CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH:

An Introduction

QUALITY CONTROL SUB DIRECTORATE

APRIL 2007

CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH (CAR):

is a systematic way for teachers to discover what works best in their own classroom situation, thus allowing informed decisions about teaching (Mettetal, 2002)

typically involves small-scale investigative projects in the teacher’s own classroom (Richards and Lockhart , 1996).

is an activity that connects the ‘doing’ of teaching with the ‘questioning’ of research that can be united if teachers are to become contributors who shape educational policy and define effective classroom practice (Freeman, 1998)

WHY DOING ‘CAR’ ?

We don’t want to be burned-out teachers (PD)

We want to solve the puzzle (problems) encountered in our classes

We want to achieve success and feel the achievement

We want to give more to our students (customers)

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTION RESEARCH

It is contextual, small scale and localized.

It is evaluative and reflective.

It is self-generated.

It is participatory (collaborative).

It is the base of changes in practice.

CAR CYCLE

INQUIRY / PROBLEMS

PREMILIMINARY DATA COLLECTION

ACTION / INTERVENTION

DATA COLLECTION

DATA ANALYSIS

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

SHARING

ACTION RESEARCH PLAN (R. Allwright, 1993)

1. Identifying the problem or puzzle

2. Refine your puzzle

3. Decide on a specific focus for your classroom research

4. Find appropriate procedures

5. Collect the data and analyze it

6. Reflect on your findings

7. Share your findings with other colleagues

Classroom Research starters:1.  I would like to improve...

2.  I am perplexed by...3.  Some people are unhappy about...4.  I'm really curious about...5.  I want to learn more about...6.  An idea I would like to try out in my class is...7.  Something I think would really make a

difference is...8.  Some I would like to do to change is...9.  Right now, some areas I'm particularly

interested in are..

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES:1. JOURNALS /

DIARIES• Regular dated accounts of teaching/learning

• Include personal feelings, reflections, philosophy,

observations

2. TEACHING LOGS

3. DOCUMENTS COLLECTION

4. OBSERVATION

5. FIELD NOTES

6. RECORDING7. TRANSCRIPTION

8. SURVEY /

QUESTIONNAIRE

9. INTERVIEW /

DISCUSSION

10. STIMULATED RECALL

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

JOURNALS / DIARIES

TEACHING LOGS

DOCUMENT COLLECTION

OBSERVATION

FIELD NOTES

RECORDING

TRANSCRIPTION

SURVEYS / QUESTIONNAIRE

INTERVIEWS / DISCUSSIONS

STIMULATED RECALL