
FOLLOW UP
 An evaluation of the results of the actions
included improved test scores ( a Test of
Basic Skills–overall Reading, 3.5%, total
Math, 1%), and improved staff morale, school
facilities, instructional programs, fiscal
management, and decreased student
disciplinary incidents and crime based upon
a follow-up organizational survey,
observations, and test analyses.
I WONDER……
1. How can parents help set student goals and
assess child growth?
2. How does role playing affect first grade
writing?
3. How does math literature influence the oral
and written communication of math
concepts?
4. How can technology be used to enhance
learning?
5. How does the use of story telling help
children connect to historical information?
I WONDER……
6. How does self-esteem affect creative
expression in writing groups?
7. How does art reflect gender in grades K-12?
8. What questions do my pupils ask each other
during writing time?
9. Journal writing and teaching methodologies
10. Journal writing and science concepts
I WONDER……
11.How can children’s literature serve as
spring board to Science and Math teaching?
12. How do reading response journals serve as
a tool to help students become more
thoughtful readers?
13. How can I develop a more democratic
learning environment?
14. What happens when students become peer
tutors?
15. How can portfolios be used to assess
students’ learning?
CLASSROOM-BASED ACTION
RESEARCH FORMAT
 Topic
I. Situation
II. Problem
III. Possible Solution
IV. Plan of Action
V. Findings/Results
VI. Follow-up action
HOW TO WRITE AN
ACTION RESEARCH
 SITUATION
1ST PARAGRAPH
INTRODUCTION
2ND PARAGRAPH
CLASSROOM PROBLEM
3RD PARAGRAPH
BASELINE DATA
4th PARAGRAPH
RATIONALE OF WRITING IT
HOW TO WRITE AN ACTION
RESEARCH
 PROBLEM
Identify the specific problem and define carefully the
variables involved. Five principles to use in deciding on
a problem for study:

a. The project should not interfere with teaching.

b. Methods of collecting data should not be too
demanding of the teacher’s time
c. The methods used should produce reliable and valid
information
d. The problem studies should be one to which the
teacher is committed and that is capable of
solution.
e. Ethical standards for research govern teacher’s
research, just as it does any other research.
HOW TO WRITE AN ACTION
RESEARCH
 POSSIBLE SOLUTION
How to generate a solution or what
are the possible solutions to your
problem
 PLAN OF ACTION

What is your plan to implement the

strategy or content knowledge?
How did you involve the
stakeholders in the planning
process?
DEP ED FORMAT OF ACTION
RESEARCH
I. Situation
II. Problem
III. Generation of Alternative Solutions
IV. Plan of Action
a. Objective
b. Time Frame
c. Target Subjects
d. Activities to be Undertaken
 Target Subjects
Teacher Involved
Activities
Expected Results
DEP ED FORMAT OF ACTION
RESEARCH

V. Presentation and Interpretation of Results

VI. Conclusions and Recommendations
VII. Reflection
Bibliography
HOW TO WRITE AN ACTION
RESEARCH
A. What are the steps you will follow? How
will you measure student progress?
B. What data will be collected? How often?
C. Explain where the research will be
conducted; who the participants are;
how they will be selected; where
necessary data will be collected.
D. What kind of methods will be used in the
work?
DATA GATHERING

 The collection of data is an important step in

deciding what action needs to be taken.
Multiple sources of data are used to better
understand the scope of happenings in the
classroom or school.
DATA GATHERING
There are many vehicles for collection of data:
 interviews ,portfolios ,diaries
 field notes ,audio tapes, photos
 memos ,focus groups
 anecdotal records,
Checklists ,journals ,videotapes
 individual files, logs of meetings, case studies
 surveys records – tests report cards
 attendance , self-assessment
 samples of student work, projects, performances
FINDINGS AND RESULTS
 What are your results?
 How does the baseline data compare to

the ending data?

 How will you share results with
stakeholders?
 How will you share results with others

in your school?
 How will the results impact your
teaching in the future?
FOLLOW-UP ACTION
 What are your results and how will you
share them?
 How will the results impact your

teaching in the future?

SAMPLE ACTION RESEARCH
Some Research Topics:
1. Effects of use of divergent thinking
questions on students’:
 a. participation
 b. attitude

 c. achievement in school

2. Low achievement in English, Sciences

or
Mathematics
CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step I – Situation
What do I want to find out? Clearly
describe what you want to find out.
Example:
 Situation:Students are often inattentive during
lesson.
 Problem: How can students be helped to pay

attention during lessons?

CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step II – Problem
 Main question: How can teachers best attract

and hold student attention during lessons?

 Sub-questions:

1. What do students do when they pay

attention?
2. What naturally attracts and hold the
attention of people?
CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step III – Possible Solutions
What data do I need? Where are they available?
Data Needed: How can I obtain them?
1. What do students do when they pay
attention?
Classroom observations
- they write down notes
- they ask questions
- they answer teacher’s questions, etc
2. What naturally attracts and holds the attention of people?
Sources of data
a.Classroom observations
 * teaching style of teachers

 * use of visual aids

 * supplementary materials, etc.

CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step IV – Plan of Action

Strategy Data to be Data analysis/

Collected Interpretation

Result of Percentage
pretest/post
test gains
CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Procedures for Obtaining Data
1. review literature
2. interview
3. observations
4. checklists
5. anecdotal records
6. open-ended questions-rich but need
expertise in analyzing
7. multiple choice formats
8. cards
CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step V – Findings/Results
How should we analyze the data obtained?
 Qualitatively
 Quantitatively
 Both
How should we interpret the findings in order
to answer the research questions?
CONDUCTING THE ACTION
RESEARCH
Step VI – Follow-Up
The answer to the main research
question
and the sub-questions
- list observations
- report results-tables
- report common observations
- consult psychologist
STEP VII. REFLECTION

1. cognitive – the new knowledge and skills

learned from the experience
2. Affective – looks at what students feel as a
result of their experience
3. Process – considers what the students learn
from the process itself.
***Frame questions for Reflection*****
What?
So what?
Now what?
ACTIVITY.WORKSHOP ON
ACTION RESEARCH

Think of a common classroom problem in your school.

Complete the table below.

Topic
Situation
Problem a. Main Problem
b. Specific Problem
Possible Causes
Possible Solution
ACTIVITY.WORKSHOP ON
ACTION RESEARCH

Plan Of Action
Strategy Data to be Collected Data analysis/
Interpretation
 Prepared by:
_______________________
Proponent

Noted:
______________________ ______________________
Principal District Supervisor

Checked and Reviewed by:

Division Checking Committee

Recommending Approval
Assistant School’s Division Superintendent

APPPROVED:
Schools Division Superintendent
 NOW WHAT?

P – Perspective ( try to sit

back and look at things
differently)
R- Relief (from isolation of thinking that you
have to know everything, that you have
to be an expert, from the burden that
everything is on your shoulders, leaving
more than you did before)
I – Ideas ( doing your own
proposal gives us a different ,
new ideas, how ideas change
over time during the proposal
writing)
D – Defense ( sometimes people challenge
what we do, if it is the best way to
implement change in the life of the
people in our barangays).
E – Evaluation ( How do I evaluate
what I’m doing as a public servant?
Am I doing a good job, helping our
barangay to flourish physically,
socially, economically, among
others? Am I helping people to learn
more about our culture/ way of life
as Ifugaos?)
 KEY TO SUCCESS
A- 1 F - 6 K - 11 P - 16 U - 21 Z - 26
B- 2 G - 7 L - 12 Q - 17 V - 22
C- 3 H - 8 M - 13 R - 18 W - 23
D- 4 I - 9 N - 14 S - 19 X - 24
E- 5 J - 10 O - 15 T - 20 Y - 25

K N O W L E D G E
11 + 14 + 15 + 23 + 12 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 = 96
H A R D W O R K
8 + 1 + 18 + 4 + 23 + 15 + 18 + 11 = 98
A T T I T U D E
1 + 20 + 20 + 9 + 20 + 21 + 4 + 100 5
=
 The Power of the
Future is inside you .
 CHOICES
Some people sit, some people try.
Some people laugh, some people cry.

Some people will, some people won’t.

Some people do, some people don’t.

Some people believe an develop a plan.

Some people doubt never think they can.
Some people face hurdles and give it their
best.
Some people back down when faced with a
test.

Some people complain of their miserable lot.

Some people are thankful for all that they’ve
got.

And when it’s all over when it comes to an end

Some people lose out and some people win.
We all have a choice , we all have a say.
We are spectators in life or we get in and play.

Whichever we choose how we handle life’s

game
The choices are ours, no one else is to blame.
Do what you can
with what you have,
where you are.
Thank you very much
for Listening .

Enjoy writing…