ACTION RESEARCH: WHY IT MATTERS?

MATROSE P. GALARION, Ph.D.

Action research is an attractive option for teacher researchers, school administrative staff, and other stakeholders in the teaching and learning environment to consider (Mills, 2011). Specifically, action research in education can be defined as the process of studying a school situation to understand and improve the quality of the educative process (Johnson, 2012). It provides practitioners with new knowledge and understanding about how to improve educational practices or resolve significant problems in classrooms and schools (Stringer, 2008).

Further, action research undertakes that teachers are the agents and source of educational reform and not the objects of reform. Action research permits teachers to own professional knowledge because teachers— through the process of action inquiry— conceptualize and create knowledge, interact around knowledge, transform knowledge, and apply knowledge.

Within education, the main goal of action research is to determine ways to enhance the lives of students (Mills, 2011). At the same time, action research can enhance the lives of those professionals who work within educational systems. To illustrate, action research has been directly linked to the professional growth and development of teachers (Hensen, 1996). According to Hensen, action research (a) helps teachers develop new knowledge directly related to their classrooms, (b) promotes reflective teaching and thinking, (c) expands teachers’pedagogical repertoire, (d) puts teachers in charge of their craft, (e) reinforces the link between practice and student achievement, (f) fosters an openness toward new ideas and learning new things, and (g) gives teachers ownership of effective practices. Moreover, action research workshops can be used to replace traditional, ineffective teacher in-service training (Barone et al., 1996) as a means for professional development activities (Johnson, 2012).

There is clear evidence to suggest that action research is a valuable exercise for teachers to undertake. It offers teachers a systematic (Frabutt et al., 2008), collaborative (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988), and participatory (Holter & Frabutt, 2012) process of inquiry that actively seeks to address areas of concern or redress. Additionally, action research provides teachers with the technical skills and specialized knowledge required to effect positive change within classrooms, schools, and communities (Johnson, 2012). Ultimately, the solutions-based focus, emphasis on fostering practitioner empowerment, and pragmatic appeal of action research collectively render this research methodology a worthwhile professional development activity for teachers.

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The author is an Education Program Supervisor and the Officer-In-Charge of Policy, Planning and Research Division at DepEd Regional Office 3