Action Research (Special Topic Seminar)
An exploratory look at Action Research (Special Topic Seminar)
Dr.Dr. SunSuniill HazariHazari AssocAssociiaattee ProfessorProfessor http://www.sunilhazari.com/education
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Agenda
• ConductConductiingng ReRessearchearch • QualQualiitatattiveive vs.vs. QuantiQuantittatatiiveve ResearchResearch • CharacCharacttereriisticsstics ofof QQuauallitativeitative ResearchResearch • ActionAction ResearchResearch § Characteristics, Benefits • ActionAction ResearchResearch iinn EducationEducation • CaseCase StudyStudy • DiscussionDiscussion
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Research Goals
Theoretical Research focused on explaining phenomena through the logical analysis and synthesis of theories, principles, and results of other research Empirical Research focused on determining how education works by testing conclusion related to theory
Interpretivist Research focused on portraying how education works by describing and interpreting phenomena
Evaluation Research focused on particular program, product, or method usually in applied setting for the purpose of describing, improving or estimating effectiveness
Source: Journal of Interactive Learning Research Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Research Methods
Quantitative Experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational that involve quantitative data and use of inferential statistics Qualitative Observation, case-studies, interviews and other methods that involve qualitative data and its analysis using grounded theory and ethnographic approaches Literature Research synthesis that primarily involve the analysis Review and integration of other forms of research, e.g. frequency count and meta-analyses Mixed-methods Research approach that combine mixture of methods usually quantitative and qualitative, to triangulate findings
Source: Journal of Interactive Learning Research Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Research
• QuantitativeQuantitative § DealsDeals wiwitthh Numbers.Numbers. DescriptiveDescriptive oror InferentInferentiialal statiststatistiics.cs. ExampleExampless incinclludeude ssurveyurvey memetthods,hods, lablab experexperiiments,ments, mathematmathematiicacall modemodellinging etc.etc. • QualitativeQualitative § ExampleExampless incinclludeude CCasease ssttudyudy researchresearch andand ethnography.ethnography. QualiQualittatatiiveve dadattaa sourcessources iincludenclude obobsservatervatiion,on, inintterverviiewsews andand questionnaires,questionnaires, documendocumentts,s, andand reressearcherearcher’’ss impressions.impressions.
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Methodology Comparison
Quantitative Qualitative • Deductive Process • Inductive Process • Cause and Effect • Mutual simultaneous shaping of factors • Static Design (Categories • Emerging Design (Categories Isolated before study) identified during research process) • Generalizations leading to • Patterns, theories developed for prediction, explanation, and understanding understanding • Accurate and reliable through • Accurate and reliable through Validity and Reliability verification
Prof. Hazari Source: Creswell, 1994 http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Other Research Methods
• SurveySurvey ReRessearchearch • ContentContent AnalysisAnalysis • ExperimentsExperiments • ExistingExisting datadata reressearchearch • HistoricalHistorical ReRessearchearch • ComparativeComparative ResearchResearch
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Qualitative Research Characteristics
• Does not intend to predict future, but understand nature of setting • Researcher is primary instrument for data collection and analysis • Involves fieldwork for data collection so behavior is observed in natural setting • Uses inductive reasoning – finds theory that explains data (instead of deductive which finds data to match theory) • Focuses on process, meaning, and understanding. Product is richly descriptive • Does not allow for entry of hypothesis, or math formula that could produce findings of probability and inference
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Categories of Qualitative Data
• InIn--DepthDepth IntervInterviieewsws § Audio/video/text § Probes idea of subjects about phenomena • DirectDirect ObservatObservatiionon § No active queries § Field research (being among participants) § Recording using audio/video/text • WrittenWritten DDocumentsocuments § Newspapers, books, websites § Perform content analysis
Source: http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/qualdata.htm Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education • PositiPositivvistist StuStuddiesies § PremisedPremised onon thethe exexiistencestence ofof fixedfixed aa prpriioriori rerellationshipsationships withwithiinn phenomenaphenomena whwhiichch areare typtypiicalcalllyy iinvestiganvestigatteded withwith strucstructturedured instrumentatinstrumentatiion.on. TestTest TheorTheoriies.es. • InterpreInterprettiveive StudStudiieses § StudiesStudies aasssumesume peoplepeople creacreattee andand assocassociiaattee ownown subsubjjectiveective meansmeans iinn thethe worldworld aroundaround them.them. EthnographyEthnography isis InIntterpreerprettive.ive.
Source: Trauth, E. (2001) Qualitative Research in IS Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Approaches to Qualitative Data • EthnographyEthnography (anthropology) § Study of entire culture § E.g. Nicobar Islands, IBM Business Culture • PhenomenoPhenomenollogyogy (social science) § Focus on people’s subjective experience/interpretation of world § How does the world appear to another • FieldField ReRessearchearch § Participant observation in natural setting § Field notes coded and analyzed • GroundedGrounded TheoryTheory § Develop theory based on observation (not abstraction) § Raise questions, gather data, identify core theoretical concepts, establish links between theory and data
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Phenomenology
• AsAs oneone exampexamplle,e, phenomenophenomenollogyogy isis aa widelywidely uusseded qualiqualittatatiiveve memetthodhod thatthat doesdoes notnot setset ououtt toto findfind rerellationships.ationships. TheThe goalgoal ofof phenomenophenomenollogyogy isis ttoo studystudy thethe ‘‘livedlived experexperiiencesences’’ ofof participantsparticipants involvedinvolved iinn thethe phenomenonphenomenon underunder study.study. • HereHere’’ss aa mademade--upup exampexampllee fromfrom decadesdecades gonegone by:by: WhatWhat isis thethe experexperiienceence ofof mmiiddleddle managersmanagers whenwhen DruckerDrucker’’ss TotalTotal QQualiualittyy ManagementManagement proceduresprocedures areare iimplemenmplementted?ed?
