UNIT ONE:

INTRODUCTION TO
CONCEPT OF RESEARCH

CONTENTS OF THIS UNIT

 Meanings of Research
 Types of Research
 Basic and Applied research
 What Research is not
 Meaning of Educational Research
 Characteristics of Educational Research
 Questions
Brainstorming
1. How you define the term research?
2. Do you know the the types of research? what
are they?
3. What is educational research? and what is its
characteristics?
 MEANING OF RESEARCH

• Research is a way of looking for new information, new

understanding, and new facts.
• A person who does research is called a researcher. Some
researchers work in academia. Other researchers work for
businesses, for organizations, or for the government.
• Research is often used for solving problems or increasing
available knowledge.
• This can be done by testing theories and making observations.
• Research usually prefers to be systematic, organized, and
objective.
• Research is used in many different fields of study such as
science, mathematics, and the humanities.
 Types of Research

1. Basic, Theoretical, or Pure research is

carried out to generate new human knowledge.
• Focuses on generating knowledge, regardless
of its practical application. Here, data
collection is used to generate new general
concepts for a better understanding of a
particular field or to answer a theoretical
research question.
 Cont’d
2. Applied Research; borrows ideas and
techniques from pure research to serve a
specific real-world goal.
• Here, the goal is to find strategies that can be
used to address a specific research problem.
Applied research draws on theory to generate
practical scientific knowledge
 What research is not?

• Research work is not about asking people what they

like and what not
• Research is not a political tool
• It is not a defense of opinions
• Research is not mere transportation of facts from one
place to the others
• It is not mere information gathering
 What is Educational Research?

• Educational research is a type of systematic

investigation that applies empirical methods to
solving challenges in education.
• It adopts rigorous and well-defined scientific
processes in order to gather and analyze data
for problem-solving and knowledge
advancement.
 Cont’d
• Educational research as that activity that is
directed towards the development of a science
of behavior in educational situations.
• The ultimate aim of such a science is to
provide knowledge that will permit the
educator to achieve his goals through the most
effective methods.
 Cont’d
• The primary purpose of educational research
is to expand the existing body of knowledge
by providing solutions to different problems in
pedagogy while improving teaching and
learning practices.
• Educational researchers also seek answers
to questions bothering on learner-motivation,
development, and classroom management.
 Characteristics of Education Research

Educational research has several characteristics

define its process and approach. Some of them
are listed below:
• It sets out to solve a specific problem.
• Educational research adopts
primary and secondary research methods in its
data collection process.
• Educational research relies on
empirical evidence.
 Cont’d
• Educational research is objective and
accurate because it measures verifiable
information.
• The researcher adopts specific methodologies,
detailed procedures, and analysis to arrive at
the most objective responses
• Findings are useful in the development of
principles and theories that provide better
insights into pressing issues.
 Cont’d
• This research approach combines
structured, semi-structured, and unstructured q
uestions
to gather verifiable data from respondents.
• Many educational research findings are
documented for peer review before their
presentation.
• Educational research is interdisciplinary in
nature because it draws from different fields
and studies complex factual relations.
 Types of Educational Research
Educational research can be broadly categorized
into 3 which are;
Descriptive Research,
Co relational Research, and
Experimental Research.
 Descriptive Educational Research

• In this type of educational research, the

researcher merely seeks to collect data with
regards to the status quo or present situation
of things.
• The core of descriptive research lies in defining
the state and characteristics of the research
subject being understudied
 Cont’d
Examples of Descriptive Research:
• A reading program to help you understand
student literacy levels.
• A study of students' classroom performance.
• Research to gather data on students' interests
and preferences.
 Co relational Educational Research

• This is a type of educational research that

seeks insights into the statistical relationship
between two research variables.

• In co relational research, the researcher studies

two variables intending to establish a
connection between them.
 Cont’d
Examples of educational co relational research
include:
• Research to discover the relationship between
students' behaviors and classroom
performance.
• A study into the relationship between students'
social skills and their learning behaviors
 Experimental Educational Research

• Experimental educational research is a

research approach that seeks to establish the
causal relationship between two variables in
the research environment.

