action research report for b.ed students

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students [Updated 2024]

Starting your B.Ed journey is exciting for future teachers. One crucial aspect of this academic pursuit is action research – a dynamic process that bridges theory and practice, allowing students to delve into real-world educational challenges. In this blog, we will explore the significance of action research topics for b.ed students, shed light on the criteria for selecting engaging topics, and provide a comprehensive list of actionable research ideas.

Understanding Action Research in B.Ed

Table of Contents

Action research is not merely a theoretical concept; it’s a practical approach that encourages educators to actively engage in systematic inquiry to improve teaching and learning. In the context of B.Ed programs, it serves as a bridge between academic knowledge and the challenges faced in actual classrooms.

This methodology empowers future educators to become reflective practitioners, constantly refining their teaching strategies based on evidence and experience.

How to Select Action Research Topics?

Selecting action research topics is a crucial step that can significantly impact the success and relevance of your research. Here’s a simplified guide on how to choose action research topics:

Identify Your Passion and Interests:
Consider what aspects of education or teaching excite you the most.
Reflect on your own experiences as a student or any challenges you’ve observed in educational settings.
Align with B.Ed Curriculum:
Ensure your chosen topic aligns with the curriculum of your B.Ed program.
Examine your course materials and note any places where you can put theoretical ideas to use in practical situations.
Address Current Educational Issues:
Keep informed on contemporary issues and developments in education.
Choose a topic that addresses a relevant and pressing issue in the field, contributing to ongoing discussions.
Consider Feasibility:
Assess the feasibility of your research topic within the constraints of time and resources.
Ensure that the scope of your research is manageable and can be realistically implemented.
Potential for Impact:
Evaluate the potential impact of your research on teaching and learning.
Aim for topics that have practical implications and can bring about positive changes in educational practices.
Consult with Mentors and Instructors:
Seek guidance from your mentors, instructors, or advisors.
Discuss your ideas with them to receive valuable insights and suggestions for refining your research topic.
Brainstorm and Research:
Make a list of possible subjects that fit the above-mentioned requirements and correspond with your interests.
Conduct preliminary research to ensure there is enough existing literature and resources to support your chosen topic.
Narrow Down Your Options:
Evaluate each potential topic based on relevance, feasibility, and potential impact.
Narrow down your options to one or two topics that best meet the criteria and align with your goals.
Ensure Personal Connection:
Select a subject that speaks to you personally. Your passion and commitment to the subject will enhance the quality of your research.
Get Feedback:
Share your shortlisted topics with peers, mentors, or classmates.
Gather feedback to ensure your chosen topic is well-received and has support within your academic community.

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students: Category Wise

Classroom management and discipline.

The impact of positive reinforcement on student behavior.
Strategies for managing disruptive behavior in the classroom.
The effectiveness of peer mediation in resolving conflicts among students.
Creating a culturally responsive approach to classroom discipline.
Investigating the influence of classroom layout on student behavior.
Implementing restorative justice practices in schools.
Examining the role of teacher-student relationships in classroom discipline.
Assessing the impact of mindfulness practices on student behavior.

Teaching Strategies and Methods

Differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning needs.
The effectiveness of project-based learning in enhancing student engagement.
Exploring flipped classroom models in B.Ed teaching.
Investigating the impact of cooperative learning strategies.
Adapting teaching methods for students with diverse learning styles.
The use of educational technology in improving learning outcomes.
The impact of inquiry-based learning on critical thinking skills.
Exploring the effectiveness of outdoor education.

Student Engagement and Motivation

Investigating factors influencing student motivation in mathematics.
The role of extracurricular activities in promoting student engagement.
Strategies for fostering a growth mindset in students.
Enhancing student motivation through gamification in education.
Investigating the impact of teacher enthusiasm on student motivation.
The role of peer collaboration in increasing student engagement.
Examining the impact of culturally relevant teaching on student motivation.
Strategies for motivating unmotivated students in the classroom.

Assessment and Evaluation

The impact of formative assessment on student learning outcomes.
Investigating the effectiveness of self-assessment in student evaluation.
Strategies for reducing bias in assessment and grading.
Exploring alternative methods for assessing student creativity.
The impact of standardized testing on student stress levels.
Designing authentic assessments for real-world application.
Investigating the role of feedback in student performance improvement.
Strategies for promoting self-regulated learning through assessment.

Inclusive Education

The effectiveness of inclusive classrooms in promoting diversity.
Strategies for supporting students with learning disabilities.
Investigating the impact of inclusive education on peer relationships.
Creating an inclusive curriculum for students with diverse needs.
The role of teacher attitudes in promoting inclusive practices.
Strategies for addressing unconscious bias in the classroom.
The impact of inclusive education on the social-emotional development of students.
Designing inclusive assessments for all learners.

Parent and Community Involvement

The role of parental involvement in student academic achievement.
Strategies for enhancing communication between teachers and parents.
Investigating the impact of community partnerships on student success.
Creating a positive home-school connection for student support.
Strategies for involving parents in students’ homework and study routines.
The role of community resources in addressing student needs.
Examining the impact of parent-teacher conferences on student performance.
Strategies for involving parents in school decision-making.

English Language Learning (ELL)

The impact of language immersion programs on ELL student outcomes.
Strategies for supporting ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
Investigating the effectiveness of bilingual education programs.
Creating a culturally responsive approach to teaching English.
The role of technology in supporting ELL students.
Strategies for promoting language development in ELL students.
Exploring the impact of teacher attitudes on ELL student success.
The effectiveness of language support programs for ELL students.

Special Education

Strategies for promoting inclusive practices in special education.
Investigating the impact of assistive technology on student learning.
Creating individualized education plans (IEPs) for student success.
The role of teacher collaboration in supporting special education students.
Strategies for addressing behavioral challenges in special education settings.
The impact of inclusive classrooms on students with autism spectrum disorders.
Investigating the effectiveness of speech and language therapy in schools.
Creating sensory-friendly environments for special education students.

Educational Leadership

The impact of distributed leadership on school culture.
Strategies for fostering teacher leadership in schools.
Investigating the role of school leadership in teacher retention.
Creating a positive school climate through effective leadership.
The impact of professional development on leadership skills.
Strategies for promoting shared decision-making in schools.
Investigating the role of emotional intelligence in educational leadership.
The effectiveness of mentorship programs for new teachers.

Classroom Environment

Investigating the impact of classroom aesthetics on student well-being.
Strategies for creating a positive and inclusive classroom climate.
The role of flexible seating arrangements in student engagement.
Designing a culturally responsive classroom environment.
Investigating the impact of classroom lighting on student focus.
Strategies for promoting a sense of belonging in the classroom.
The effectiveness of incorporating nature in the classroom.
Investigating the role of classroom layout on collaborative learning.

Technology Integration

Strategies for integrating digital literacy skills into the curriculum.
Investigating the impact of virtual reality in educational settings.
Creating a responsible approach to social media use in education.
The role of online platforms in promoting student collaboration.
Strategies for addressing the digital divide in schools.
Investigating the impact of blended learning on student outcomes.
The effectiveness of gamified learning apps in the classroom.
Exploring the use of artificial intelligence in education.

Professional Development

Strategies for promoting ongoing professional development for teachers.
Investigating the impact of peer mentoring on teacher effectiveness.
The role of teacher collaboration in professional growth.
Designing effective workshops for teacher skill enhancement.
Investigating the impact of reflective practices on teacher development.
Strategies for addressing burnout and promoting teacher well-being.
The role of action research in teacher professional development.
The effectiveness of online professional development courses.

Literacy Development

Investigating the impact of reading interventions on struggling readers.
Strategies for promoting literacy across subject areas.
The role of parental involvement in promoting early literacy.
Exploring the impact of storytelling on language development.
Strategies for addressing literacy challenges in diverse student populations.
The effectiveness of using technology in literacy instruction.
Investigating the impact of library programs on student reading habits.
Promoting a love for reading through innovative literacy initiatives.

Mathematics Education

Strategies for promoting conceptual understanding in mathematics.
Investigating the impact of real-world applications in math instruction.
The role of formative assessment in improving math performance.
Designing effective math interventions for struggling students.
Investigating the impact of technology in mathematics education.
Strategies for promoting a growth mindset in math learning.
The effectiveness of collaborative learning in math classrooms.
Investigating the role of teacher enthusiasm in math engagement.

Science Education

Strategies for promoting hands-on learning in science classrooms.
Investigating the impact of outdoor education on science understanding.
The role of inquiry-based learning in science education.
Designing effective science experiments for student engagement.
Investigating the impact of STEM programs on student interest.
Strategies for promoting environmental education in schools.
The effectiveness of science fairs in promoting scientific inquiry.
Investigating the role of teacher modeling in science instruction.

Social Studies Education

Strategies for promoting critical thinking in social studies.
Investigating the impact of project-based learning in social studies.
The role of cultural sensitivity in social studies curriculum.
Designing effective field trips for social studies education.
Investigating the impact of current events in social studies instruction.
Strategies for addressing bias in social studies textbooks.
The effectiveness of using primary sources in social studies classes.
Investigating the role of debate in social studies learning.

Arts Education

Strategies for integrating the arts into STEM education.
Investigating the impact of arts education on overall academic achievement.
The role of arts education in promoting creativity and innovation.
Designing effective arts programs for students with diverse abilities.
Investigating the impact of music education on cognitive development.
Strategies for promoting inclusivity in arts education.
The effectiveness of drama and theater in enhancing student communication skills.
Investigating the role of visual arts in fostering cultural awareness.

