Action Research Guide - Alberta Teachers' Association
ActionResearchGuidefor Alberta TeachersPUBLIC EDUCATION WORKS for Alberta
ISBN 1-896370-98-5Copyright 2000 by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA)11010 - 142 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 2R1Reproduction of material in this monograph is authorized for classroom andprofessional development use, provided that each copy contain fullacknowledgement of the source and that no charge be made beyond the costof printing. Any other reproduction in whole or part without prior writtenconsent of the ATA is prohibited.One copy of this monograph is available free of charge to all ATA members.There is a charge for additional copies and also for non-ATA members.Pricing and ordering information is available on the ATA Website at http://www.teachers.ab.ca/services/publications or from ATA Distributionat 447-9400 (Edmonton); toll free within Alberta 1-800-232-7208.
Table of nAction Research as Professional DevelopmentQuestions of Ethics in Action ResearchDeveloping a Research QuestionThe Action Research ProcessDeveloping Your Knowledge of the IssueDesigning a Data Collection PlanAnalyzing the Research DataReporting on an Action Research ProjectFacilitating and Supporting Action ResearchWhy Action ResearchFor More InformationReferences
ForewordThe Action Research Guide for Alberta Teachers is intended to assistclassroom teachers and school administrators in the development,implementation and publishing of an action research project.Action research is a strategy educators can use to studyeducational issues, implement change and document professionalgrowth.The idea for this publication came from a model school project oncollaborative action research in which the Association partneredwith Chinook’s Edge School Division. At the conclusion of thatproject the facilitators determined that teachers would benefitfrom a practical resource for action research focused on theAlberta educational context.The Action Research Guide for Alberta Teachers was developed byJacqueline Skytt with assistance from Jean-Claude Couture, bothof the Alberta Teachers’ Association Professional Developmentprogram area. Special recognition and thanks are extended toDr. David Townsend for his helpful comments and guidanceduring the development of this publication. I hope that thispublication will be useful to teachers embarking on an actionresearch project.Charles HymanExecutive Secretary1
IntroductionAction research is a strategy teachers can use to investigate a problem orarea of interest specific to their professional context. It provides thestructure to engage in a planned, systematic and documented process ofprofessional growth.This resource is intended to help you plan a self-guided action researchproject. As an educator, you are faced daily with challenges as youwork to provide an effective learning environment for all the studentsin your classroom or school. These challenges surface in yourreflections as questions that you attempt to answer to improve yourprofessional practice.What can wedo to eliminatebullying inthe school?How canI improve mystudents’ spellingstrategies?Can high schoolstudent achievement beenhanced through theuse of portfolios?Will using agraphing calculatorimprove junior highstudents’ understandingof math?2
Action Researchas ProfessionalDevelopment Action Research is a process of systematicinquiry into a self-identified teaching orlearning problem to better understand itscomplex dynamics and to develop strategiesgeared towards the problem’s improvement.(Hamilton 1997, 3)The action research process can result in: professional developmentAction Researchcan focus onthe teachingand learningprocess. education change enhanced personal awareness improved practice and new learningsAction research is one form of applied research.Because action research draws on a range of designs andmethodologies, it can provide teachers with the opportunity to examinea practical problem within a classroom or school setting. Actionresearch has the potential to greatly enhance both teacher professionalAction Researchcan be used tosolve a problemor institutea change.development and school improvement initiatives.The following three forms of action research have been used extensivelyin Alberta:Action Researchcan be used todocument teacherprofessionalgrowth.1. Individual: an educator works on a personal inquiry2. Collaborative: a team or group focuses on an issue3. Schoolwide/districtwide: a community of practitioners works tosolve a problem or make a change3
QuantitativeResearch Research design is largely predetermined Emphasis is on measurement of quantifiableQualitativeResearch Research design is somewhatflexible and adaptable Emphasis is on describingobservable changevariables Often, reliance is on control variablesActionResearchand one manipulated variable Results are analyzed statistically Researchers are frequentlyexternal to the context Controlling all variables is difficult Results are interpreted from a varietyof perspectives All participants in the researchhave a voiceAction research provides teachers with a systematic process to reflect,consider options, implement and evaluate potential solutions. Actionresearch differs from the day-to-day decision making that teachers do.Consider this example. During our high school staff meeting in June the viceprincipal expressed frustration over the number of disciplineproblems that occur over the noon hour. The staff discussedthe issue for 10 minutes and then one staff member made amotion to reduce the length of the lunch hour from 55 minutesto 40 minutes. The rationale given for the motion was that itwould reduce the time students had to get into trouble. Aftersome discussion the motion was put to a vote and was carried.The 40-minute lunch break was implemented in September andschool was dismissed 10 minutes earlier every day. It nowseems that fewer students participate in intramural and schoolclubs. The Students’ Council had to adapt its activities to theshorter time. No one can really say if there are fewer disciplineproblems now because we don’t know what the statistics werefor last year.4
