ACTION RESEARCH

Understanding Brenda Capobianco, Reina Horowitz,

Donna Canuel-Browne, and Ruth Trimarchi
the necessary

I
n light of increasingly demanding national and state professional stan-
dards for teaching, science teachers are being asked, if not required, to
steps for conduct some form of reflective practice, commonly referred to as “action
research.” In science education reform documents, such as the National
developing and Science Education Standards, teachers are encouraged “to approach their
teaching in a spirit of inquiry—assessing, reflecting on, and learning from their
implementing own practice” (NRC 1996, p. 42).
If science teachers are to conduct research and engage in critical reflection on their
productive own practice, they must understand the steps necessary to develop and implement
productive action plans, reflect critically on the actions taken, and consult and collabo-
action plans rate with other interested science teachers. In this article, we draw from our own
experiences as science teacher-researchers and present practical guidelines for science
teachers who want to learn more about conducting teacher action research. We par-
ticipated in a yearlong collaborative action research group that examined issues of
gender equity, diversity, and accessibility in science education. Using results from
our practical inquiries and collaborative conversations, we present examples for
science teachers to use when designing and enacting their own action plans.

48 T h e S c i e n c e Te a c h e r
FOR TEACHERS
Defining action research
Simply put, action research is a form of systematic, self-
reflective inquiry undertaken by teachers to improve
their own practices and understanding of these prac-
tices (Carr and Kemmis 1986). Through careful prob-
lem solving and self-reflection, action research empow-
ers teachers to recognize political, practical, and
personal problems related to practice and to take action
to resolve these problems. In science education, this may
include addressing the issues of high-stakes testing or
standards-based instruction on student achievement in
science; examining ways to address student motivation,
participation, and engagement with science; or studying
ways of increasing self-confidence and expertise among
new science teachers.
Conducting action research
In general, action research should be seen as flexible;
teacher-researchers in different situations should make
their own interpretations of appropriate processes for re-
search (McNiff 1988). Based on our work as a collabora-
tive science teacher action research group, we learned
that action research involves the following steps:
N Identify a starting point;
N Develop a plan of action;
N Collect data;
N Analyze and interpret;
N Reflect; and
N Disseminate.
The collaborative discussions we engaged in regularly
throughout the process were crucial to our experience.
These discussions provided points of reference that en-
abled our thinking, acting, and reflecting upon subse-
quent changes in our teaching practices.
Following is an expanded outline of the steps for con-
ducting teacher action research. The steps are based on
the key processes outlined above and reflect our experi-
ences while conducting action research on gender equity,
diversity, and accessibility in science education. Ex-
amples are shown in Figures 1 (p. 50), 2 (p. 51), and 3
(p. 52). As we describe each step, we present our experi-
ences with learning how to conduct action research.
Identify a starting point
The first step in action research is to identify an issue,
question, or problem to explore. To begin, teachers
should consider the following starting points:
N I would like to improve the …
N I am concerned about …
N I would like to change the way my students …
N I would like to integrate more … into my class.
How can I do this?
We started by brainstorming issues in our daily prac-
tice, such as student motivation in chemistry, student par-
ticipation in biology lectures, test performance in general
chemistry, and underrepresentation of minority students
in physics. We returned to our classrooms to make obser-
vations of events and student interactions that contributed
to one particular issue of interest (Burnaford, Fischer, and
Hobson 2001). We recorded these observations in our re-
flective notebooks (Sagor 2000) and shared our reflections
with the group (Feldman 1999).
For Reina, a high school chemistry teacher, student moti-
vation was a constant concern within her core chemistry
classes (Figure 1). On occasion she observed her students as
disinterested and unmotivated during class lectures. She
wanted to know if changing her teaching to a more student-
centered approach would improve students’ participation
and interest in chemistry. Donna, a biology and chemistry
teacher, wanted to know how to assess the performance of
her nontraditional students in chemistry, as well as measure
the effectiveness of her self-designed assessments (Figure 2).
Ruth, a biology teacher, viewed lecture as an integral part of
her practice. During observations of her own lectures, Ruth
noted distinct groups of students not engaged in the lesson.
As a result of her reflection, she decided to examine ways to
increase the participation among small groups of young
women, low-income students, African-American students,
and second-language learners (Figure 3).
These starting points are practical for conducting action
research because they stem from the teachers’ own obser-
vations of and reflections on their practice. Collaborative
brainstorming, journaling, and reflective classroom obser-
vations provide examples of different ways to get started.
Additional starting point techniques include concept map-
ping or webbing (Sagor 2000), student interviewing
(Altrichter, Posch, and Somekh 1993), and reflective inter-
viewing with colleagues (Sagor 2000).
Develop a plan of action
The next step in the process is to develop an action plan
or strategies in response to the starting point. The main
goal should be to pilot a particular course of action and
collect data on the outcomes of that action. For instance,
creating diagrams is useful for developing and mapping
out different action strategies (Figures 1, 2, and 3).
M a rc h 2 0 0 4 49
 FIGURE 1

Map of Reina’s starting point.