Physical Education

Strategies for promoting lifelong fitness habits in students.
Investigating the impact of physical education on academic performance.
The role of technology in enhancing physical education classes.
Designing effective physical education programs for students with disabilities.
Investigating the impact of outdoor activities on physical and mental well-being.
Strategies for promoting teamwork and cooperation in physical education.
The effectiveness of mindfulness practices in physical education.
Investigating the role of physical activity in reducing stress among students.

Health Education

Strategies for promoting health literacy in schools.
Investigating the impact of nutrition education on student habits.
The role of mental health education in schools.
Designing effective sex education programs for diverse student populations.
Investigating the impact of mindfulness practices on student well-being.
Strategies for addressing substance abuse education in schools.
The effectiveness of peer-led health education programs.
Investigating the role of physical activity in promoting overall health.

Environmental Education

Strategies for promoting environmental literacy in schools.
Investigating the impact of outdoor education on environmental awareness.
The role of sustainability education in the curriculum.
Designing effective environmental science programs.
Investigating the impact of school gardens on student learning.
Strategies for promoting eco-friendly practices in schools.
The effectiveness of community-based environmental projects.
Investigating the role of technology in environmental education.

Early Childhood Education

Strategies for promoting play-based learning in early childhood.
Investigating the impact of parental involvement in early education.
The role of early literacy development in overall academic success.
Designing effective transition programs for kindergarten readiness.
Investigating the impact of technology in early childhood classrooms.
Strategies for promoting social-emotional development in young children.
The effectiveness of inclusive practices in early childhood education.
Investigating the role of outdoor play in early childhood development.

Higher Education

Strategies for promoting student engagement in college classrooms.
Investigating the impact of online learning on student outcomes.
The role of mentorship programs in supporting college students.
Designing effective study skills programs for university success.
Investigating the impact of student support services on retention.
Strategies for addressing mental health challenges in higher education.
The effectiveness of peer-led tutoring programs.
Investigating the role of technology in higher education.

Educational Policy and Reform

Strategies for promoting teacher involvement in policy development.
Investigating the impact of standardized testing on educational equity.
The role of teacher evaluation systems in promoting professional growth.
Designing effective professional development policies for educators.
Investigating the impact of inclusive education policies on student outcomes.
Strategies for addressing school funding disparities.
The effectiveness of school choice programs in improving education.
Investigating the role of community involvement in educational policy.

Global Education

Strategies for promoting global citizenship in classrooms.
Investigating the impact of international exchange programs on student perspectives.
The role of technology in connecting students globally.
Designing effective multicultural education programs.
Investigating the impact of global issues in the curriculum.
Strategies for promoting cultural competence in teacher education.
The effectiveness of language immersion programs in promoting global awareness.
Investigating the role of service learning in global education.

Teacher Well-being

Strategies for promoting teacher well-being and mental health.
Investigating the impact of work-life balance on teacher effectiveness.
The role of professional development in reducing teacher burnout.
Designing effective stress management programs for educators.
Investigating the impact of school leadership on teacher job satisfaction.
Strategies for addressing teacher turnover in schools.
The effectiveness of mindfulness practices in reducing teacher stress.
Investigating the role of supportive school environments in teacher well-being .

Steps to Conduct Action Research in B.Ed

To embark on a successful action research journey, B.Ed students should follow a structured process:

Formulating a Clear Research Question: Clearly define the problem or challenge you aim to address.
Conducting a Literature Review: Explore existing research to inform and contextualize your study.
Designing the Research Methodology: Plan the research approach, including data collection methods and analysis.
Collecting and Analyzing Data: Gather relevant data and analyze it to draw meaningful conclusions.
Drawing Conclusions and Making Recommendations: Synthesize your findings and propose actionable recommendations.

Benefits of Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students

Engaging in action research offers numerous benefits for B.Ed students:

Professional Development Opportunities: Action research enhances educators’ professional growth by fostering a reflective and iterative approach to teaching.
Enhancing Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills: Students develop strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they navigate real-world educational challenges.
Contributing to the Improvement of Teaching Practices: Action research enables educators to actively contribute to the continuous improvement of teaching practices within their classrooms and beyond.

In conclusion, action research is a powerful tool that empowers B.Ed students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. By carefully selecting relevant and engaging topics, students can embark on a transformative journey that not only enhances their academic experience but also contributes to the broader field of education.

As we encourage B.Ed students to explore and engage in meaningful Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students, we pave the way for a future generation of educators committed to continuous improvement and excellence in teaching.

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4 Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What sort of considerations are necessary to take action in your educational context?
How do you facilitate an action plan without disrupting your teaching?
How do you respond when the unplanned happens during data collection?

An action research project is a practical endeavor that will ultimately be shaped by your educational context and practice. Now that you have developed a literature review, you are ready to revise your initial plans and begin to plan your project. This chapter will provide some advice about your considerations when undertaking an action research project in your classroom.

Maintain Focus

Hopefully, you found a lot a research on your topic. If so, you will now have a better understanding of how it fits into your area and field of educational research. Even though the topic and area you are researching may not be small, your study itself should clearly focus on one aspect of the topic in your classroom. It is important to maintain clarity about what you are investigating because a lot will be going on simultaneously during the research process and you do not want to spend precious time on erroneous aspects that are irrelevant to your research.

Even though you may view your practice as research, and vice versa, you might want to consider your research project as a projection or megaphone for your work that will bring attention to the small decisions that make a difference in your educational context. From experience, our concern is that you will find that researching one aspect of your practice will reveal other interconnected aspects that you may find interesting, and you will disorient yourself researching in a confluence of interests, commitments, and purposes. We simply want to emphasize – don’t try to research everything at once. Stay focused on your topic, and focus on exploring it in depth, instead of its many related aspects. Once you feel you have made progress in one aspect, you can then progress to other related areas, as new research projects that continue the research cycle.

Identify a Clear Research Question

Your literature review should have exposed you to an array of research questions related to your topic. More importantly, your review should have helped identify which research questions we have addressed as a field, and which ones still need to be addressed . More than likely your research questions will resemble ones from your literature review, while also being distinguishable based upon your own educational context and the unexplored areas of research on your topic.

Regardless of how your research question took shape, it is important to be clear about what you are researching in your educational context. Action research questions typically begin in ways related to “How does … ?” or “How do I/we … ?”, for example:

Research Question Examples

How does a semi-structured morning meeting improve my classroom community?
How does historical fiction help students think about people’s agency in the past?
How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences?
How do we increase student responsibility for their own learning as a team of teachers?

I particularly favor questions with I or we, because they emphasize that you, the actor and researcher, will be clearly taking action to improve your practice. While this may seem rather easy, you need to be aware of asking the right kind of question. One issue is asking a too pointed and closed question that limits the possibility for analysis. These questions tend to rely on quantitative answers, or yes/no answers. For example, “How many students got a 90% or higher on the exam, after reviewing the material three times?

Another issue is asking a question that is too broad, or that considers too many variables. For example, “How does room temperature affect students’ time-on-task?” These are obviously researchable questions, but the aim is a cause-and-effect relationship between variables that has little or no value to your daily practice.

I also want to point out that your research question will potentially change as the research develops. If you consider the question:

As you do an activity, you may find that students are more comfortable and engaged by acting sentences out in small groups, instead of the whole class. Therefore, your question may shift to:

How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences, in small groups ?

By simply engaging in the research process and asking questions, you will open your thinking to new possibilities and you will develop new understandings about yourself and the problematic aspects of your educational context.

Understand Your Capabilities and Know that Change Happens Slowly

Similar to your research question, it is important to have a clear and realistic understanding of what is possible to research in your specific educational context. For example, would you be able to address unsatisfactory structures (policies and systems) within your educational context? Probably not immediately, but over time you potentially could. It is much more feasible to think of change happening in smaller increments, from within your own classroom or context, with you as one change agent. For example, you might find it particularly problematic that your school or district places a heavy emphasis on traditional grades, believing that these grades are often not reflective of the skills students have or have not mastered. Instead of attempting to research grading practices across your school or district, your research might instead focus on determining how to provide more meaningful feedback to students and parents about progress in your course. While this project identifies and addresses a structural issue that is part of your school and district context, to keep things manageable, your research project would focus the outcomes on your classroom. The more research you do related to the structure of your educational context the more likely modifications will emerge. The more you understand these modifications in relation to the structural issues you identify within your own context, the more you can influence others by sharing your work and enabling others to understand the modification and address structural issues within their contexts. Throughout your project, you might determine that modifying your grades to be standards-based is more effective than traditional grades, and in turn, that sharing your research outcomes with colleagues at an in-service presentation prompts many to adopt a similar model in their own classrooms. It can be defeating to expect the world to change immediately, but you can provide the spark that ignites coordinated changes. In this way, action research is a powerful methodology for enacting social change. Action research enables individuals to change their own lives, while linking communities of like-minded practitioners who work towards action.

Plan Thoughtfully

Planning thoughtfully involves having a path in mind, but not necessarily having specific objectives. Due to your experience with students and your educational context, the research process will often develop in ways as you expected, but at times it may develop a little differently, which may require you to shift the research focus and change your research question. I will suggest a couple methods to help facilitate this potential shift. First, you may want to develop criteria for gauging the effectiveness of your research process. You may need to refine and modify your criteria and your thinking as you go. For example, we often ask ourselves if action research is encouraging depth of analysis beyond my typical daily pedagogical reflection. You can think about this as you are developing data collection methods and even when you are collecting data. The key distinction is whether the data you will be collecting allows for nuance among the participants or variables. This does not mean that you will have nuance, but it should allow for the possibility. Second, criteria are shaped by our values and develop into standards of judgement. If we identify criteria such as teacher empowerment, then we will use that standard to think about the action contained in our research process. Our values inform our work; therefore, our work should be judged in relation to the relevance of our values in our pedagogy and practice.