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Qualitative Analysis Assessment Example:
• ProblemProblem:: DetermDetermiinene whetherwhether learnlearniingng hashas occurredoccurred withwith coursecourse mamatterialerial wherewhere primaryprimary inintteracteractiionon isis onlonliinene diadiallogog betweenbetween facultyfaculty andand studentsstudents iinn NursingNursing InformatInformatiicscs courcoursse.e. • AssumpAssumptitionon:: UseUse ofof conceptsconcepts inin studentstudent dialogdialog cancan bebe iindndiicacattionion tthathat learnlearniingng hahass occurred.occurred. • MeMetthodhod:: OnlineOnline ddiialogalog converconvertteded ttoo texttext filesfiles andand imporimportteded iintonto QAQA software,software, ttextext searchsearch usingusing coursecourse ttopicsopics//concepts,concepts, countcount ofof paspasssagesages inin discussiondiscussion forumforum tthathat includedincluded toptopiicc phrasephrase oror concept.concept. Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Qualitative Analysis …2
• ResultsResults § TopTopiicc//conceptconcept frequencyfrequency wwasas highhigh inin tthehe discussiondiscussion forumforum dedicadedicatteded toto thethe ttopicopic § ReRellaatteded topic/conceptstopic/concepts werewere raisedraised atat lowerlower frequencfrequenciieses inin focusfocus discussdiscussiionsons wherewhere thethe rerellatedated conceptconcept isis commoncommonllyy assocassociiatedated
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Software Tools for Qualitative Research
• CAQDAS : Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Project - http://caqdas.soc.surrey.ac.uk/index.html • NUD*IST : http://www.qsrinternational.com • The Ethnograph : http://www.qualisresearch.com/ • ATLAS/ti : http://www.atlasti.de/ • WordStat: Content Analysis http://www.simstat.com/wordstat.htm • Text Analyst : Semantic text analysis http://www.megaputer.com/
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education From: http://www.simstat.com/wordstat.htm
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Action Research
• ACTIONACTION § To bring change (to community, organization, program)
• RESERESEAARCHRCH § To increase understanding
For Practitioners… Action informs understanding Understanding assists action
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Action Research
• StudyStudy ooff problemproblem atat thethe locallocal lelevvelel • ApplyApply findingsfindings immediatelyimmediately • LessLess formalformal whenwhen comparedcompared toto purepure oror appliedapplied reressearchearch • E.g.E.g. 55th gradegrade tteachereacher exexpperimentierimentinngg withwith aa newnew memetthodhod ofof teachingteaching sspellingpelling usingusing aa softwaresoftware programprogram
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Action Research
• ReRessearchersearchers areare interestedinterested inin insinsiight,ght, discovery,discovery, andand interpretatinterpretatiionon ratherrather thanthan hypothehypothessisis testingtesting • BridgesBridges theorytheory--practicepractice ggapap byby usingusing intuiintuittionion andand exexpperience,erience, cancan gegennerateerate meaninmeaninggfulful andand usefuluseful findingsfindings • EmpowersEmpowers practitionerspractitioners toto engaengaggee iinn reressearchearch andand dedevvelopmentelopment//implementationimplementation
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Problem Diagnosis
Action Research
Reflective Action Learning Intervention
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Action Research in Education
• IdentifyIdentify neeneeddss ofof student,student, claclasssrosrooom,m, school,school, ddistrictistrict • TeacherTeacherss becobecommee commitcommittteded toto cchhangeange • StudentStudent behavior,behavior, seenseen asas data,data, bbecomesecomes moremore interestinginteresting toto teacteachhersers • CollaborationCollaboration withwith otherother professiprofessioonalsnals overcoovercommeses isolatisolatiionon • ReflectionReflection onon practicepractice causescauses grgroowthwth
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Why?
• PromoPromottee personapersonall/profess/professiionaonall growthgrowth • ImproveImprove practicepractice ttoo enhanceenhance sstudenttudent learninglearning • AdvanceAdvance tteachingeaching professprofessiionon • DevelopDevelop confconfiidencedence andand expertiseexpertise necenecesssarysary toto questionquestion andand chalchalllengeenge • TeachersTeachers becomebecome theorettheoretiicciiansans andand practitioners,practitioners, creatcreatiingng newnew knowknowlledgeedge andand usingusing itit “Putting practice, ideas, and assumptions to test is at the heart of action research”
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education “When teachers become researchers, they become theorists, articulating their intentions, testing their assumptions, and finding connections with practice.”
“They become more critical readers of existing research literature, and provide education with information impossible to obtain through traditional research methods.”
- Goswami& Stillman(1987)
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Reporting Action Research
1. IntroductIntroductiionon • Describe field situation, reason for study • Need for action • Preview original contribution of thesis 2. MeMetthodohodollogyogy • Reasons for taking steps • Justify approach 3. FindingsFindings • Present each major finding, conclusions • Relevant literature
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education • InstructionalInstructional TechnologyTechnology AdoptionAdoption inin HigherHigher EducatioEducationn:: AnAn AcActtionion ResearchResearch CaCassee StudyStudy
• DiscuDiscusssionssions
Prof. Hazari http://www.sunilhazari.com/education Prof.Prof. SSuunilnil HazariHazari http:http:///www.sunilhazari.c/www.sunilhazari.coom/educationm/education