• It adopts quantitative research methods in

order to determine the cause and effect in
terms of the research variables being studied.
 Cont’d
Examples of Experimental Educational
Research
• A study to determine the best teaching and
learning methods in a school.
• A study to understand how extracurricular
activities affect the learning process
 UNIT TWO
CONCEPTS, NATUER AND PROCESS
OF ACTION RESEARCH
CONTENTS OF THIS UNIT;
 Concept of Action Research
 Importance of Action Research
 Characteristics of Action Research
 Appropriate time to use Action Research
 Processes in doing Action Research
 CONCEPTS OF ACTION RESEARCH
Action research is conceived differently by different people,
under different contexts and at different times.
In teaching learning context, action research is known by
many other names such as:
1) School-based research,
2) Teacher research,
3) Practitioner inquiry,
4) Teacher professional development,
5) Teacher as researcher,
6) Teacher self-evaluation,
7) A form of practitioners’ self-reflective enquiry, etc.
 Cont’d

The reasons for naming action research differently

could be due to:
1) The settings and processes of action research are
dynamic;
2) The philosophy, perspectives, and experiences of
the researchers;
3) The contexts in which action research is sought
may vary;
4) The theory motivating the research; and
5) objective factors such as the conditions under
which the research is being conducted and the
question(s) being investigated
 Cont’d
Currently, action research is viewed as:
1) Any systematic inquiry conducted by
teachers, school administrators, or others with
vested interest in the teaching and learning
process or environment, and for the purpose of
gathering information about how their
particular schools operate, how they teach, and
how their students learn.
 Cont’d

2) A disciplined enquiry whereby a practitioner

systematically investigates how to improve
practice and produce evidence for others to
show how the practice can be judged to have
been improved.
 Cont’d
3) A research conducted by practitioners in
applied fields (teaching, counseling, etc) for
the purpose of solving a specific problem.
4) a practical activity of a practitioner within
the environment in which he/she works.
5) an experientially based and usually set up to
try and solve a problem, or try out a
hypothesis that could improve a practical
situation.
 Cont’d
6) engaging with opportunities and constraints in
local contexts, using academic and local
theoretical understandings and reflexive
sensitivities to create possibilities for varied
understandings of the term ‘improvement
 Cont’d
7) Action Research is a fancy way of saying let's
study what's happening at our school and
decide how to make it a better place.

8) Action research is a natural part of teaching.

Teachers are continually observing students,
collecting data and changing practices to
improve student learning and the classroom
and school environment.
 Cont’d
9) Action research provides a framework that
guides the energies of teachers
toward a better understanding of why, when,
and how students become better learners.
 Cont’d
10) Action research is an approach to educational
research that is commonly used by educational
practitioners and professionals to examine, and
ultimately improve, their pedagogy and
practice.

• In this way, action research represents an

extension of the reflection and critical self-
reflection that an educator employs on a daily
basis in their classroom.
 Cont’d
Reflection is, therefore, an integral aspect of
action research. Action research includes
• A strong tradition of critical reflection on one’s
own values and actions.
• It is about active learning and is viewed as
learning by doing whereby individuals or a
group of teachers identify a problem, do
something to resolve it, see how successful
their efforts were, and if not satisfied, they try
again.
 Cont’d
The above accounts imply that different people
define action research in different ways
• All implying that it is a research designed to
improve action, practice, practitioner teacher,
learners, learning, and the school.
• It is an approach in which practitioners deal
with their clients/customers/students/fellow
workers- those with whom they work or have
been brought to work with.
 Cont’d
It is, therefore, viewed as
• Practitioner form of research,
• Self-reflective enquiry and practice,
• Catalyst for reflection and
• Development in professional practice,
A systematic inquiry conducted by the self into
the self in order to come to some decisions
about what one’s future practice should be.
 Cont’d
Inherent in all the conceptions discussed so far are eight basic
themes:
1. Empowerment of participants;
2. Self-reflective practice;
3. Collaboration through participation;
4. Acquisition of knowledge/learning;
5. Change-orientation;
6. Critical dimension involving reflection on
7. The practices and social milieus that surround classrooms;
8. Context-specific; and
9. Continuous cyclical or spiral process
 IMPORTANCE OF ACTION
RESEARCH
A. Connecting Theory to Practice:
Action research is a means of bridging the gap
• Between theory/research (e.g. research done by
researchers) and practice (classroom situations)
by creating a two-way flow of information.
• In this sense, teaching decisions are shaped by
theory and research, and in turn give shape and
new directions to educational theory and
research
 Cont’d
• To narrow down or avoid the gap between
theory and practice in the field of teaching,