Does Your Timeline Work?

While action research is situated in the temporal span that is your life, your research project is short-term, bounded, and related to the socially mediated practices within your educational context. The timeline is important for bounding, or setting limits to your research project, while also making sure you provide the right amount of time for the data to emerge from the process.

For example, if you are thinking about examining the use of math diaries in your classroom, you probably do not want to look at a whole semester of entries because that would be a lot of data, with entries related to a wide range of topics. This would create a huge data analysis endeavor. Therefore, you may want to look at entries from one chapter or unit of study. Also, in terms of timelines, you want to make sure participants have enough time to develop the data you collect. Using the same math example, you would probably want students to have plenty of time to write in the journals, and also space out the entries over the span of the chapter or unit.

In relation to the examples, we think it is an important mind shift to not think of research timelines in terms of deadlines. It is vitally important to provide time and space for the data to emerge from the participants. Therefore, it would be potentially counterproductive to rush a 50-minute data collection into 20 minutes – like all good educators, be flexible in the research process.

Involve Others

It is important to not isolate yourself when doing research. Many educators are already isolated when it comes to practice in their classroom. The research process should be an opportunity to engage with colleagues and open up your classroom to discuss issues that are potentially impacting your entire educational context. Think about the following relationships:

Research participants

You may invite a variety of individuals in your educational context, many with whom you are in a shared situation (e.g. colleagues, administrators). These participants may be part of a collaborative study, they may simply help you develop data collection instruments or intervention items, or they may help to analyze and make sense of the data. While the primary research focus will be you and your learning, you will also appreciate how your learning is potentially influencing the quality of others’ learning.

We always tell educators to be public about your research, or anything exciting that is happening in your educational context, for that matter. In terms of research, you do not want it to seem mysterious to any stakeholder in the educational context. Invite others to visit your setting and observe your research process, and then ask for their formal feedback. Inviting others to your classroom will engage and connect you with other stakeholders, while also showing that your research was established in an ethic of respect for multiple perspectives.

Critical friends or validators

Using critical friends is one way to involve colleagues and also validate your findings and conclusions. While your positionality will shape the research process and subsequently your interpretations of the data, it is important to make sure that others see similar logic in your process and conclusions. Critical friends or validators provide some level of certification that the frameworks you use to develop your research project and make sense of your data are appropriate for your educational context. Your critical friends and validators’ suggestions will be useful if you develop a report or share your findings, but most importantly will provide you confidence moving forward.

Potential researchers

As an educational researcher, you are involved in ongoing improvement plans and district or systemic change. The flexibility of action research allows it to be used in a variety of ways, and your initial research can spark others in your context to engage in research either individually for their own purposes, or collaboratively as a grade level, team, or school. Collaborative inquiry with other educators is an emerging form of professional learning and development for schools with school improvement plans. While they call it collaborative inquiry, these schools are often using an action research model. It is good to think of all of your colleagues as potential research collaborators in the future.

Prioritize Ethical Practice

Try to always be cognizant of your own positionality during the action research process, its relation to your educational context, and any associated power relation to your positionality. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you are not coercing or engaging participants into harmful practices. While this may seem obvious, you may not even realize you are harming your participants because you believe the action is necessary for the research process.

For example, commonly teachers want to try out an intervention that will potentially positively impact their students. When the teacher sets up the action research study, they may have a control group and an experimental group. There is potential to impair the learning of one of these groups if the intervention is either highly impactful or exceedingly worse than the typical instruction. Therefore, teachers can sometimes overlook the potential harm to students in pursuing an experimental method of exploring an intervention.

If you are working with a university researcher, ethical concerns will be covered by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). If not, your school or district may have a process or form that you would need to complete, so it would beneficial to check your district policies before starting. Other widely accepted aspects of doing ethically informed research, include:

Confirm Awareness of Study and Negotiate Access – with authorities, participants and parents, guardians, caregivers and supervisors (with IRB this is done with Informed Consent).

Promise to Uphold Confidentiality – Uphold confidentiality, to your fullest ability, to protect information, identity and data. You can identify people if they indicate they want to be recognized for their contributions.
Ensure participants’ rights to withdraw from the study at any point .
Make sure data is secured, either on password protected computer or lock drawer .

Prepare to Problematize your Thinking

Educational researchers who are more philosophically-natured emphasize that research is not about finding solutions, but instead is about creating and asking new and more precise questions. This is represented in the action research process shown in the diagrams in Chapter 1, as Collingwood (1939) notes the aim in human interaction is always to keep the conversation open, while Edward Said (1997) emphasized that there is no end because whatever we consider an end is actually the beginning of something entirely new. These reflections have perspective in evaluating the quality in research and signifying what is “good” in “good pedagogy” and “good research”. If we consider that action research is about studying and reflecting on one’s learning and how that learning influences practice to improve it, there is nothing to stop your line of inquiry as long as you relate it to improving practice. This is why it is necessary to problematize and scrutinize our practices.

Ethical Dilemmas for Educator-Researchers

Classroom teachers are increasingly expected to demonstrate a disposition of reflection and inquiry into their own practice. Many advocate for schools to become research centers, and to produce their own research studies, which is an important advancement in acknowledging and addressing the complexity in today’s schools. When schools conduct their own research studies without outside involvement, they bypass outside controls over their studies. Schools shift power away from the oversight of outside experts and ethical research responsibilities are shifted to those conducting the formal research within their educational context. Ethics firmly grounded and established in school policies and procedures for teaching, becomes multifaceted when teaching practice and research occur simultaneously. When educators conduct research in their classrooms, are they doing so as teachers or as researchers, and if they are researchers, at what point does the teaching role change to research? Although the notion of objectivity is a key element in traditional research paradigms, educator-based research acknowledges a subjective perspective as the educator-researcher is not viewed separately from the research. In action research, unlike traditional research, the educator as researcher gains access to the research site by the nature of the work they are paid and expected to perform. The educator is never detached from the research and remains at the research site both before and after the study. Because studying one’s practice comprises working with other people, ethical deliberations are inevitable. Educator-researchers confront role conflict and ambiguity regarding ethical issues such as informed consent from participants, protecting subjects (students) from harm, and ensuring confidentiality. They must demonstrate a commitment toward fully understanding ethical dilemmas that present themselves within the unique set of circumstances of the educational context. Questions about research ethics can feel exceedingly complex and in specific situations, educator- researchers require guidance from others.

Think about it this way. As a part-time historian and former history teacher I often problematized who we regard as good and bad people in history. I (Clark) grew up minutes from Jesse James’ childhood farm. Jesse James is a well-documented thief, and possibly by today’s standards, a terrorist. He is famous for daylight bank robberies, as well as the sheer number of successful robberies. When Jesse James was assassinated, by a trusted associate none-the-less, his body travelled the country for people to see, while his assailant and assailant’s brother reenacted the assassination over 1,200 times in theaters across the country. Still today in my hometown, they reenact Jesse James’ daylight bank robbery each year at the Fall Festival, immortalizing this thief and terrorist from our past. This demonstrates how some people saw him as somewhat of hero, or champion of some sort of resistance, both historically and in the present. I find this curious and ripe for further inquiry, but primarily it is problematic for how we think about people as good or bad in the past. Whatever we may individually or collectively think about Jesse James as a “good” or “bad” person in history, it is vitally important to problematize our thinking about him. Talking about Jesse James may seem strange, but it is relevant to the field of action research. If we tell people that we are engaging in important and “good” actions, we should be prepared to justify why it is “good” and provide a theoretical, epistemological, or ontological rationale if possible. Experience is never enough, you need to justify why you act in certain ways and not others, and this includes thinking critically about your own thinking.

Educators who view inquiry and research as a facet of their professional identity must think critically about how to design and conduct research in educational settings to address respect, justice, and beneficence to minimize harm to participants. This chapter emphasized the due diligence involved in ethically planning the collection of data, and in considering the challenges faced by educator-researchers in educational contexts.

Planning Action

After the thinking about the considerations above, you are now at the stage of having selected a topic and reflected on different aspects of that topic. You have undertaken a literature review and have done some reading which has enriched your understanding of your topic. As a result of your reading and further thinking, you may have changed or fine-tuned the topic you are exploring. Now it is time for action. In the last section of this chapter, we will address some practical issues of carrying out action research, drawing on both personal experiences of supervising educator-researchers in different settings and from reading and hearing about action research projects carried out by other researchers.

Engaging in an action research can be a rewarding experience, but a beneficial action research project does not happen by accident – it requires careful planning, a flexible approach, and continuous educator-researcher reflection. Although action research does not have to go through a pre-determined set of steps, it is useful here for you to be aware of the progression which we presented in Chapter 2. The sequence of activities we suggested then could be looked on as a checklist for you to consider before planning the practical aspects of your project.

We also want to provide some questions for you to think about as you are about to begin.

Have you identified a topic for study?
What is the specific context for the study? (It may be a personal project for you or for a group of researchers of which you are a member.)
Have you read a sufficient amount of the relevant literature?
Have you developed your research question(s)?
Have you assessed the resource needed to complete the research?

As you start your project, it is worth writing down:

a working title for your project, which you may need to refine later;
the background of the study , both in terms of your professional context and personal motivation;
the aims of the project;
the specific outcomes you are hoping for.

