Class action Research

Versi 1
HOW TO DO CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH
Adapted by Julian Hermida from Gwyn Mettetal, “The What, Why and How of Classroom Action Research”, JoSoTL Vol. 2, Number 1 (2001).
Classroom Action Research is a method of finding out what works best in your own classroom so that you can improve student learning. There are many ways to improve knowledge about teaching. Many teachers practice personal reflection on teaching, others conduct formal empirical studies on teaching and learning. Classroom Action Research is more systematic than personal reflection but it is more informal and personal than formal educational research.
The goal of Classroom Action Research is to improve your own teaching in your own classroom, department, or school. While there is no requirement that the findings be generalized to other situations the results can add to knowledge base. Classroom Action Research goes beyond personal reflection to use informal research practices such as a brief literature review, group comparisons, and data collection and analysis. Validity is achieved through the triangulation of data. The focus is on the practical significance of findings, rather than statistical or theoretical significance.
Findings are usually disseminated through brief reports or presentations to local colleagues or administrators.


Steps to conduct Classroom Action Research
Identify a question or problem:

o What is the effect of X on student learning?
o The question or problem should look at something under the teaching control.
o The problem should also be an area which you are willing to change.
o It should also be feasible.
• Review Literature
o You need to gather two types of information: background and data.
o It may be much less extensive than traditional research.
o The use of secondary sources is usually sufficient.
• Plan a research strategy
o It may take many forms: pretest, posttest, a comparison of similar classes to a descriptive case study of a single class or student.
o Both qualitative and quantitative methods are appropriate.
o It relies on triangulation of data to provide validity.
o To triangulate collect at least three types of data, e.g., student test scores, teacher evaluations, and observation of student behavior). If all data point to the same direction, you have some assurance of validity
• Gather data

• Make sense of the data
o Analyze your data, looking for findings with practical significance.

• Take action
o Use your findings to make decisions about your teaching strategies.

• Share your findings
o There are many ways to share findings with your peers: journals, conferences, workshops, teaching tips, websites, newsletters, etc.


Versi 2

Classroom action research
What is classroom action research?
Classroom action research begins with a question or questions about classroom experiences, issues, or challenges. It is a reflective process which helps teachers to explore and examine aspects of teaching and learning and to take action to change and improve.
Who is it for?
Any teacher who:
• wants to understand more about teaching and learning
• wants to develop teaching skills and knowledge
• wants to take action to improve student learning

What are the benefits?
• provides a framework for trying out different approaches and ideas
• helps develop reflective practice
• enables teachers to make choices and decisions about their teaching styles
• helps develop confidence
• helps teachers improve student learning

How to do ... Classroom action research
1 Reflect
Consider your current classroom practice. Think about questions you have about teaching, topics you are interested in, problem areas, or aspects of teaching/learning you are unsure about. Make a list. From your list, decide what you would like to research. To help you decide, think about why you want to do it. What are the benefits to you and your learners? When you have decided, write a research question.
2 Explore
Reflect on your research question. Where can you find information to help you plan your research? It may help you to discuss your question with colleagues. You may need to consult published materials or the Internet for information and ideas. Find out as much as you can about your question topic to help you plan how to do the research.
3 Plan
Draw up an action research plan which states your question, how and why you are going to carry out the research. Things to think about: how long it will take? What tools will you use in your research? How will you record your research? There are different ways of doing research. It can be as simple as just writing down your own reflections after each lesson or it could include questionnaires, observations, audio recordings and so on.
4 Research
Carry out your research using your chosen method. Some tools are:
• Peer observation
• Teacher diary
• Learner feedback
• Lesson evaluation
• Recording lessons
• Reflecting on learners' work
• Surveys
Choose the method which best suits your research question.
5 Analyze
This stage helps you to make sense of the data you have collected in your research. It is a process of reflecting on, organizing and reviewing your data to help you answer your research question. What have you found out? What insights have you gained from the research? What does your research show you?
6 Act
Reflect on your results. Look at your teaching practice - what changes will you make?
Take action based on what you found out from your research.
7 Review
When you have implemented changes, it is important to review. How successful were the changes? Do you need to take any follow-up action? Has your research indicated other areas you could explore? In other words, you begin a new reflective cycle.