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1. Action Research

What is action research?

Designing an action research project.

Developing research questions/themes; research design; data collection and analysis; reliability and validity.

2. What is Action Research?

Many definitions

Southern Cross University

family of research methodologies

cyclic or spiral process

emergent

iterative.

participative and qualitative.

3. What is Action Research?

NCREL - North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

improve the quality of an organization and its performance.

designed and conducted by practitioners

individuals or by teams

generate genuine and sustained improvements in schools.

4. What is Action Research?

Bob Dick, Department of Psychology, The University of Queensland

Family of research methodologies

Action research tends to be...

Cyclic - similar steps tend to recur, in a similar sequence;

Participative - the clients and informants are involved as partners, or at least active participants, in the research process;

Qualitative it deals more with language than with numbers; and

Reflective critical reflection upon the process and outcomes are important parts of each cycle.

5. What is Action Research?

Carr and Kemmis

.. collective self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own social or educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices and the situations in which these practices are carried out.

6. What is Action Research?

Romeo

situational

planned action and intervention

collaborative.

participatory

7. History of Action Research

Lewin and Collier

Kurt Lewin - the father of Action Research.

John Collier

action - research -research - action cycle

Lewin

"It was tried in contexts as diverse as integrated housing, equalisation of opportunity for employment, the cause and cure of prejudice in children, the socialisation of street gangs, and the better training of youth leaders."

external agent

Lewin's basic research cycle of planning, executing, and reconnaissance

8. History of Action Research

Corey

education.

teachers.

criticism.

was not really research

negative image.

United Kingdom.

Schwab - curriculum as a field of enquiry.

1970's - renaissance.

Tavistock Institute in London

9. History of Action Research

Stenhouse

UK and Australia

Schools Council Humanities Curriculum Project (HCP) in 1967

Ford Teaching Project.

10. History of Action Research

Carr and Kemmis

Technical action

Practical action.

Emancipatory action research

11. History of Action Research

First generation Lewin, Dewey and others

Second generation Stenhouse, Elliott and Adelman.

Third generation Carr and Kemmis in Australia.

Developing an Instructional Strategy for the Integration of the computer into the primary Curriculum: An Action Research Case Study

12. An Overview of the Thesis

Developing an Instructional Strategy for the Integration of the computer into the primary Curriculum: An Action Research Case Study

Faculty of Education, Monash University.

primary teachers

action research

A large primary school

Stage One, The Pilot Project

Stage Two, Action Research

13. An Overview of the Thesis

two units of work

plan, act, observe, reflect

group action research cycles

• Working through the action research spirals and recording observations;

• Attending regular seminars to discuss the project;

• Consulting with others and with the coordinator individually;

• Maintaining documents to record events as they happened;

• Answering questionnaires and interview questions, both written and recorded;

• Surveying children for their responses to the project;

• Collection of samples of children's work;

• Administration of questionnaires to students;

• Collection and photocopying of relevant primary documents.

14. An Overview of the Thesis

The investigation had two main objectives

development of an instructional strategy
empowerment

15. An Overview of the Thesis

A number of research themes were also investigated

students;
professional development;
Software
Hardware;.

16. An Overview of the Thesis

Three main data collection strategies were employed,

Observation,
Primary documents,
Interviews and questionnaires.

Data was analyzed in two stages,

As it was collected and,
After the completion of the fieldwork.

17. An Overview of the Thesis

The findings reveal

instructional strategy was successfully developed
knowledge, skills and positive attitudes
student motivation, interest and enthusiasm for learning; positive attitudes; changes in student behaviour; and advanced students’ cognitive, affective, research, communication, social, language and computer skills.
Further findings

18. An Overview of the Thesis

The Structure of the Thesis

eleven chapters

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Chapters Four, Five, Six and Seven - rich, thick description
Chapter 8 deals with Objective [a]

Chapter 9 deals with Objective [b]

Chapter 10 deals with the research themes

Conclusion.

19. An Overview of the Thesis

Limitations of the Study

highly idiosyncratic.

transferability - problematic.

reader makes judgements about transferability or not.

caution.