Although most of the models of action research presented in Chapter 1 suggest action taking place in some pre-defined order, they also allow us the possibility of refining our ideas and action in the light of our experiences and reflections. Changes may need to be made in response to your evaluation and your reflections on how the project is progressing. For example, you might have to make adjustments, taking into account the students’ responses, your observations and any observations of your colleagues. All this is very useful and, in fact, it is one of the features that makes action research suitable for educational research.

Action research planning sheet

In the past, we have provided action researchers with the following planning list that incorporates all of these considerations. Again, like we have said many times, this is in no way definitive, or lock-in-step procedure you need to follow, but instead guidance based on our perspective to help you engage in the action research process. The left column is the simplified version, and the right column offers more specific advice if need.

Figure 4.1 Planning Sheet for Action Research

Action Research Copyright © by J. Spencer Clark; Suzanne Porath; Julie Thiele; and Morgan Jobe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Linking Research to Action: A Simple Guide to Writing an Action Research Report

What Is Action Research, and Why Do We Do It?

Action research is any research into practice undertaken by those involved in that practice, with the primary goal of encouraging continued reflection and making improvement. It can be done in any professional field, including medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, and education. Action research is particularly popular in the field of education. When it comes to teaching, practitioners may be interested in trying out different teaching methods in the classroom, but are unsure of their effectiveness. Action research provides an opportunity to explore the effectiveness of a particular teaching practice, the development of a curriculum, or your students’ learning, hence making continual improvement possible. In other words, the use of an interactive action-and-research process enables practitioners to get an idea of what they and their learners really do inside of the classroom, not merely what they think they can do. By doing this, it is hoped that both the teaching and the learning occurring in the classroom can be better tailored to fit the learners’ needs.

You may be wondering how action research differs from traditional research. The term itself already suggests that it is concerned with both “action” and “research,” as well as the association between the two. Kurt Lewin (1890-1947), a famous psychologist who coined this term, believed that there was “no action without research; no research without action” (Marrow, 1969, p.163). It is certainly possible, and perhaps commonplace, for people to try to have one without the other, but the unique combination of the two is what distinguishes action research from most other forms of enquiry. Traditional research emphasizes the review of prior research, rigorous control of the research design, and generalizable and preferably statistically significant results, all of which help examine the theoretical significance of the issue. Action research, with its emphasis on the insider’s perspective and the practical significance of a current issue, may instead allow less representative sampling, looser procedures, and the presentation of raw data and statistically insignificant results.

What Should We Include in an Action Research Report?

The components put into an action research report largely coincide with the steps used in the action research process. This process usually starts with a question or an observation about a current problem. After identifying the problem area and narrowing it down to make it more manageable for research, the development process continues as you devise an action plan to investigate your question. This will involve gathering data and evidence to support your solution. Common data collection methods include observation of individual or group behavior, taking audio or video recordings, distributing questionnaires or surveys, conducting interviews, asking for peer observations and comments, taking field notes, writing journals, and studying the work samples of your own and your target participants. You may choose to use more than one of these data collection methods. After you have selected your method and are analyzing the data you have collected, you will also reflect upon your entire process of action research. You may have a better solution to your question now, due to the increase of your available evidence. You may also think about the steps you will try next, or decide that the practice needs to be observed again with modifications. If so, the whole action research process starts all over again.

In brief, action research is more like a cyclical process, with the reflection upon your action and research findings affecting changes in your practice, which may lead to extended questions and further action. This brings us back to the essential steps of action research: identifying the problem, devising an action plan, implementing the plan, and finally, observing and reflecting upon the process. Your action research report should comprise all of these essential steps. Feldman and Weiss (n.d.) summarized them as five structural elements, which do not have to be written in a particular order. Your report should:

Describe the context where the action research takes place. This could be, for example, the school in which you teach. Both features of the school and the population associated with it (e.g., students and parents) would be illustrated as well.
Contain a statement of your research focus. This would explain where your research questions come from, the problem you intend to investigate, and the goals you want to achieve. You may also mention prior research studies you have read that are related to your action research study.
Detail the method(s) used. This part includes the procedures you used to collect data, types of data in your report, and justification of your used strategies.
Highlight the research findings. This is the part in which you observe and reflect upon your practice. By analyzing the evidence you have gathered, you will come to understand whether the initial problem has been solved or not, and what research you have yet to accomplish.
Suggest implications. You may discuss how the findings of your research will affect your future practice, or explain any new research plans you have that have been inspired by this report’s action research.

The overall structure of your paper will actually look more or less the same as what we commonly see in traditional research papers.

What Else Do We Need to Pay Attention to?

We discussed the major differences between action research and traditional research in the beginning of this article. Due to the difference in the focus of an action research report, the language style used may not be the same as what we normally see or use in a standard research report. Although both kinds of research, both action and traditional, can be published in academic journals, action research may also be published and delivered in brief reports or on websites for a broader, non-academic audience. Instead of using the formal style of scientific research, you may find it more suitable to write in the first person and use a narrative style while documenting your details of the research process.

However, this does not forbid using an academic writing style, which undeniably enhances the credibility of a report. According to Johnson (2002), even though personal thoughts and observations are valued and recorded along the way, an action research report should not be written in a highly subjective manner. A personal, reflective writing style does not necessarily mean that descriptions are unfair or dishonest, but statements with value judgments, highly charged language, and emotional buzzwords are best avoided.

Furthermore, documenting every detail used in the process of research does not necessitate writing a lengthy report. The purpose of giving sufficient details is to let other practitioners trace your train of thought, learn from your examples, and possibly be able to duplicate your steps of research. This is why writing a clear report that does not bore or confuse your readers is essential.

Lastly, You May Ask, Why Do We Bother to Even Write an Action Research Report?

It sounds paradoxical that while practitioners tend to have a great deal of knowledge at their disposal, often they do not communicate their insights to others. Take education as an example: It is both regrettable and regressive if every teacher, no matter how professional he or she might be, only teaches in the way they were taught and fails to understand what their peer teachers know about their practice. Writing an action research report provides you with the chance to reflect upon your own practice, make substantiated claims linking research to action, and document action and ideas as they take place. The results can then be kept, both for the sake of your own future reference, and to also make the most of your insights through the act of sharing with your professional peers.

Feldman, A., & Weiss, T. (n.d.). Suggestions for writing the action research report . Retrieved from http://people.umass.edu/~afeldman/ARreadingmaterials/WritingARReport.html

Johnson, A. P. (2002). A short guide to action research . Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Marrow, A. J. (1969). The practical theorist: The life and work of Kurt Lewin . New York, NY: Basic Books.

Tiffany Ip is a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University. She gained a PhD in neurolinguistics after completing her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and linguistics. She strives to utilize her knowledge to translate brain research findings into practical classroom instruction.

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Action Research Report on How to Increase Students' Participation In a Classroom

Many teachers wonder how they might go about helping students whose participation level goes low every lesson period. This is your aid!

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Action Research Project for B.Ed Students in English 2023

Looking for an action research project for b.ed students in English ? Here I have provided an action research project for b.ed students in English.

Action Research Project for B.Ed Students in English

Topic: “A Study on Problem of Grammatical Mistake by the Students with Special Reference to Class vii of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School”

BUY B.ED ASSIGNMENT IN WORD FORMAT

Certificate

This is to certify that the action research report entitled “A Study on Problem of Grammatical Mistake by the Students with Special Reference to Class vii of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School” submitted by XYZ bearing Exam. Roll No: 0000 is an original work done by him for the award of the degree of B.Ed.

I wish him every success in his life.

Acknowledgment

I am sincerely thankful to all my teachers of CTE, XYZ, and also the teachers of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary school where I worked as a student-teacher for their kind cooperation and guidance at every step throughout the preparation of this action report.

My special thanks go to principal Mrs. XYZ ma’am, my supervisor Mrs. XYZ ma’am, and Mr. XYZ sir for their immense support and guidance. It was due to their excellent academic guidance which made my action report a fruitful reality.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER-1

Introduction

1.1 Introduction to Action research

1.2 Theoretical background of the study

1.3 Significance of the study

1.4 Objective of the study

1.5 Action hypothesis

1.6 Method of the study

1.7 Population and sample

1.8 Tools of data collection

1.9 Procedure of data collection

Feedback/Operational

2.1 Pre-test

2.2 Remedial measures

2.3 Post-test

3. Analysis and interpretation

3.1 Finding of the study

4. Suggestion and recommendation…

4.1 Utility of the study

5. Conclusion

5.1 Reference

5.2 Appendix

List of Tables

Table No – 1

Table No – 2

Table No – 3

Table No – 4

Table No – 5

Table No – 6

Table No – 7

Table No – 8

Table No – 9

Table No – 10

Table No – 11

Table No – 12

List of Figures

Figure No – 1

Figure No – 2

CHAPTER – 1

Introduction:

Research is a careful and detailed study into a specific problem, concern, or issue using the scientific method. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “Research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon.

Research is a process of systematic inquiry that entails the collection of data; documentation of critical information; and analysis and interpretation of that data/information, in accordance with suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines.

Research is conducted to evaluate the validity of a hypothesis or an interpretive framework; to assemble a body of substantive knowledge and findings for sharing them in appropriate manners, and to generate questions for further inquiries.

Characteristics of research

Research is based on logical reasoning and involves both inductive and deductive methods.
Research creates a path for generating new questions. Existing data helps create more opportunities for research.
Research is analytical in nature. It makes use of all the available data so that there is no ambiguity in inference.
Accuracy is one of the most important aspects of research. The information that is obtained should be accurate and true to its nature.