Students do not pass in homework

Observations of factors contributing Students report disliking school

to lack of student motivation in Students do not see chemistry as part of their world
Common Core Chemistry
Students appear bored during lecture
Students do not participate in lecture

Diagram of Reina’s action plan in core chemistry.

Addressing student motivation in core chemistry

Teacher moves away from
Teacher and students change
existing curriculum and
Students generate topics of interest the classroom setting to make
empowers students to
it more student-centered
suggest topics for discussion
Students facilitate whole-class discussions while
teacher observes interactions

Students feel empowered and motivated

to participate freely in class

Teacher gains new understanding of

the relationship between her and her students

Reina’s action strategies involved changing her chem-
istry content and instructional methods in order to in-
crease students’ motivation. She incorporated structured
whole-class discussions. First, she and her students
brainstormed and negotiated a list of guidelines for
group discussions. Second, she arranged the desks in a
large circle and initiated group discussions. Over the
course of the semester, students generated topics and fa-
cilitated the discussions on smoking, racism, and preven-
tion of HIV/AIDS.
Donna developed a series of assessments—performance-
based assessments on properties of solids, liquids, and
gases; identification of mixtures and compounds; and ob-
servation of physical versus chemical changes. After each
assessment session, Donna and her students discussed
how students felt about the assessment tool and whether
or not the assessment accurately measured what they un-
derstood about the week’s lessons.
Ruth devised a series of in-class practices to improve
class participation among four targeted groups during
her class lectures in biology. One intervention she incor-
porated into her practice was the “interactive lecture”
(Trimarchi 2002). During the lecture she provided op-
portunities for students to give immediate feedback
through reflective responses and quick check-ins.
Action strategies are the actions teacher-researchers
plan and implement in order to improve their practice.
They are connected to goals for developing and im-
proving instruction, curriculum, and student learning.
In general, action strategies can be viewed as prelimi-
nary answers or experimental solutions to the problem
being investigated.
Collect data
Once action strategies are enacted, the next step is to
develop and implement procedures for collecting data.
Types of data readily available to teachers include lesson
plans, gradebooks, curriculum activities, assessment in-
struments, and other supporting documents (e.g., student
work). Methods for data collection can include student
interviews (individual and focus groups), surveys, forma-
tive assessments, classroom observations, and journaling.
Reina employed three methods for data collection.
First, she recorded the frequency of student participation
in each discussion. Second, she used formative assessment
to gather students’ immediate feedback of each discus-

50 T h e S c i e n c e Te a c h e r
 FIGURE 2

Map of Donna’s starting point.

Nontraditional students’
Reading, writing, and math abilities in chemistry Students have had little to no
skills are below grade level experience with school science

Students can Students can follow

manipulate objects verbal directions
Students are motivated
to learn science
Diagram of Donna’s action plan.

Identify curriculum topics properties of matter

Modify science vocabulary

Adapt procedures
Incorporate labs

Develop performance-based Develop performance-based Develop performance-based

Property Quiz Mixture/Compound Quiz Physical/Chemical Changes Quiz

Pilot Implement Implement

Review student performance

Reflect with students

Prepare and implement a summative assessment

Compare and contrast student performance

Reflect with students

sion. Lastly, she used students’ daily journal responses to
specific questions about each discussion.
Donna used her students’ work as a data source for mea-
suring the effectiveness of her tools. In addition, she used
students’ verbal reflections on each assessment. Ruth took a
more quantitative approach to collecting data. She surveyed
students about their participation in biology class before and
after she incorporated her interactive lecture techniques.
The data collection methods illustrated here indicate
the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods.
What are or are not data depends directly on the teacher-
researcher’s starting point—more specifically, the research
question. Donna’s research concerned students’ perfor-
mance, therefore, students’ work on each assessment was
an important data source. Reina’s research involved stu-
dents’ participation in whole-class discussions, therefore,
her observations of students’ interactions were important
data. Ruth’s research entailed students’ participation and
interest in her interactive lectures, therefore, students’
feedback and her observations of their engagement were
important data. Lastly, whatever data are selected and col-
lected are based upon the teacher-researcher’s interpreta-

M a rc h 2 0 0 4 51
 FIGURE 3

Map of Ruth’s starting point.

Lecture is an integral part of Honors Biology

Students find lectures challenging

“Quiet” students do not participate in lectures

Second-language Females Low-income students Students of color

learners

Possible barriers include:

Speed of verbal Students appear uncomfortable

communications with questioning the teacher
Students feel intimidated Students do not have the skills to
to ask questions question the teacher effectively

Diagram of Ruth’s action plan.

