MODULE 2

PURPOSES OF RESEARCH

Desired Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. discussed the purposes for conducting action research.

2. analyzed the purpose of action research done in a school.

Introduction

Action research can be participated by an individual teacher or a group of

teachers who has a common concern in the field of teaching and learning. It provides
an opportunity for professional development and collaboration. There are several
purposes of action research that could be read in several references and could also be
observed among teacher researchers. Below is a summary of these identified purpose
of action research (Pawilen et.al., 2019)

❖ It allows teachers to understand the nature of educational issues and problems

❖ It helps teachers propose solutions to educational issues and problems
❖ It develops teachers to become empowered reflective practitioners
❖ It creates progress on school priorities
❖ It develops a research culture among teachers
❖ It develops professional collaboration among teachers
❖ It helps teachers to develop curricular and instructional innovations
❖ It builds professional culture in school
❖ It provides an opportunity for teachers to improve their teaching skills
❖ It responds to the learning needs of students

Why Should I do Action Research in my Classroom?

The idea of Action Research is that educational

problems and issues are best identified and
investigated where the action is: at the classroom
and school level. By integrating research into these
settings and engaging those who work at this level
in research activities, findings can be applied
immediately and problems solved more quickly
(Guskey, 2000).

Good teachers are those who are also good students—lifelong learners who seek
to improve and practice throughout their careers. Research adds to our knowledge by
addressing gaps and expanding what we know. Research improves practice by helping
educators gain new ideas for their teaching, gain new insights into their approaches,
and connect with other educators. Research allows people to weigh different
perspectives on issues and make informed decisions. Action Research provides a means
of focusing instruction on issues directly related to the classroom or school. It positions
educators as learners who want to narrow the gap between their practice and their
vision of quality education.
The research itself and implementing the resulting information provide a form of
professional development directly related to and supportive of teachers’ and students’
educational needs. This has a great potential for creating long-lasting school change.
These changes occur in everyday practice rather than a theoretical generalization to a
broad audience. Each researcher finds out something new and applicable to his or her
own classroom because the question he or she is asking is his or her unique question.
Action Research (AR) provides teachers with the opportunity to gain knowledge
and skill in research methods and to become more aware of the options and
possibilities for change. It gives them a rich source of data for improving their
classrooms and schools. They have the opportunity to try new teaching practices and
reflect on the changes in their classrooms and students. Teachers participating in Action
Research become more critical and reflective about their own practice. (Oja & Pine,
1989).
Lawrence Stenhouse, cited in Rudduck (1988) stated that, “It is the teacher who,
in the end, will change the world of the school by understanding it.” Teachers who
engage in Action Research are increasing their understanding of the teaching and
learning process. What they are learning will have a great impact on what happens in
classrooms, schools, and school districts. Action Research can shape the staff
development programs and curricula of schools and support school improvement
initiatives. All these things are impacted by the things teachers learn and the changes
they make through the critical inquiry and rigorous examination of their own practices
and their school programs that Action Research requires.
Teachers engaged in Action Research depend more on themselves as decision
makers and gain more confidence in what they believe about curriculum and instruction
(Strickland, 1989). Action Research gives teachers a voice in the field. It allows teachers
to depend on themselves to know what is happening and what needs to happen in their
own classrooms. Instead of teachers relying on administrators or teacher educators to
tell them what to do, Action Researchers have command of their own knowledge and
information to support decisions they make about their teaching practices.

Stenhouse has strongly supported this point of view:

Good teachers are necessarily autonomous in professional judgment. They do not need to be told
what to do. They are not professionally the dependents of researchers or superintendents, or
innovators or supervisors. This does not mean that they do not welcome access to ideas created
by other people at other places or in other times. Nor do they reject advice, consultancy, or support.
But they do know that ideas and people are not of much real use until they are digested to the point
where they are subject of teachers’ own judgment.
(Stenhouse, 1984)
 Gathering valid, relevant evidence allows the teacher to make informed rather
than intuitive decisions about effective practice. The process validates teachers as
professional decision makers by putting them in charge their teaching practices and
professional development. It allows teachers to feel in control of their own situation
while abiding by and implementing national or district mandates. Autonomous
professionals must have the ability to engage in self-study of their teaching and testing
their classroom practices to see if they work.
Finally, when teachers engage in Action Research, they gain specific insights into
the individual needs of students—particularly students who struggle to learn in the
classroom. Whether teachers are testing new strategies or studying the specific learning
difficulties of a certain student, the Action Research process itself can uncover
previously hidden pathways to support improved learning for individual children in the
teacher’s classroom. Action Research is based on the following assumptions:

▪ Teachers and administrators work best on problems they have identified

for themselves
▪ Teachers and administrators become more effective when encouraged to
examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working
differently
▪ Teachers and administrators help each other by working collaboratively
▪ Working with colleagues helps teachers and administrators in their
professional development.
(Watts, 1985, p. 118)

What do YOU as a professional gain from Action Research?

✓ better knowledge about how to help students learn in schools

✓ a way to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative strategies
✓ a more professional stance
✓ more enjoyment in your work life
✓ an ability to know whether what you are doing helps students or not
✓ better communication among educational professionals in your school

You can think of Action Research as a way for teachers to collect valid
information about their own classrooms and use this information to make informed
choices about teaching strategies and learning activities. Teachers can then share the
information with students to gain their ideas and internal commitment to specified
learning activities and procedures. Action Research is used in real situations, rather than
in contrived, experimental studies since its primary focus is on solving real problems. It
is used when circumstances require flexibility, the involvement of the people in the
research, or when change must take place quickly or holistically.
(Adapted from O’Brien, R.; www.web.net/robrien/papers/arfinal.html)
 Action Research revitalizes educators’ professional lives by making their work
more interesting and rewarding as they examine their own teaching and make
improvements THEY decide to make. Teachers who engage in Action Research tend to
be more willing to self-assess and reflect on their practice and actions to improve their
teaching. Action Research encourages educators to work collaboratively with their
colleagues to reflect on their practices and improve instructional practices and promote
student achievement.

REFERENCES

Guskey, T.R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.

Oja, S. N., & Pine, G. J. (1989). Collaborative Action Research: Teachers' Stages of
Development and School Contexts. Peabody Journal of Education, 64(2), 96-115.

Pawilen, G., Reyes, E., Rivera, J. & Sison, T. (2019). Field Study II. A guide for 21st Century
student teachers. Rex Bookstore, Inc. Sampaloc, Manila. 5-7.

Rudduck, J. (1988). Changing the world of the classroom by understanding it: A review of
some aspects of the work of Lawrence Stenhouse.” Journal of Curriculum and
Supervision, 4(1), 30-42.

Stenhouse, L. (1984). Evaluating curriculum evaluation. In C. Adelman (Ed.) The Politics and
Ethics of Evaluation. London: Croom Helm, 16-34.

Strickland, D.S. (1989). The teacher as researcher: Toward the extended professional.
Language Arts, 65(8), 754-764.

Watts, H. (1985). When teachers are researchers, teaching improves. Journal of Staff
Development, 6(2), 118-127.

http://www.web.net/robrien/papers/arfinal.html “An Overview of the Methodological

Approach of Action Research,” Rory O’Brien