Research can be classified under three broad categories

Basic or Fundamental Research
Applied Research
Action Research

1.1 Introduction to Action Research:

The term “Action Research” was coined by Kurt Lewin in the year of 1946. Kurt Lewin is regarded as the founder of action research. But the term action research was introduced to the educational community by Stephen Corey and his associates at Teacher’s College of Columbia University in 1949.

Action Research, according to Corey, the originator of the term, is the research undertaken by practitioners so that they may improve their practices. It helps practitioners to perceive understand and assess the situation, and it further facilitates a systematic analysis and working out plausible reasons, for the unsatisfactory condition.

With action research, practitioners can try out alternative strategies till the problem is solved satisfactorily. Action Research is a type of applied research. Action research means a scientific search that is conducted for the solution of various problems which come across the day-to-day activities of the pupils, teachers, schools and educational officers.

A practitioner in the Indian educational setup could be a classroom teacher, a principal or a headmaster of a school, a block education officers, an inspector of schools or a teacher-educator. By using action research, teachers can analyze their teaching and take responsibility for their own professional development.

Action research is undertaken by educational practitioners because they believed that by doing so they can make better decisions and engaged in better action. In teaching a teacher should know different knowledge.

Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research. Action research specifically refers to a disciplined inquiry done by a teacher with the intent that the research will inform and change his or her practices in the future.

This research is carried out within the context of the teacher’s environment- that is , the students and at the school in which the teacher works – on questions that deal with educational matters at hand. Action research is a process of changing student behavior in the classroom.

The process helps teachers to understand the classroom dynamics and identity changes that may improve instruction and learning. Teachers learn to observe and reflect and determine a course of action or actions that will resolve the problem.

In schools, action research refers to a wide variety of evaluative, investigative, and analytical research methods designed to diagnose problems or weaknesses—whether organizational, academic, or instructional—and help educators develop practical solutions to address them quickly and efficiently.

Action research may also be applied to programs or educational techniques that are not necessarily experiencing any problems, but that educators simply want to learn more about and improve. The general goal is to create a simple, practical, repeatable process of iterative learning, evaluation, and improvement that leads to increasingly better results for schools, teachers, or programs.

Hence, the university with the inculcation of action research in the B.Ed syllabus has made the course more effective and efficient with the knowledge of this discipline of research. The student-teachers would be able to solve the problem arising in their practice field in the near future very easily and make their practice field more conductive.

1.2 Theoretical background of the study:

“Grammar is the logic of speech, even as logic is the grammar of reason.”

According to Richard C. Trench, the use of grammar is very important in depicting the value of the language and the judgment towards the ideas. The use of grammar also reflects the author’s writing skill and it will give the reader an indication of the content in the written production will be like.

On whole, the logic of language depends completely on its grammar usage. In addition, grammatical errors can give a reader a bad impression of the author’s abilities.

This is where a grammar checker tool can be very helpful for authors to catch mistakes before sharing their writing.

A higher degree of grammar usage in English produces more quality of works. Though nobody’s grammar is perfect, grammar teaches an author to control the language they are using.

If the grammar is strictly controlled with firm and strong basic knowledge, a good work of essay will be produced.

I conduct action research on the issue of grammatical errors of the students of the XYZ govt. Higher Secondary School . I choose the topic because during my teaching I noticed that the students are continuously making grammatical mistakes in their writing. Moreover, there were complaints from teachers about the students’ lower performance in English. Thus I decided to do action research on it to improve it.

1.3) Significance of the study:

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules which influences the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given language.

It is the systematic study and description of a language and it helps us to understand how words and their component parts combine to form sentences.

To a school student, it means an analytical and terminological study of sentences. Knowledge of grammar helps the student in the improvement of learning.

So, a teacher should provide appropriate grammar knowledge to the students regularly and should check the grammar notebooks in time by time.

But to make don’t the grammatical mistakes by the students in time appears a great challenge for the teachers.

That is why it is the great significance to study the problem relating to the grammatical mistake and to find out the appropriate solution.

Some points regarding the significance of the present study are described below ————–

Grammar regardless of the country or the language is the foundation for communication. In order to communicate, a learner should know the grammar of the language. It is important to be able to express by self.
A person with poor grammar skills can form a negative impression on others. The first impressions can be lasting and may hide the true judgment of character.
Grammar improves the development of fluency. When a person has learned grammar, it will be easier for that person to know how to organized and express the ideas in their mind without difficulty. As a result, they will be able to speak, read and write the language more fluently.
Grammar rules can help learners develop the habit of thinking logically and clearly. After studying grammar, learners are able to become more accurate when using a language.
Without good grammar, clear communication is impossible. Proper grammar keeps us from being misunderstood while expressing our thoughts and ideas.

1.4) Objectives :

The study is focused on the students’ most common grammatical errors in their writing production.

The objectives of this study are:

(i) To investigate the most significant grammatical error produced by the students in the English essays.

(ii) To identify the reasons for the error occurrence.

(iii) To find the solution to improve the error in writing among students.

(iv) To find out the problems of students in grammar.

(v) To study the attitude of students regarding grammar.

(vi) To provide appropriate suggestions for the problems in studying grammar.

(vii) To study the different methods and techniques used by the teachers while teaching grammar class.

1.5) Action Hypothesis

A hypothesis is nothing but an intelligent guess or a possible answer of the problem. It is a tentative solution to the problem.

A hypothesis is used in an experiment to define the relationship between two variables .

The first variable is called the independent variable . This is the part of the experiment that can be changed and tested. The independent variable happens first and can be considered the cause of any changes in the outcome. The outcome is called the dependent variable .

In short, the Action hypothesis describes the relationship between proposed actions and anticipated consequences. This step of hypothesis formulation is most important in research because it gives direction to the researcher.

It helps in collecting evidence to solve or choose an alternative way to solve the problem. A hypothesis is precisely defined as a tentative or working proposition suggested as a solution to a problem and the theory as final hypothesis which is defensibly supported by all the evidence.

It is a statement temporarily accepted as true in the light of what is at the time known about the phenomenon, and it is employed as a basis for action in the search for a new truth.

It can be put to test or determine its validity it may prove to be correct or incorrect. At the start of any investigation, the hypothesis is stimulation to critical thought and offers insight into the confusion of the phenomenon.

In the end, it has to be accepted or rejected in light of the findings. In between these stages, it furnishes the work with the signposts for the progress of the investigation.

When the hypothesis is fully established, it may take the form of facts principles of theories. Hypothesis reflected the research worker’s guess as to the probable outcomes of the experiments.

In the present study, the researcher makes the following hypothesis-

Lack of interest in grammar results in grammatical mistakes in students
A negative attitude towards grammar leads to a grammatical mistake in students
There is a relation between insufficient class and grammatical mistakes in students

1.6) Method of the study:

A research method is a systematic plan for conducting research.

Research methods are a variety of techniques that people use when studying a given phenomenon.

They are planned, scientific, and value-neutral. What that means is that good research methods don’t “just happen.” Instead, they are deliberately employed in a way that is designed to maximize the accuracy of the results.

Research methods help us collect samples, data and find a solution to a problem.

The research method can either be qualitative or quantitative or mixed. Quantitative methods examine numerical data and often require the use of statistical tools to analyze the data collected.

This allows for the measurement of variables and relationships between them can then be established. This type of data can be represented using graphs and tables.

Qualitative data is non-numerical and focuses on establishing patterns. Mixed methods are composed of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Mixed methods allow for the explanation of unexpected results.

There are several methods of conducting research. The selection of the research method is determined by the nature of the problem. The variables involved in this study are lack of interest, negative attitude etc which cannot be studied in any artificial setting.

Hence, the investigator considered and selected the quasi-experimental method of research as the most appropriate method for conducting the present study.

The prefix quasi means “resembling.” Thus quasi-experimental research is research that resembles experimental research but is not true experimental research.

However, like a true experiment, a quasi-experimental design aims to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between an independent and dependent variable. Here the independent variable is manipulated before the dependent variable is measured.

Quasi-experiments are most likely to be conducted in field settings in which random assignment is difficult or impossible. They are often conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment—perhaps a type of psychotherapy or an educational intervention.

Pre-test and post-test research is one of many forms of quasi-experimental design. Here data is collected by conducting pre-test and post-test using a question paper.

Pre-test and post-test design based on purposeful sampling allows for assessment of specific representatives of a population of interest, but not of the population as a whole.

1.7) Description of population and sample:

In research terminology, the Population can be explained as a comprehensive group of individuals, institutions, objects, and so forth with have common characteristics that are the interest of a researcher.

The common characteristics of the groups distinguish them from other individuals, institutions, objects, and so forth. The term universe is also used as a synonym for the population.

Suppose a researcher proposed to conduct a study on awareness and use of ICT among the secondary school teachers in Assam, the entire secondary school teaching community in Assam constitutes as the population of the study.

In social science and educational research, practically it is not possible to a researcher to approach all the individuals/elements in a population for the purpose of data collection.

Instead, they select and approach a representative group of individuals/elements who falls under the particular population to collect needed information regarding the group.

Based on the results, the researcher generalizes the characteristics of the representative group as the characteristics of the population. This small group or representative group from a population is called a sample .

So sample can be defined as the small portion of a population selected for a particular study. The sample should clearly represent the characteristics of the intended group

Both population and sample have a special significance in the research process. Population in its praise explanation is the totality or whole quantity or the universe. Where else the sample is a smaller representative of the whole.

It is the population from where we get the sample and it is the sample where from conclusion i. e. generation is made.

The investigator has tried to ensure that the sample of the research study becomes a true representative of the population under study.

