Planning for action research Chapter 3 Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators (4/e) Craig A. Mertler SAGE Publications, 2014

Planning for Action Research Initial planning for action research includes: Identifying and limiting a topic Gathering information related to the topic Reviewing related literature Early stages are crucial in any research project Lays the “groundwork” for all that follows

Identifying the Topic for Research Nothing shapes the remainder of a study as much as specifying the topic or problem Problems with being too broad or vague, or being too narrow Possible topic areas: A teaching method or instructional materials Classroom management Identifying a problem Examining an area of interest

Preliminary Considerations Once a topic has been identified, it should be evaluated against several practical considerations: Personal interest in the topic Importance of the topic Time requirements for conducting the study Anticipated difficulty of the study Potential monetary costs Issues related to ethics in conducting research

Problem identification template 5 Why Process

Gathering Preliminary Information Begin by talking with other teachers, administrators, counselors, etc. in your building or district Assess their perceptions of your ideas for action research Also, critical to examine your beliefs, knowledge, and context for your ideas Process known as reconnaissance Taking time to reflect on your beliefs and to gain a better understanding of the nature and context of your research problem

Gathering Preliminary Information Engaging in reconnaissance can take three forms: Self-reflection—examination of: Educational theories that affect your instructional practice Values you hold about education Historical context of your school and your teaching Description—complete description of what you want to change or improve Focus on who, what, where, when, and how of the problem Explanation—based on your description above Explain why this problem occurs Development of a hypothesis typically follows

Reviewing Related Literature Literature review—examination of research articles, documents, books, etc. related to your topic; used to: Identify a topic Narrow the focus of a topic Gather information related to research designs Locate examples of data collection and analysis techniques Can connect your project to what others have done before you

Reviewing Related Literature Things you should be aware of: Empirical research articles versus opinion pieces Objectivity of related literature Timeliness of the literature you locate Primary versus secondary sources (and problems associated with the difference) Variety of methods of locating related literature Primary sources Search specialized indexes or databases ERIC * Google Scholar * ProQuest Search engines

Reviewing Related Literature ERIC—Educational Resources Information Center More than 1.1 million citations; more than 107,000 full-text articles http://www.eric.ed.gov Searching ERIC…

Reviewing Related Literature Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com Explore related works, citations, authors, and publications Many search options; search “by author”

Writing a Literature Review No easy, prescriptive, step-by-step process Every body of literature is different Suggestions: Remember the purpose—to convey the historical context of the topic, any associated trends, connection between theory and practice Briefly summarize each study, reflecting its relevance to your topic (emphasizing the findings) Develop an outline using subheadings that focus the review Include an introduction and a summary

Writing a Literature Review Suggestions: Organization of sub-topics within a literature review:

Literature Review template Planning Your Action Research Literature Review

Action research checklist 3 Action Research Checklist 3: Planning for Action Research ☐ Identify several possible topics for action research and evaluate them for viability as action research projects against the various preliminary considerations. ☐ Using one of your identified topics, engage in reconnaissance to gain insight into your action research topic. ☐ Using ERIC, Google Scholar, or other databases, find several sources of published literature related to your topic; identify each as either a primary or secondary source. ☐ Develop an outline for summarizing the literature related to your topic. ☐ Determine if you need to add more resources to your review of literature.