In this situation the teachers did not have the opportunity to reflect onand examine the issue closely. A solution was implemented that focusedon dealing with the “symptom” and as a result there could be a new andmore serious problem to deal with. If they had taken the time to designand implement an action research study the teachers in this schoolwould have learned more about the discipline problems, why they wereoccurring, what the students thought about the issue as well as otheraspects of the problem. This might have led to a different, perhapsbetter, solution.7Action research is a valuable form ofinquiry for educators because it is.Practical:practical improvements are the focus.Participative:teachers, administrators, teacher assistants, studentsand parents can all be involved in meaningful ways.Empowering:all participants can contribute to and benefit fromthe process.Interpretive:meaning is constructed using participants’ multiplerealities in the situation.Tentativethere are not always right or wrong answers; rather, thereare possible solutions based on multiple view points.Critical:participants look critically at specific problems and act asself-critical change agents.(Schmuck 1997, 29)5
Questions of Ethicsin Action Research As action researchers, teachers are knowledgegenerators rather than appliers of knowledge.John ElliotAt its core, action research encourages teachers to share theirexperiences about how they have worked through an educationalconcern. Anyone who has spent time in schools will immediatelyrecognize the issues that might emerge. The notion that teachers notonly apply knowledge but produce knowledge can throw teachers intointeresting waters. By its very nature, action research produces data andinformation that at times challenge us and our colleagues. Consider thepredicament of these teachers. It all started when we were reviewing our notes on atechnology-integration action research project in our school.After meeting for over six months, it was clear that, no matterwhat we tried, we could not get approval for any furtherfunding for release time from the school’s PD budget. One daysomeone from the school’s PD committee picked up a piece ofpaper from the recycling box in the staff photocopy room. Onthe back of the paper was a copy of a teacher’s journal entrythat was from one of our action research team meetings. In hernotes, the teacher had written about her personal frustrationswith the lack of PD funding in the school and with thecommittee’s decision. When the PD representative asked theteacher about the notes her response was quite defensive:“How dare you spy on us. This is our group and you have nobusiness reading our material.”This anecdote raises important questions about action research inschools. First and foremost, teachers are bound by common principlesthat guide how they relate to each other as professionals. In Alberta, the6
Code of Professional Conduct does much to inform teachers about whatconstitutes appropriate collaborative relationships and ethical practices.Yet a code of conduct, or indeed any ethical practice, cannot be viewedas a simple formula or a checklist of do’s and don’ts. Schools arecomplex social environments, and because action research affects thequality of relations with colleagues, it is important thatwe avoid looking for simple rules of thumbor lists of do’s and don’ts.A more helpful approachis to consider examples of ethical questions that might informyour action research project. These might be questions a criticalfriend could pose as you move through your project. How might the intended changes from your project affect others? Who has an interest in being informed about your project? Who will own the information generated by the project? How does the project express an ethic of caring for others? In whose interest is the change you are proposing being made? Who will own the success/failure of the project?As with any teaching practice, questions of ethicsare central to all aspects of action research in schools. The previousquestions can be further informed by four types of ethical practices:1. Ethics of hope:Action research is motivated by an interest inmaking schools better places for students. However, improvingschooling is much more than making technical changes to the ways thatschools deliver curriculum. Action research should be informed by aconcern for the broad range of needs of students and the schoolcommunity.2. Ethics of caring:It is far too easy to see getting the projectdone as the central purpose of action research. At all times, the generalwelfare of both students and teachers must be kept at the fore.7
3. Ethics of openness:Action research can unwittingly createinsiders and outsiders in a school. It is important that both thequestions and the ways that teacher-researchers work through them aremade clear to colleagues and school members.4. Ethics of responsibility:As professionals, teacher-researchersmust be committed to principled action. The welfare of students andthe need to maintain collegiality must be kept in mind at all times.These four practices, developed by Carson et al (1989), remind us thatethical issues are often too complex for simple rules or procedures. Thebest practice is to be mindful of the ambiguities that confront us in thecomplex life of schools.Freedom ofInformationand theProtection ofPrivacy ActTeachers must consider The Freedom of Information and the Protection ofPrivacy Act (FOIP) as they develop their action research project plans.Most classroom-based action research projects will involve collectingpersonal information about students, including their demographic andachievement data. Parents must give prior approval for this type ofinformation to be collected and, if necessary, reported or published. Thefollowing questions can serve as a guide for writing a letter to seek/parental permission in light of FOIP:\\\\Why are you collecting the information?What information will be collected?How will the information be used?Who will be the audience for the information?Parents must also give prior permission for teachers to use photographsor video tape students involved in the action research project. Use theprevious guiding questions to write a letter of permission and includereassurance that neither the child’s identity nor any personalinformation will be used in conjunction with the photograph.For more information about FOIP, consult:\\\8your school principal,the school district FOIP coordinator orthe Alberta Teachers’ Association website istrators
Developing aResearch QuestionWhere do research questions come from? Simply put, action researchquestions originate in a teacher’s reflections. Everyday there aresituations that cause you to reflect later. You might ask yourself.Why did ithappen?What wasdifferent?How canit bechanged?Whatshould Ido next?Strategies you can use to developa research questionKeep a journal for at least one week, preferably two cSet aside 10 minutes to write at the end of each day.At the end of two weeks, read your journal, looking forsignificant ideas and themes. Brainstorm a list of things that you would like to investigate.Review the list and write a first draft of your question.Write a paragraph of supporting rationale for your question.Reflect on your question.(Patterson et al 1993, 23–25)Sentence Stems{ ?}Focus on your classroom or role in the school and complete thefollowing sentence stems.One thing I would like to change is.9