20. Table of Contents

Chapter One - Introduction

1.1 Background - The Problem

1.2 An Action Research Case Study

1.3 The Structure of the Thesis

1.4 Limitations of the Study

Chapter Two - Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Computers in Education in Victoria

2.3 The Frameworks Project

2.4 Frameworks and the NACCS Teaching and Learning Philosophy

2.5 Theory into Practice

2.6 Conclusion

2.7 Summary

Chapter Three - Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Choosing a Research Methodology

3.3 Background

3.4 Why Action Research?

3.5 The Research Design

3.6 Summary

Chapter Four - Term 1

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Thematic Concern and the Action Group

4.2 The Reconnaissance

4.3 Action, Observation and Reflection: Term 1 - Weeks 3 to 11

4.4 Summary

Chapter 5 - Term 2

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection: Term 2 Weeks 1 to 10

5.3 Summary

Chapter Six - Term 3

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection: Term 3

Weeks 1 - 10.

6.3 Summary

Chapter Seven - Term 4

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Planning, Action Observation and Reflection: Term 4

Weeks 1 - 11

7.3 Summary

Chapter Eight - Objective A: Development of the Curriculum Algorithm

8.1 Introduction

8.2 The Coding Process

8.3 Meeting Objective A

Using the action research process to develop the integrated curriculum algorithm

and the software classification system.

8.4 Summary

Chapter 9 - Objective B: Empowerment of Teachers

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Meeting Objective B:

Using the action research process to empower individual teachers with knowledge, skill

and confidence to understand, improve and transform their teaching procedures and

practices in regard to Computers in Education

9.3 Conclusion

9.4 Summary

Chapter Ten - Investigating Research Themes

10.1 Introduction

10.2 The Effect of the Instructional Strategy on Students

10.3 Professional Development

10.4 Software

10.5 Hardware

10.6 Summary

Chapter 11 Conclusion

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Implications for Practice

11.3 Implications for Research

11.4 Implications for Professional Development

11.5 Concluding Remarks

11.6 Summary

21. Methodology

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is

to present background information relevant to the investigation,

demonstrate why an action research methodology was chosen,

describe and explain the research design and

demonstrate how the trustworthiness of the study was established.

22. Methodology

Choosing a Research Methodology

situational responsiveness.

For this study, the researcher, after considering

the purpose of the inquiry,
the questions being asked, and
the resources available,

decided that action research was the most appropriate research design.

23. Methodology

Background

Mossgiel Park Primary School

The Researcher's Position

The Researcher as Critical Friend

24. Methodology

Why Action Research?

[i] The Nature of the Problem

[ii] The Uniqueness of the Situation

25. Methodology

[iii] The Parameters of the Environment in which the Researchers were to Operate.

1. Focus on practical solutions to real problems, and aim at changing and improving practice and lifting confidence;

2. Ensure a high commitment to the study by allowing teachers to maintain control and ownership of the inquiry;

3. Ensure that innovative and creative solutions were found by encouraging risk taking, cooperation, collaboration and creative problem solving and by nurturing a process where new ideas could be tried, evaluated, reviewed and tried again with minimum disruption;

26. Methodology

4. Be flexible and able to respond to changes in circumstance and unexpected events and outcomes;

5. Be attractive to others and be seen as worthwhile, to be of some practical benefit;

6. Be non-threatening and easily explained and understood but at the same time, because of the nature of the study, it had to be systematic and rigorous.

27. Methodology

An action research methodology seemed to promise minimum disruption, would be of benefit to the school, and if conducted correctly would be systematic and rigorous.

28. Methodology

The Research Design

The research design is the plan, structure, and strategy

In a naturalistic enquiry such as this where design and theory emerge, develop and unfold, the design is usually presented as a broad framework that outlines the basic strategies of data collection and analysis, and shows how the problems of establishing trustworthiness will be dealt with.

29. Methodology

Difficulties in Designing an Action Research Inquiry.

[i] Terminology

[ii] The Human Instrument

30. Methodology

[iii] Establishing Trustworthiness

it is not really research,

it is what good teachers do anyway;

it is not objective,

it lacks reliability and validity;

it is not scientific,

it is ad hoc.

31. Methodology

[a] Credibility

[i] Prolonged engagement.