• Action research tries to test ideas in practice

as a means of increasing knowledge about
curriculum, teaching and learning in particular
and professional and policy development as
well as institutional improvement in general
 Cont’d
B. Improvement of Classroom Practices:
• Improvement of classroom practices is the main
focus of action research. This is because; action
research offers a process by which existing
practices can be transformed to better ones.
• This is achieved by allowing teachers to study their
own classrooms. For instance, areas that teachers
might consider researching include:
1) Aspects of instructional planning,
2) Contents to teach,
3) Instructional methods,
 Cont’d
4) Assessments
5) Learning ability abilities and interests,
learning strategies, perceptions, experience,
involvement in learning, developmental issues
and so on.
6) Teaching issues classroom, organization,
patterns of interaction, issues in equal
opportunities, time management and so on
7) Institutional issues that may affect classroom
practices.
 Cont’d
C. Teacher Empowerment –Teacher as Decision
Maker
 Empowerment can be advanced through action
research, which enables teachers to appropriate
decision at what ever level.
 It allows teachers to bring into their classrooms
their own unique expertise, talents, and creativity
so that they can implement instructional
programs to best meet the needs of their students.
 Cont’d
• Teachers are allowed- even encouraged- to
take risks and make changes to their
instructional practice whenever and wherever
they believe it to be appropriate.
 Cont’d
1)Exploring possibilities for action,
2) Enhancing their self-image as originators, and
3) Developing strategies geared to improve their
situations and to enhance change in some
aspect of their classrooms with subsequent
monitoring of the effects of the change.
 Cont’d
D. Professional growth:
Action research has remained catalyst for professional
growth. It is a means of improving teachers’
problem-solving skills and their
1.Attitudes toward professional development and
institutional change,
2.Increasing their confidence and professional self-
esteem.
3.Affirms the professionalism of teaching by giving
teachers a real voice in their own professional
advancement, as opposed to being told by someone
else.
 Appropriate times to use AR
AR is employed when there is a need to :
1. Solve an educational problem in practice;
2. Help practitioners reflect on their own
practices;
3. Solve context specific problems;
4. Improve teachers’ practices; and
5. Better understand practice.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTION
RESEARCH
A synthesis from several sources gives us the
following list of characterizing features of
action research.
1. Action research is a process that improves
education by incorporating change.
2. It is a process involving educators working
together to improve their own practices.
3. It is persuasive and authoritative, since it is
done by teachers for teachers.
 Cont’d
4. It is collaborative; that is, it is composed of
educators talking and working with other
educators in empowering relationships.
5. It is practical and relevant to classroom
teachers, since it allows them direct access to
research findings.
 Cont’d
6.It is developing critical reflection about one’s
teaching;
7.It is planned, systematic approach to understanding
the learning process.
8.It is a process that requires practitioners to
investigate their ideas about education.
9. It is open-minded.
10.It is a critical analysis of educational places of
work.
11.It is a cyclical process of planning, acting,
developing, reflecting, and preplanning.
 Cont’d
12. It is a justification of one’s teaching practice.
13. It is rooted in the transformative possibilities
of personal and collective actions.
14. It is a form of inquiry that uses the
experience of being committed to improve
some practical aspects of a practical situation.
15. It is culturally embedded practice, taking
somewhat different forms in different
contexts
 Cont’d
16. It is on-the-spot procedure: designed to deal
with a concrete problem located in an
immediate situation(situational),
17. Sample is restricted and unrepresentative
18. Spiraling cycles of problem identification
19. It is participant-driven and reflective,
 Processes of Conducting AR
The AoR Cycle
1. Diagnosing
2. Action planning
3. Action taking
4. Evaluating
5. Specifying learning
Source: Clark, (1972)
 Cont’d

