SATHEESH MUBARAK ENGLISH SCHOOL MANJERI MALAPPURAM

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Action Research

Action Research – Definition

  • "Action Research is the research person conducts in order to enable him to achieve his purpose more effectively. A teacher conducts Action Research to improve his own teaching. A school administrator conducts Action Research to improve his administrative bahaviour."

                        Stephen.M.Corey (1962)

  • "Action Research is research used by teachers, supervisors and administrators to improve the quality of their decision and action"

                        Good (1959)

  • "Action Research is focused on the immediate application, not on the development of theory. It has placed its emphasis on a real problem, here and now, in a local setting"

                            Best (1963)

  • "On the spot research aimed at the solution of an immediate problem is generally known in education as Action Research"

                            Mouly (1964)

Goals or Objectives of Action Research

  • To improve the practice going on presently in the school.
  • To remove the notion that educational research is the job of specialists only.
  • To make the teacher and school administrators research minded.
  • To develop in the practitioners the required confidence and ability to carry out research for solving their own problems.
  • To make the student, teachers and educational administrators more conscious about their problems and immediate solution.
  • To make the school or educational personnel more cooperative and democratic in their world of work.
  • To inculcate the desire and attitude among school personnel for bringing excellence in their work.
  • To make the environments of the school more conductive for effective teaching and learning.

Characteristics of Action Research

  • Action Research is focused on immediate application, not on the development of theory or on generalization of application.
  • Action Research is focused on the immediate problem, and their solution within the available resources.
  • Its findings are to be evaluated in terms of local applicability, not universal validity.
  • It involves little resources and finance in comparison to fundamental or Pure research.
  • Here the person who conducts the research and applies the findings of the research is the one and the same.

Steps in Action Research

  • Identification of the problem
    • The problem should be need based.
    • Problem must be specific.
  • Pin-point the problem
    • Sate the problem clearly.
    • Specify class, subject, population etc.
  • Analyzing the causes of the problem
    • Analyze with the help of theory, previous experience, preliminary evidence.
    • Whether the problem is under the control or beyond the control of Investigator.
    • Analyzing the causes of the problem help in formulating Action Hypothesis.
    • Success of any action research depends upon the correct diagnosis of the causes.
  • Formulating Action Hypothesis
    • From the probable causes most relevant to the problem and situation are selected. These will form the Action Hypothesis.
    • There will be one or more hypothesis depending upon the nature of the problem.
  • Development of a design for testing the Action Hypothesis
    • Pre-test
    • Action programme
    • Post-test
    • Analysis and interpretation of data
  • Conclusion
    • Accepting or rejecting an action hypothesis leads to certain conclusion

Record of Action Research-Main headings

  • Introduction
  • Statement of the problem
  • Definition of Terms used
  • Diagnosing the problem
  • Action Hypothesis
  • Sample
  • Duration of the study
  • Design of the study
    • Pre-test
    • Action programme
    • Post-test
  • Analysis and Conclusion