[ii] Persistent Observation

[iii] Triangulation

[iv] Member Checks

[v] Referential Adequacy

32. Methodology

[b] Transferability

[i] Providing Rich, Thick Description.

[ii] Establishing Typicality

[c] Dependability

[d] Confirmability

33. Methodology

The Broad Framework

Remaining true to the participatory nature of action research meant the action group should

define the specific problem,
carry out a reconnaissance of the current situation,
establish the purpose of the inquiry and
decide on a broad plan of action.

34. Methodology

[i] Developing a Thematic Concern and an Action Group

[ii] The Reconnaissance

[iii] Defining the Problem

[iv] Plotting a Course of Action and establishing the Purpose of the Inquiry

[v] The Purpose of the Inquiry

[vi] Documentation

35. This is how I did it

The Thematic Concern and the Action Group

The Reconnaissance

The current situation regarding Computers in Education at Mossgiel Park;
The findings and recommendations of the pilot project;
The profiles of members of the action group to determine their skill, knowledge and confidence with computers in the classroom;
The resources available to the group;
The nature of action research and procedures for carrying it out.

36. This is how I did it

Defining the Problem, Establishing Objectives and Planning Action

[i] Objectives

[ii] Research Themes

[iii] Action Plan

37. This is how I did it

Data Collection

[i] Observation

[a] Personal Journals

[b] Field Notes/Anecdotal Records

[c] Video Recordings

[d] Audio Recordings

38. This is how I did it

Data Collection

[ii] Primary Documents

[a] The Directorate of School Education

[b] Mossgiel Park Primary School Administration

[c] Individual Classroom Documents

[i] Teacher Background

[ii] Initial Planning Sheets

[iii] Curriculum Plans

[iv] Work Programs

[v] Software Evaluations

[d] Questionnaires / Interviews

39.Action, Observation and Reflection: Term 1 - Weeks 3 to 11

Sample Analyses

Table 4.5 - Summary of Data Collected and Weekly Progress of Units of Work Term 1

Topic	Ending	Wk1 2/2/91	Wk2 9/2/91	Wk3 16/2/91	Wk4 23/2/91	Wk5 2/3/91	Wk6 9/3/91	Wk7 16/3/91	Wk 8 23/3/91	Wk 9 30/3/91	Wk10 6/4/91	Wk 11 13/4/91
Media	Sam 6			4 s	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4 f
Space	Sharon 6			4 s	4	4	4	4	4 f
Our World	Christine 6				4 s	4	4	4	4	4	4	4 f
Aborigines	Christine 5				4 s	4	4	4	4	4	4	4 f
Aust Sport	Greg 5			4 s	4	4	4	4	4
Data Collection	Type
Tchr Interview	Video											8
Stud Interview	Video											8
Classroom Action	Video						8		8	8
Seminar	Audio	8 *	8 *	8 *		8 *	8 *	8	8		8	8
Research Bulletin	Docs	8	8	8	8		8		8	8		8
Personal Diary	Docs	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8
Curriculum Plan	Docs		8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8
Work Program	Docs		8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8
Tchr Eval Q'aire	Docs											8
Stud Eval Q'aire	Docs											8
Software Review	Docs											8
Initial P'ing Sheet	Docs			8	8
Researcher’s Diary	Docs	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8
Samples of Work	Docs				8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8

4 Represents a week's work on the unit. Data source work programs and curriculum plans.

8 Represents a data collection point. At these times data was collected either in written, audio or video form.

* These seminars were not recorded. Notes were taken by the Researcher and recorded in diary.

s Start Unit of Work

f Finish Unit of Work

Table 4.5 Summary of Data Collected and Weekly Progress of Units of Work Term 1

40. If I could do it all again

Tempted to say I wouldn't. Why?

The intellectual snobs
Not a strong tradition of AR in Faculty
Bloody hard work! More skills needed than just research skills
My standing as an academic???

Good points

Practical outcomes for teachers - the work has credibility among practitioners
Informed my teaching
Enhanced my credibility with students, teachers
I learnt a lot about the profession and myself

41. What would I do differently?

Plan better

Narrower focus

Use the technology better- Endnote, Nudist, WWW, Cold Fusion.