Action
Diagnosing
planning

Specifying Action
learning taking

Evaluating
Cont’d
Steps in Planning an AR Project

To Do AoR plan :
1. Select an appropriate area of focus( find a
starting point for AoR).
2. Do situation description and reconnaissance.
 Data collection
 Data analysis.
3. Develop action strategies, and
4. Determine resources.
 Steps in doing AR project
• Find a starting point Initial Reflection 
plan Act observe reflect revise plan
Act …
1. Identifying Issue/finding a starting point
for AoR
 Possible sources of a starting point for AoR
project:
• experiences of discrepancies,
• Interest,
• Difficulty, and
• Unclear situation.
 Cont’d
Activity
1. A teacher experimented with a new form of
assessment of her pupils’ work and carried out
research to improve and refine it.
2. The attitude of parents towards the provision of sex
education.
3. Primary school teachers attitude towards self
contained classroom.
4. Assessing teachers’ effectiveness on the
implementation of the new curriculum
(Discuss on pair basis for 10 mnts & share your
Approaches in choosing a starting point for
AR
A general idea or a starting point for AR:
• should focus on your own practice (Does the
situation comes from my field of experience?
Can I really do something about this?),
• should be within your locus of control
(manageable), don’t choose an issue that is
‘too big’,
• Make sure that your question is answerable,
 Cont’d
• Should be something you feel passionate
about,
• Should be something you would like to change
or improve, or better understand practice.
• Relevant(how important is the situation to me
and my professional concern?),
• Should be compatible with the rest of our
activity.
 Cont’d

to do
ab l e
e a nd n g ful
e ab l e a n i
g
Mana ate and m ou know
s sio n a t y
Pa t ow h w
it g r o
Keep tunity to estions…
p p o r r e q u
O to mo
e a d s
L
Phrases used in stating Starting
Points for AoR
• I want to improve…
• I want to learn more about…
• I’m perplexed by…
• Some are unhappy about…
• I’m curious about…
• I have a difficulty..
 Starting Points…Cont’d

I want to try…
I want to change…
I’m interested in…
 Cont’d
 Examples of starting points for AR:
1. When they are doing group work, the students seem to
waste a lot of time. How can I increase the amount of
on-task behavior for pupils engaging in-group work?
2. My pupils are not satisfied with the methods I use to
assess their work. How can I improve assessment
methods with their help?
3. Most parents want to help their children and the
school by supervising homework. What can we do to
make their help more productive?
 2. Reconnaissance/learning more about
your issue
 This is a step where by a teacher clearly and
critically understand the nature of the problem
to be solved or the issue to be improved.
 Describing the facts of the situation,
 Explaining the facts of the situation, that is,
• Describe the Who, What, When & Where of
the situation you want to change, improve, or
understand, and
• Explain the Why of the situation.
 a) Data collection and analysis
 Data collection tools:
 Interview,
 Focus group discussion,
 Diaries,
 Document analysis,
 Observation,
 Questionnaire, etc
 Analysis is usually suggested to be done qualitatively
by considering themes developed on the basis of the
research objectives. But AoR requires a mixed
approach!
3. Developing strategies and putting them
into practice
• Action strategies are better courses of actions
which are planned and put into practice by
teachers in order to improve their situation, or
• Experimental solutions to problems the
researcher is investigating
 a) Criteria Used in Selecting action
strategies
• Usefulness: how useful is this action strategy
to solve the problem/ improve the situation?
• Practicality: how practical and feasible is this
action strategies?
• Acceptability: will this action strategy be
acceptable to the teachers, pupils and other
concerned bodies?
 4. Reflecting on the overall process and
results
• In AR project, reflection occurs before, during
and after the research process. The more
formal reflection, nonetheless, comes at the
final stage to reiterate the process passed and
the results obtained.
• This stage is a learning process you
experienced as a result of completing the AoR
project.
 Types of action research
• Individual action research is research
conducted by one teacher or staff member.
• This type of research is conducted to analyze a
specific task.
• The teacher alone performs research by
implementing a group activity for a certain
length of time. After the action is performed,
the teacher analyzes the results, implements
changes, or discards the program if not found
to be helpful.
 Collaborative Research
• Collaborative research involves a group of
people researching a specified topic.
• With collaborative research, more than one
person is involved in the implementation of the
new program. Typically, a group of students,
larger than just one class, are tested, and the
results are analyzed.
• Many times collaborative research involves
both teachers and the principal of the school.
• This type of research offers the collaboration of
many people working jointly on one subject.
 School-Wide Research
• Action research programs are generally created
from a problem found within an entire school.
When a program is researched for an entire
school, it is called school-wide action research.
• For this type of action research, a school may have
concerns about a school-wide problem. This can
be lack of parental involvement or research to
increase students' performance in a certain subject.
• The entire staff works together through this
research to study the problem, implement changes,
and correct the problem or increase performance.
 District-Wide Research