In this present study, all the students of class vii of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School will be constituted the population and 13 students of class (vii) comprising both boys and girls are taken as a sample for investigation. The sample description is as bellow –

Table A: Sample Description

1.8) Tools of Data Collection

Data collection tools refer to the devices/instruments used to collect data, such as a paper questionnaire or computer-assisted interviewing system. Case Studies, Checklists, Interviews, Observation sometimes, and Surveys or Questionnaires are all tools used to collect data.

Tools are the most important thing in the research field. An investigator will require many data gathering tools or techniques which may vary in their complexity, design, administration and interpretation.

Each tool is appropriate for the collection of a certain type of evidence or information. The researcher has to select from the available tool, which will provide data.

There are various types of to collect data. In the present study, questionnaire and observation is used as a tool for data collection.

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires can be thought of as a kind of written interview. They can be carried out face to face, by telephone, computer or post.

Questionnaires provide a relatively cheap, quick and efficient way of obtaining large amounts of information from a large sample of people.

Data can be collected relatively quickly because the researcher would not need to be present when the questionnaires were completed. This is useful for large populations when interviews would be impractical.

However, a problem with questionnaires is that respondents may lie due to social desirability. Most people want to present a positive image of themselves and so may lie or bend the truth to look good.

1.9) Procedure of data collection:

For the present study, the data was collected by using a questionnaire. After selecting and finalizing the tools for data collection, the researcher visited the schools under investigation personally for taking prior permission from the Principal of the schools for collecting the necessary data.

Subsequently, the investigator discussed in detail his investigation with the head of the respective schools and sought permission from him for collecting the necessary data. .

After that, the investigator arranged the classroom climate of the class (vii) and distributed the questionnaire among the students. They were explained about the nature and purpose of the study and were asked to fill up the questionnaire for collecting data.

2) Feedback/Operational

In an action research report, feedback/operational has an important place. Feedback or operational part of a report of action research generally includes Pre- Test, Remedial Measurement and Post- Test.

Actually, Pre-Test and Post-Test is one of the popular kind of experimental design. In this design the same group is pre-tested and afterward treatment variable is introduced.

The differences of the Pre-Test and Post-Test indicate whether there is any problem in the teaching-learning process.

The teacher may carry out the action research to identify the problems as well as take Remedial Measures based on the dimensions of the problems. For this, a well-organized and definite plan of operation with feedback is essential. So through the Pre — Test and Post Test a sample can be made for the root cause of the problem.

2.1) Pre-Test :

Here the investigator has administered a test of 15 marks to find out the mistake of grammar by the students and to know the attitude of students towards grammar. For this purpose the investigator taught like- Tense, voice etc.

Students are taught according to the lesson plan and they are given the same lesson questions for the Pre-Test and are asked to submit their answer script on the spot. Students fill up their answer script and submit to the researcher.

Among the 51 students, only 13 students were chosen who were quite poor in Grammar.

Marks obtained by students in the Pre-test are as follows-

From the above results the investigator has found out following defects which may be responsible for the grammatical mistake by the students:

1) Grammar is not taught regularly by the teachers.

2) There is a lack of supervision from the part of teachers regarding

the grammar. Grammar notes book is not checked by the teacher.

3) There is a lack of motivation in completing grammar.

4) Lack of proper guidance is another cause of the grammatical mistakes.

2.2) Remedial Measures:

From the results of Pre- Test the investigator has found out some proable causes of percentage of grammatical mistake among the students. Therefore the investigator has provided some remedial measures for overcoming the problems of grammatical mistake. These are-

i) The students are given training regarding the grammar in classroom.
ii) They are asked to prepare educational dairy regularly and one who maintains he/she is rewarded.

iii) The investigator takes a class on grammar. In this case he clearifies the objectives and importance of grammar to the students.

iv) Students are given grammar class regularly and checked their notebooks in time. After completion of a lesson, the investigator gave grammar homework to the students.
v) The students are also given the advice to use an extra copies for grammar.
vi) The investigator adopt proper technique like- using various colors of cards and TLM for creating interest and motivation among the students

vii) Proper supervision is taken by the teacher on grammar.

2.3) Post-Test:

After providing suggestation and remedial measures a post-test was conducted specially for those selected students who could not perform well in the pre-test.

The purpose of this test is to find out the improvement of students in grammar.

The result of the students in the post test are given below –

After post-test, intervention was done, such as-

First, Questionnaire which consists of 10 questions provided to the students assessing the students’ Opinion about their self.

Second, was the observation method. With the help of observation, the researcher tried to identify the problem of the students during classroom interaction.

The third, was an interview. The researcher takes interview of the students individually which helps the researcher to know their problems in social science.

i) Column graph showing % of success in the pre-test

action research project for b.ed students in english

ii) Column graph showing % of success in post test

CHAPTER- 3

3. Analysis of data:

Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, suggestions, conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Analysis refers to breaking a whole into its separate components for individual examination. Data analysis is a process for obtaining raw data and converting it into information useful for decision making by users.

Data is collected and analyzed to answer questions, test hypotheses or disprove theories. After the data collection, data analysis and interpretation is the most important phases of the research process.

A research must proceed with the appropriate method of data analysis to find out the inherent meaning and significance of raw data. This is essential for a scientific study and for ensuring that we have all relevant data for making contemplated comparisons and analyses.

Technically speaking analysis of data implies editing, coding, classification, and tabulation of collected data so that they are amiable to interpret. In simple terms analysis of data means breaking down the complex factors of tabulated materials into simpler parts and putting the parts together in the new arrangement in order to determine the inherent facts or meaning.

Analysis of data involves a number of closely related operations which are performed with the purpose of summarizing the collected data and organizing these in such a manner that they answer the research questions.

In brief, analysis of data leads the investigator to arrive in a meaningful conclusion. Again the process of interpretation essentially starting what the results show, what they mean and what their significance is.

In the present project, the investigator has collected some reliable information regarding the problem of grammatical mistakes in the form of numerical data.

The data are tabulated by the simple percentage method and interpreted very systematically.

Interest in learnin• Assamese b students:

Table No-1 shows the interest in learning English by students. From this table, it is seen that students are interested in learning English. The students confirmed it by giving a positive answers.

Regularity of grammar class taken by teachers

Table No-2 shows the regularity of grammar classes taken by the teachers. From this table, it is seen that grammar class is not regularly taken by the teachers. The students confirmed it by giving a negative answers.

Proper explanation of grammar by the teacher

Table 3 shows that most of the student said that grammar class is not properly explained by the teachers.

Motivation to students by the teacher while doing grammar class

Table No 4 shows that students are not motivated by the teacher while doing grammar class.

Grammar class is useful for learning the English language

From Table no 5 we found that 100% students think that Grammar class is useful for learning the English language

Problems facing by students in doing Grammar class

From Table no 6 we found that 76% students opined that they faced problems in doing Grammar class.

Checking of grammar notebooks by the teacher

From Table no 7 we found that 85% students remarked that the teacher don’t check grammar notebooks properly. The teacher neither gives homework regularly nor check it properly.

Satisfaction of students in doing Grammar class

Table no 8 represents the data regarding the satisfaction of students in doing Grammar class. The students were asked whether they were satisfied or not. 62% of students give the negative answers to this question. That means most of them are not satisfied.

Suggestion or reference book by the teacher

From table no 9 it is seen that 81% students opined that they are not suggested to read any reference book by the teacher.

Extra class taken by teacher for reducing students’ problems in grammar

From table no 10 it is seen that 74% students opined that extra classes are not taken by teacher for reducing their problems in grammar.

Satisfaction of the students with teacher

From table no 11 it is seen that 42% students are satisfied with the teacher whereas 58% are not.

TLM used by the teacher while teaching grammar

From table no 12 it is seen that 89% students opined that teacher don’t use TLM while teaching grammar

3.1) Findings of the study-

From the analysis of the data the investigator has arrived at the following outcomes; these are:

Grammar classes are not taken regularly by the teacher.
All students are interested to learn English Language and Grammar.
66% of students gave negative answers regarding the motivation created by the teacher.
From this study, it is found that most of the students said that grammar class is not properly explained by the teachers.
76% of the students remarked that they are facing problems while doing grammar class.
Some students also opined that teachers do not check their grammar copy properly.
Almost 58% of students are not satisfied with their teachers.
81% of students remarked that they are not given suggestions to study other reference books.
Some students also opined that extra classes are not taken by the teachers for reducing students’ grammar problem.
Almost 89% of the students remarked T.L.M. is not use by the teachers while teaching grammar.
It has been observed that most of the time students become inattentive in class due to lack of proper TLM used by the teacher while teaching Grammar.
It has been observed that proper use of TLM can be helpful in motivating and improving student’s achievement in learning Grammar.
It has been observed that using innovative method, strategies, and techniques of teaching by the teacher while teaching that develops students’ attention as well as interest in learning.

Chapter 4

4. Suggestion and Recommendation

In an action research report, the investigator can include some suggestions and recommendations on the results. It will help the teachers in solving the related problems and improving the existing practices.