My practice could be improved by.The students I work with need.I would like to know.I wonder why.The most important thing about teaching is.The best learning environment for students is.I need to learn how to.My students would do better if. Affinity charting (for collaborative action research) Brainstorm issues of concern or interests relating to youreducational context. Record each item on a separate note. Group your items using affinity charting. Place the most diversestatements on the table in a row. Place items that have a commontheme or focus in each column. Review and reflect on the placement. Do some items fit better ina different column? Develop a draft research question that reflects the key issue ineach column. Choose the question that most interests you and is possible tostudy.10
?Points to consider indeveloping a good question1Studying this question will enhance my professional practice.2This question will be of value to my classroom, school and/orcolleagues.3The climate of my classroom and school will be supportive of thisquestion.4The question focuses on an important issue.5The question can be studied in the time available.6I can access literature or other resources that will providebackground information.7The data needed to answer this question is accessible.8The question is of personal interest to me.Reflect on Your Question.Which of the following words best describes your research question?Curious TriggerIssueProblemWishWhat does this word say about your assumptions regarding the tatus Quo11ORChange
The ActionResearch ProcessThe action research process can generally be described as a series offour steps: planning, action, observing and reflecting on theresults of the action. Depending on the research question, purpose ofthe study and number of researchers involved, each of these steps canbe expanded. A single teacher researcher studying a classroom issuemay work through the steps of the process in a relatively short time. Incontrast, a collaborative group of researchers focusing on a schoolimprovement initiative may engage in an in-depth study taking theentire school year to complete.The action research process lends itself to a spiral of cycles, with theresearcher reflecting on each stage of the process. When the results ofthe first action have been studied, the researcher then plans the nextseries of actions. Each reflective phase yields more information aboutthe issue and increases the researcher’s understanding. Sometimes theinformation gained leads the researcher to refine the question with adifferent focus. The most important skill the researcher needs in actionresearch is the ability to engage in reflection. Reflection moves thepractitioner from one stage to the next; thus, action is based onreflection. The diagram below illustrates the notion that the actionACTIVITYresearch process is a series of steps or actions, propelled by reflection.T12IME
One of the first tasks in your project should be to develop an outline toguide your activities and describe the various steps in your actionresearch process. The process you design will depend on the nature ofyour research question and the context of your study. For instance, ifyour project is to study the impact of two different computer-basedmath programs, you will not need to spend much time reviewing theresearch that supported the development of computer-based mathprograms. You are primarily interested in which program will give thebest results in your school. However, if your study is to increase studentachievement in mathematics, your research design will need to includean extensive review of different teaching and learning strategies toidentify the strategies most likely to have a positive impact in yourclassroom. Engaging in an extensive literature review and seeking outexpert information will help to ensure that the interventions you chooseto implement will have a positive impact.IApproachn 1996, the Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federationsponsored the Common Curriculum Innovation Fund Project,which brought together teachers, principals and superintendentsfrom four boards of education. Their action research projects focusedon the implementation of the Common Curriculum. These teachersused the following key questions to help guide their action research.1 What is the problem?2 What are some possible solutions?Solutions may be self designed, learned from colleagues or from reviewsof educational literature.3 What is the possible solution I want to investigate?4 How do I make the solution work?Test the proposed solution and modify it as needed.5 How do I record data and reflect on it?Keeping a journal and discussing it with a critical friend areeffective methods.6 How do I share my experiences with others?This is how the practitioner demonstrates and models his or her13\1
professional development and contributes to the improvement ofeducational practice. Holding a meeting, conducting a workshop,or writing a paper are possible ways of fulfilling this responsibility.7 What is next?Action research is an open-ended, ongoing, cyclical process. Thesolution one develops to the initial problem will generate the nextproblem to be addressed. This is the catalyst to continuousprofessional improvement. (Halsall and Hosack 1996, 16)Approach\2D1 r. David Townsend, a professor in the Faculty of Educationat the University of Lethbridge, has made extensive use ofan 11-step process with teachers in Alberta.Define the Focus or Problem Ask the right questions. Reflection begins.2 Collect Information Read the literature, consult colleagues, talk to experts. Reflection continues.3 Make Sense of the Information What is relevant? What is doable? What can be modified and adapted to suit the circumstances?4 Share the Information Share your preliminary conclusions with your team. Be prepared to deal with conflicting information.5 Plan Action Share individual intentions with members of the team. Build personal commitment and group support. Develop a plan of action.6 Take Action Start putting your plan into effect. Begin to thi
The Action Research Guide for Alberta Teachersis intended to assist classroom teachers and school administrators in the development, implementation and publishing of an action research project. Action research is a strategy educators can use to study educational issues, implement change and document professional growth.File Size: 246KB
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