Educational Technology For All: 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

Tuesday, June 2, 2009