From the above critical analysis of data the investigator forwards the following suggestions and recommendations:

i) Every teacher should come to the class with good lesson plan, which should necessarily include some preplanned grammar activities.

ii) All the teachers should give grammar homework regularly after presentation of the lesson plan and should check the given grammar homework on time

iii) Teachers should motivate and encourage the students towards grammar class. And he should praise those students who complete their grammar homework.

iv) Teacher should encourage the students to ask questions if any confusion arises in their mind regarding grammar.

v) Teachers should create such an environment in where each student can talk with him without hesitation if they face any problem at the time of doing grammar class.

vi) Teachers should give training to the students towards grammar on time. He should apply some techniques that can make the students understand grammar better.

vii) Teacher should advice the students to use extra copy for grammar. He should give advice to the students to maintain diary.

viii) Before giving any homework of grammar teachers should explain the students properly the lesson as well the homework that so that the students doesn’t face problems in the time of doing their homework.

ix) Teachers should give suggestation to his students for studying reference books. It will help them to collect some new knowledge and information regarding the subject matter.

x) Students should be rewarded by the teachers who complete their homework on time. It will be helpful in stopping of unfair means that practice by some students in the examination hall.

xi) The present problem would be helpful for removing the academic failure of the students.

xii) The teacher should also let the students tutor their peers because students learn better from peers.

xiii) The teacher must have student-centered class room, where the students can actively participate in class activities

For better knowledge of a language, a teacher should have a better knowledge of grammar in that particular language. The teacher should take grammar class regularly and check the grammar notebooks of the students regularly. The learning process of grammar should be taught constantly. They should have strong knowledge in grammar rules.

The utility of the research as follows:

It will help the teachers to identify students’ significant grammatical error in writing the English essay and helping them to overcome the flaws in writing English.
It will help the students to produce quality English essays in the future.
It will help the teachers to create a suitable framework for the students in the teaching methods.

5) Conclusion

English is a universal language that helps people hailing from different ethnicities to connect and continue conversations.

The main aspects of spoken and written English are its grammar. Only when the grammar is proper, do the sentences make sense. Thus, it is important to realize the importance of grammar in language.

Grammar is the structural foundation of our abiity to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language.

It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English.

So, at last we can say that grammar is a base of a language. Teachers should always try to motivate students to learn grammar. If the students don’t have a natural interest in somethig, they need to see why learning about it is necessary.

Kothari D.S.: Research Methodology New age International Publishers, New Delhi
Koul Lokesh: Methodology of educational research Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
Mahanty S.B: Contemporary Research in Education AIU, U. News Vol-46, No-05
Devid Ben: Teaching and Research, 1977
Sharma R.A: Fundamental of Educational Research. I.P. House, Meerut
Dr. Saikia Mukul: An Introduction to Action Research

SCHOOL PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

The purpose of this letter is to inform that I Mr. XYZ give XYZ permission to conduct the research titled “A Study on Problem of Grammatical Mistake by the Students with Special Reference to Class vii of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School”

I understand that the school and all stakeholders to be involved in participation in this study is voluntary.

I am also aware that the information collected during the action research and analyses of data will be done in a manner that reflects confidentiality since the name of the institution and stakeholder‘s identity won’t be disclosed.

( ) Yes, I consent to the use of this institution and stakeholder’s participation for this study.

( ) No, I do not consent to the use of this institution or its stakeholder’s participation in this study.

XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School

Questionnaire

Dear students, there are some questions in this paper. You have to answer each question giving a tick mark wherever necessary. Your answer will be kept strictly confidential.

This questionnaire is made for an action research project which is a part of B.Ed. syllabus and your kind cooperation are highly solicited.

Are you interested in learning English? Yes/ No
Are the grammar classes regularly taken by the teacher? Yes/ No
Does the teacher explain grammar properly? Yes/ No
Does the teacher motivate to learn grammar? Yes/ No
Do you think that grammar is important for learning English? Yes/ No
Do you face problems at the time of doing grammar class? Yes/ No
Does your teacher check your grammar notebook properly? Yes/ No
Are you satisfied with doing grammar class? Yes/ No
Does your teacher give any suggestions in reading a particular grammar book? Yes/ No
Does the teacher take any extra classes for reducing your grammar problems? Yes/ No
Are you satisfied with your teacher? Yes/ No
Does your teacher make use of TLM while teaching grammar? Yes/ No

So that sums up the action research project for b.ed students in English. Hope you like it.

School Internship Report for B.ed in English 2023

Achievement Test Report for B.Ed Students in English

Critical Analysis of Syllabus and Textbook for B.Ed

Critical Analysis of Social Science Textbook of Class 10

Original research article
Open access
Published: 28 July 2017

Action research in the physics classroom: the impact of authentic, inquiry based learning or instruction on the learning of thermal physics

Flavian Brian Fernandez 1 , 2

Asia-Pacific Science Education volume 3 , Article number: 3 ( 2017 ) Cite this article

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Students experience thermal physics phenomena from a very young age, but in Singapore their formal science instruction occurs in Primary 3 or 4 (aged 9 or 10) and again in secondary school (aged 13 to 16). Hence, students often form alternative or incomplete scientific conceptions related to thermal physics well before they begin learning it in the science classroom. The team of teachers involved in this study, therefore, believed that traditional instruction would be largely ineffective because it does not take into account students’ existing beliefs about thermal physics. An action research process was undertaken to investigate if a more interactive and engaging pedagogical approach, such as authentic, inquiry based learning, could make students’ thinking more explicit through discussions and other social interactions. Three intact classes of Secondary-3 students were selected: a high-performing control group and a low-performing control group using Traditional Physics Instruction (TPI) and an experimental group using Authentic Inquiry-Based Instruction (AIBI). Students in the experimental group demonstrated significant gains in conceptual understanding and student self-efficacy, although students in the high-performing control group continued to outscore students in the experimental group. Further analysis of the data revealed a correlation between students’ achievement on a standardised test and conceptual understanding of the subject matter in the AIBI classroom. Traditional forms of instruction are inadequate because they do little to develop students’ self-efficacy and interest in the subject matter. More emphasis should be placed on embedding authentic and formative assessment tasks within the curriculum, rather than end-of-unit standardised tests.

Introduction

Action research – as defined in this paper – refers to a formal, structured process in which teachers work collaboratively towards solving problems using research methodologies (Glanz, 2014 ; McNiff, 2013 ). Generally, teachers involved in action research engage in multiple cycles of plan-act-observe-reflect actions ( Salleh, revised for resubmission ), with each cycle informing the next and eventually leading to improved teaching and learning outcomes in the classroom. The reasons for action research being such a powerful and appealing tool for teachers are twofold. Firstly, it presents teachers with a systematic approach towards either crafting new curriculum or improving existing curriculum to better meet the needs of their specific student profile. Secondly, from the perspective of teacher professional development, it expands their capacity and develops their competence in enacting this new or improved curriculum in the classroom. This particular study was borne out of a collective belief among a team of physics teachers that traditional forms of instruction were not effective in achieving teaching and learning outcomes in thermal physics. They embarked on an action research process to investigate if a more engaging and interactive pedagogical approach – authentic, inquiry-based learning or instruction – could make students’ thinking more explicit through discussions and other social interactions. The insights gleaned from students’ existing conceptions would then inform the next phase of teaching and learning, making the entire process more effective and efficient.

Inquiry learning is a learner-centred pedagogy in which students play an active part in the process of knowledge discovery or acquisition. In recent years, a number of studies involving inquiry learning have reported its positive effects on science education (Fortus, Dershimer, Krajcik, Marx & Mamlok-Naaman, 2004 ; Hmelo, Holton & Kolodner, 2000 ). These include developing linguistic skills to explain scientific phenomena, achieving a complete and coherent understanding of complex phenomena and connecting science learning with the real world (Bouillion & Gomez, 2001 ; Warren, Ballenger, Ogonowski, Rosebury, & Hudcourt-Barnes, 2001 ). Most importantly however, the process of inquiry learning often requires a conceptual change in – and not simply an addition to – their existing understanding of everyday phenomena (Carey 2000 ).

While the positive effects of authentic, inquiry-based learning or instruction have been well-researched and documented there remains a lack of empirical studies to support such claims in the field of science education in Southeast Asia. One possible reason for this, as noted by Hallinger ( 2010 ), is that the cultural and institutional contexts of Southeast Asia vary sharply with those of Western societies. Rote-learning, teacher-directed instruction and highly centralized administrative procedures are reflective of a compliant society in which ‘teachers dispense truth, parents are always right and political leaders know better’ (Shaw 1999 ). Policymakers in Singapore, however, have recognized the need for science teaching and learning to be driven by inquiry-oriented approaches. In 2008, the science curriculum was reviewed so as to enable students to ‘view the pursuit of science as meaningful and useful’ by grounding inquiry ‘in knowledge, issues and questions that relate to the roles played by science in daily life, society and the environment’ (Ministry of Education 2007 ). There is, therefore, awareness among stakeholders of a need to shift away from the traditional classroom environment where learning activities are largely teacher-directed. The role of students as passive recipients of a static body of knowledge is no longer relevant today; it must be replaced by one where students are active learners who are capable of examining data, forming hypotheses and constructing knowledge that is tentative and subject to scrutiny. There is a need to introduce authenticity in science instruction, in the sense that students must be engaged in work that parallels the work of the professional scientific community.

Despite explicit endorsement of authentic, inquiry-based learning at the systemic level in Singapore, it is still not readily accepted among users at the school level. There are two probable reasons for the existing state of affairs. Firstly, introducing authentic, inquiry-based learning in the classroom, in its truest sense, only becomes possible if teachers themselves are skilled in facilitating the inquiry process. This is a challenge because of the tremendous pace of change in Singapore’s education system over the past three decades; even young teachers who wish to adopt this approach are faced with the prospect of having to create learning experiences in the classroom very different to the ones they themselves experienced as learners. Secondly, there is a pervasive culture of performativity within Singapore’s education system and this will be discussed in greater detail in a later section of this paper. Student performance in high-stakes standardised assessments is inextricably linked to economically advantageous opportunities upon graduation. As Lee ( 1999 ) aptly puts it, the Singapore education system appears to be premised upon ‘education for earning, not learning’. It is understandable therefore, that tensions arise when attempting to introduce new initiatives into such a system. Teachers and students who have ‘learnt to succeed’ in the existing system may be resistant to embracing such educational reforms especially when there is no guarantee of achieving similar student outcomes.

