User:Undurthy/My Sandbox for Patricia/template:Teacher Preparation/Action Research Cycle

ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE
The starting point of the action research is the genuine concern of the teacher to improve whatever is happening around him. To find out the felt difficulty or dissatisfaction; a deficiency, defect or weakness of any other kind from the working atmosphere, method or tools, teachers should be open-eyed and open-minded. They have to LOOK with CONCERN to generate an IDEA.

THE HUNCH (IDEA!):
Look at what causes a disturbance; what teacher is concerned about; what needs to be improved. The concern may be related to classroom teaching, discipline, administration or any situation in the school/institution. Once the concern is identified, questions are posed. This helps to focus upon the problem and analyze it. Such questions which ask – why students are not able to understand/learn the concept, what are the reasons for that and how can they be improved their understanding/learning – make up the research questions. The concern and research questions serve as the starting point for the action research. Then the research goes through repeated cycles of Planning, Action, Observation and reflection.

PLAN:
Evolution of the plan is borne out of the discussions with collaborators, colleagues and others. A review of literature may help in choosing strategies and alternate methods. Expert’s opinion or sheer intuition also helps in the evolution and drafting of the plan. Various alternatives are thought of and critically analyzed. Finally, one or two strategies may be tried. The solution to the problem is hypothesized. The plan should be flexible but well defined, feasible and plausible in the existing situation.

EXECUTION:
It is deliberate and controlled implementation of the plan. It is a careful and well thought of variation of the existing practice. The plan is carried out step buy step. When the change is being put to test, there should be clear, elaborate and careful documentation of the effects of the changed practice. The collected data meay be qualitative or quantitative. Utmost care and sincerity should be exercised in documenting the evidence, as this provides the basis for reflection.

REVIEW:
The scrutiny of the data brings out the efficacy of the changed action. It the research yields positive results, the new procedure catches the interest of the other colleagues, faculty of the other schools and later of the district and the state in ever increasing subsequent circles. On the other hand, if the research has not yielded positive results, alternate strategies can be planned and the cycle of re-plan – act – observe and reflect can be set into action. This is done through analyzing the data. Quantitative data need statistical analysis and qualitative data demands requisite procedures to validate it. Reporting the research leads to critical and constructive discussions among the like-minded people.

Moves in Action Research
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Action Research Spiral
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