 District-wide research is used for an entire school

district.
 This type of action research is usually more
community-based than the other types.

 This type may also be used to address

organizational problems within the entire district.

 For district-wide research, staff from each school in

the district, collaborates in correcting the problem or
finding ways to improve the situation.
 Action research can be spiral process
• The cyclical and iterative action research
process comprises four stages: planning,
acting, developing, and reflecting.
The Planning stage consists of the following
four steps:
• Identifying and limiting the topic
• Learning more about the topic
• Reviewing the related literature
• Developing a research plan
 Cont’d
The Acting stage consists of the following two steps:
Implementing the plan and collecting data
Analyzing data
The Developing stage consists of the following step
Developing an action plan
The Reflecting stage consists of the following steps:
Sharing and communicating
Reflecting on the process.
 BASIC STEPS OF CONDUCTING ACTION
RESEARCH
Step 1. Identify an issue/a problem/an area of
focus, and limit it
Step 2. Learn more about your issue (formal and
informal information gathering)
Step 3. Review Related Literature (formal aspect)
Step 4. Plan and develop a strategy for your study
Step 5. Gather data
Step 6. Analyze and interpret the data
 Cont’d
Step7. Develop a plan of action
Step 8.Take appropriate action and share your
results
Step 9. Reflect on the overall process and the
results
 Action Research Proposal Components
Basic components of AR proposal include:
• Background (school context, researcher background)
• What is my concern?
• Why am I concerned?
• What can I do?
• What will I do?
• Who can help me?
• How will I evaluate my work?
• What will I learn from doing my AR?
• Time table
• Reference (if any…)
• Appendix (if any…)
 Background (school context, Researcher
Background)
• What is the background of this topic or focus and why
is that background important to understand?
• How can I situate my study within related professional
literature?
• What is the theoretical framework that I bring to this
study?
• What are the areas of research and specific research
studies that relate to my study?
• What are related professional references (research,
theory, and/or practice) that inform me?
 What is my concern?

What is the specific context in which the study

was conducted (e.g. school population, the
classroom environment, curriculum, etc.)?

 May include a description of the school, the

physical layout of the classroom, the curriculum
or specific curricular engagement that was
studied.
 Why I am concerned
• What was the basis of my interest in this topic
or focus?
• What was I trying to learn about and
understand?
• What were my overall goals?
• What factors in my own history and
experiences led me to be interested in this
inquiry?
 What can I do?

• What did I do in the classroom setting to

create a context from which I collected data?

• Were there certain engagements that I did with

my students?
• How can I situate my study within related
professional literature
 What will I do?

• What are the procedures that I will do?

• Which strategic or method do I select?
 Who can help me?

• Who are the people which helps me in doing

this research?
• What are the roles of each people in helping
me?
 How will I evaluate my work?

• What mechanism do I used to evaluate my

work?

• How can I check and know the effectiveness

of the evaluation method which I have used?

• What are the indicators for change?

Thank you