Contracting school-based action research

Action research in described by Gay & Irasaian (2003) as a systematic done by teachers and other educational personnel to collect and study data that can help them to understand and improve their practice. It is on this premise that teachers cab serve a practical researchers who can help improve practice in school. Any teacher or school-based question, topic or problem is important to action research and may be used to start the process of conducting action research.

The result of action research are usually associated with encouraging changes in schools, empowering a democratic approach to education, empowering i ndividuals through collaboration on project, encouraging teachers to try new approaches to old problems and to engage in professionals growth, and instilling in teachers that feeling that action research is a responsibility for professional growth and development.

Common action research topics usually start with questions like “How can I make this better?”, or “Will doing this likely improve students’ performance or achievement?”

Action research has dramatically gained support from educators, but others do not view it as a legitimate form of research and inquiry. Many researchers view it as an informal, rather than a more rigorous approach to educational research. The practical and limited aspect of most action research, plus the fact that teachers are the primary researchers, leads to distinguishing action research as “applied” research from “true” research. It is therefore, argued that while this distinction has some validity, it is also true that action research serves an important role in improving schools.

Basic steps in conducting action research are similar in some respects to other types of qualitative research, but one important difference is that the topic or issue studied is identified and carried out by the teacher or school head. Also, many of the action research take place in teacher’s own classroom.

When selecting a topic for action research, it is suggested that a narrowly defines question to examine should be chosen especially if the researcher is a beginner or novice in qualitative research.

The following tips can help you choose a topic for action research: (1) select a manageable topic and don’t overestimate your time and expertise, (2) choose the topic that is interesting to you, (3) choose the topic that you think is important, (4) be flexible when narrowing the topic, and (5) work with a mentor who can help you state, plan, and conduct your research. (