Devise and implement an interactive lecture

Reflective responses Review flash cards

Quick check-ins Teacher letter 2/3–1/3 Notes

tion of the events that take place within the classroom, and
the data provide teacher-researchers with access to the re-
ality of what is being investigated.
Analyze and interpret
Analysis and interpretation of the data allows teacher-
researchers to begin thinking about what is happening,
why it is happening, and how it fits into the big picture.
As the data were collected in our group, we carefully
examined key factors that could explain particular phe-
nomena. In some cases, this meant scrutinizing com-
ments from students, responses to specific assessment
questions, and patterns emerging from survey data.
Reina, Donna, and Ruth initially skimmed their data
to look for major patterns or trends. They shared these
findings with the group by consulting with other
teacher-researchers about their thoughts and impres-
sions. By triangulating multiple sources of data, each
teacher organized data into categories, also known as
“coding”—grouping together similar statements and re-
sponses to construct a particular theme or major idea.
Based on analysis and interpretation of her students’ feed-
back and participation in group discussions, Reina concluded
that students liked the approach to group discussion and sub-
sequently demonstrated increased class participation. Donna
concluded that her approach to alternative assessments not
only improved students’ performance on various assessments
but also improved her knowledge of how to design effective
alternative testing methods. Ruth concluded that survey re-
sults indicated a moderate trend toward greater participation
among targeted groups of students when interactive lecturing
techniques were implemented.
Reflect
In order to develop a critical awareness and deeper under-
standing of the actions taken within the educational situa-
tion, the teacher-researcher needs to engage in some level
of reflection. In some cases, reflection is viewed as accom-
panying the processes of planning (Carr and Kemmis
1986), data collection (Sagor 2000), and analysis (Kemmis
and McTaggart 1988). The main point is that reflection is
an integral part of a teacher’s action research.
Reflection can take place in the company of other sci-
ence teacher-researchers. In this collective forum, science
teacher-researchers can join together as a group to dis-
cuss personal stories or anecdotes based on the results of

52 T h e S c i e n c e Te a c h e r
their actions (Feldman 1999). They can ask questions,
make decisions, and consult with one another to draw
conclusions from the data.
In the context of our group meetings, reflection played
an integral role in our collaborative conversations. On
several occasions, Donna asked the group for clarity on
her action research. Reina often asked for support and
guidance in making meaning of her results. And Ruth
frequently shared with the group the ways action re-
search helped her improve her approach to lecture.
Disseminate
The final phase of action research entails making the
research public. This process involves articulating the ac-
tivities, data collection, and results that emerged from
the research process. By making research public, teachers
play a more active role in the development and facilita-
tion of professional development. In addition, science
teachers disseminate new instructional strategies and
curricular innovations to other interested science teach-
ers, thereby enhancing their status as science teachers and
the status of science teaching itself.
Methods of dissemination include a wide variety of ven-
ues. At the school level, this might include presenting brief
reports to colleagues through newsletters, staff bulletins, and
school-based colloquiums. At the state level, teacher-research-
ers can submit manuscripts for publication in a state science
teacher journal or present their action research at a state sci-
ence teacher conference. At the national or international level,
teacher-researchers can disseminate collectively their work in
interactive symposiums, panel discussions, round table fo-
rums, or professional development workshops. Lastly, work
can be made public to other interested science teachers in
professional publications and on Internet discussion groups.
Within our own collaborative action research group, we pre-
sented panel symposiums and paper presentations at both
local and national educational research and science teacher
conferences (Capobianco et al. 2002).
Benefits
Why should science teachers wish to add research to their
already full school schedules, demanding teaching respon-
sibilities, and challenging professional development obli-
gations? First, action research is a way for teachers to en-
gage more closely with their classroom practice and
explore the issues they face daily in the process of science
curriculum reform. Second, teachers see action research as
both personally and professionally rewarding. Donna and
Ruth often felt it was a luxury to sit and talk with other
interested and passionate science teachers about transform-
ing their practices. Reina found the support from Donna,
Ruth, and others helpful at alleviating her feelings of isola-
tion as a new science teacher.
Science teachers in particular see action research as a
natural extension of their science teaching practice. Engag-
ing in systematic, intensive inquiry parallels science teach-
ers’ engagement in scientific inquiry and experimentation.
The research allows science teachers to inquire, test, and
reflect on the actions they take to evaluate curriculum,
frame local decisions for science education reform, and ex-
ercise professional judgment. Action research also provides
an evidentiary basis for improvement of classroom practice
and enhanced student achievement, which is consistent with
educational reforms calling for greater accountability and
increased teacher professionalism. n
Brenda Capobianco (e-mail: bcapo@purdue.edu) is an
assistant professor at Purdue University, Department of
Curriculum and Instruction, Beering Hall, West
Lafayette, IN 47907; Reina Horowitz (e-mail:
horowitzrj@yahoo.com ) is a chemistry teacher at
Springfield Central High School, 1840 Roosevelt
Avenue, Springfield, MA 01109; Donna Canuel-Browne
(e-mail: dbrowne@massed.net) is a biology teacher at
Northampton High School, 380 Elm Street,
Northampton, MA 01060; and Ruth Trimarchi (e-mail:
ruthtri@attbi.com) is a biology teacher at Amherst-
Pelham Regional High School, 22 Mattoon Street,
Amherst, MA 01002.
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