This study is undergirded by a social constructivist theoretical framework. At the heart of social constructivism in education is the notion that the ‘lived experience’ is central to learning (Schwandt 1994 ). Knowledge is a human construct that is established through the interactions between social actors in a particular context (Au 1998 ). Using AIBL as an instructional approach, therefore, creates a learning environment in which learners and teachers can engage in generative dialogue about scientific phenomena. As they ‘converse, question, explain and negotiate meaning’ (Vygotsky 1978 ) from their observations, they achieve deeper conceptual understanding of the subject matter. Additionally, a number of studies suggest that attitudinal variables play an important role in achieving conceptual change (Eccles, Adler, & Meece, 1984 ; Pintrich, Marx & Boyle, 1993 ; Wigfield and Eccles 1992 ). Learners who have high self-efficacy for science learning are more likely to develop conceptual models that are consistent with the larger scientific community.

The current research work seeks to provide empirical evidence of the impact of authentic, inquiry-based learning over traditional instruction on the learning of thermal physics concepts in terms of conceptual understanding , student achievement and student self-efficacy . In addition, it aims to investigate the relationship between students’ conceptual understanding and their performance on a standardized achievement test. The study hopes to illuminate the links between pedagogy and learning outcomes in Singapore to determine if they are consistent with findings in the existing literature. In the late 1980s, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) developed the BSCS 5E Instructional Model to frame the design of inquiry learning in the classroom. The model consists of the following five phases; engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation. In each of these phases, teachers and students engage in activities that allow students to formulate a better understanding of scientific knowledge, attitudes and skills (Bybee et al., 2006 ). This instructional model has been adopted in this study to guide the design of lesson plans involving authentic, inquiry-based learning. It is hoped that results from this study provide the impetus for future research work in the field of science education in Singapore and the larger Southeast Asian context, beyond thermal physics.

Literature review

Conceptual understanding of thermal physics concepts.

The field of thermal physics is one that students interact with on an almost daily basis from very early on in their lives. It is only natural then, that they form rather naïve conceptions to explain their observations and experiences well before they encounter it in the formal curriculum in school (Luera, Otto & Zitzewitz, 2005 ). These alternative or incomplete conceptions are deep-rooted and common to many students, independent of their age and culture (Yeo and Zadnik 2001 ).

In Singapore, students are first introduced to scientific concepts about thermal physics in Primary 3 or 4 (aged 9 or 10 years old). However, it is only in secondary school (aged 13 – 16 years old) that they explore these concepts in greater detail (see Appendix 1 for learning outcomes). Unfortunately, difficulties arise when these scientific conceptions being taught in the formal curriculum are not consistent or partially consistent with students’ existing conceptions. For example, students tend to relate sensation with temperature; objects that ‘feel’ cool are often associated with being at a lower temperature (Baser 2006 ). A strongly held belief such as this can hinder the acceptance of more scientifically accurate conceptions involving thermal equilibrium and the rate of conduction. One of the more interesting findings that emerged from Yeo and Zadnik’s ( 2001 ) study was that students dissociated ‘school science’ from ‘real-world science’. In other words, their conceptions became context-dependent. They were able to state scientifically accurate concepts to explain phenomena in traditional school settings such as tests and examinations. However, they fell back on their alternative conceptions when presented with the same phenomena in an authentic, real-life scenario.

Hence, for effective teaching and learning to take place, Yeo and Zadnik ( 2001 ) argue that traditional instruction is counter-productive; teachers must first encourage students to make their thinking ‘explicit through discussions and social interactions’ by employing interactive and engaging teaching methods.

Effectiveness of authentic, inquiry-based instruction on the teaching and learning of science

Science, as a discipline, lends itself quite naturally to the inquiry process. Scientific knowledge is constantly evolving; even as new discoveries are being made, existing ‘scientific truths’ and concepts are consistently being challenged. Proponents of inquiry-based instruction argue that teaching through inquiry improves student engagement in science learning and promotes deep conceptual learning of scientific concepts because it introduces students to a type of learning that ‘parallels the work of practicing scientists’ (Capps and Crawford 2013 ; Hodson 1992 ). The knowledge constructed by students, individually or collectively, is tentative, subjective and often held up to scrutiny by peers.

One of the key features of authentic instruction is its ability to inform and reinforce student learning. Elements of formative assessment, inherent in authentic instruction, are crucial in developing students’ understanding of the subject matter. Yet another essential feature of authentic instruction is its impact on student engagement. A study by Murphy, Lunn, and Jones ( 2006 ) on students’ engagement in physics highlighted three compelling reasons for leveraging upon authentic instruction in delivering the physics curriculum. First, it afforded students the opportunity to really engage with scientific content within relevant social, personal and professional contexts. Second, it shifted students from viewing science as a fixed, unchanging body of knowledge to appreciating the complexity of using this knowledge to make relevant and valid judgments about their environment, and this resonated with the nature of science learning as presented by Capps and Crawford ( 2013 ) earlier. Finally, authenticity in science had the potential to ‘radically improve career awareness’ and in so doing, improve students’ motivation to study the subject by making them aware of their ‘future relationship with the subject’ (p. 245). A clear understanding of the nature of science as a discipline and the potential benefits offered by authentic, inquiry-based instruction make it a viable and attractive alternative to traditional modes of delivery.

The performative culture in Singapore – Help or hindrance?

Any attempt to reform teaching and learning practices in a system must take into account the existing culture within the system. This section seeks to briefly set in context Singapore’s education landscape, with particular attention paid to the issue of performativity . According to Ball ( 2003 ), performativity is “a culture and mode of regulation that employs judgments, comparisons and displays as means of incentive, control, attrition and change.” In other words, complex social processes and events occurring in a school are reduced to figures, scores, targets or tables of data that may appear ‘misleadingly objective and hyper-rational’ (Ball 2003 ). These ‘productivity measures’ are then often used to support the introduction of new initiatives or justify the continuance of existing practices.

In Singapore’s education system, the appraisal processes at the level of both the school as well as the individual teacher, suggest a deeply entrenched culture of performativity. While much autonomy and flexibility is given to school leaders and their management teams in decision making, the state continues to monitor school performance using the School Excellence Model (SEM) introduced in 2000. The SEM is a self-appraisal tool used by a school to score itself in various domains such as leadership, staff management, strategic planning and academic results (Ng 2003 ). This score is validated by an external team from the Schools Appraisal Board once every 5 years. The validation process is often rigorous and thorough; targets set must be justified and assigned scores must be supported by explicit evidence and documentation that analyse trends over a minimum period of 3 years.

At the level of the individual teacher, performance is appraised using the Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS), which was introduced in 2001. Over the course of a year, teachers are expected to undergo three Work Review sessions with their reporting officers. In the first Work Review session at the start of the year, targets, expected results and training plans are discussed and recorded. During the second Work Review session conducted in the middle of the year, targets are reviewed, results updated and feedback provided to the teacher on work performance and progress. The final Work Review session at the end of the year, is used to evaluate the teacher’s performance for the year as well as capacity for future development. Teachers’ performance grade and potential are directly linked to monetary incentives, such as salary increments and performance bonuses, as well as career development opportunities (Liew 2012 ).

It is evident therefore, that a high level of accountability is embedded within the structures and processes in Singapore’s education system. While schools are allowed and even encouraged to innovate and diversify, the state still maintains central control through the use of monitoring systems within a performative culture (Ng 2008 ). The same may be said at the school level; while teachers are encouraged to explore alternative pedagogies and constantly strive to improve teaching and learning in the classroom, they are still held accountable for producing results and meeting targets set by the school management team. This inherent tension between affording autonomy and maintaining control has the potential to bring about ‘unhelpful or indeed damaging practices which nonetheless satisfy performance requirements’ (Ball 2003 ).

Student self-efficacy and science instruction

Student self-efficacy in science education may be defined as a student’s belief in his/her own ability to perform specific scientific tasks or solve specific scientific problems (Cheung 2015 ). According to Bandura’s ( 1997 ) social cognitive theory, an individual’s self-efficacy is derived from four sources; personal mastery experiences , vicarious learning experiences, social persuasion experiences, and a person’s physiological state . Each of these sources is explained briefly below.

Mastery Experiences ( ME ). Bandura ( 1997 ) postulated that experiences with successful completion of a task should have a strong positive influence on an individual’s confidence in his/her ability to complete a similar task. Conversely, failure on a task would have a negative influence on an individual’s self-belief.

Vicarious Learning (VL) Experiences. Vicarious learning experiences occur when an individual watches others performing a task similar to the one they are about to perform. Observing someone else’s successes and failures on a task can influence the belief in one’s own abilities to perform a similar task.

Social Persuasion (SP) Experiences. Words of encouragement or social messages can result in an increase in an individual’s self-efficacy, thus causing the person to put in extra effort and persist in successfully completing a task. On the other hand, negative social messages also has the potential to undermine one’s beliefs about ability.

Physiological State (PS). Lastly, an individual’s physiological state acts as a mediating source working with other sources to amplify or diminish confidence in one’s ability to perform a task. Cheerfulness and a positive attitude will have a positive effect of self-efficacy while high levels of stress and anxiety often reduce an individual’s confidence in ability (Bandura 1997 ).

There appears to be a general consensus amongst researchers that student self-efficacy has a positive correlation with student achievement in science (Chen and Pajares 2010 ; Merchant, Goetz, Keeney-Kennicutt, Kwok, Cifuentes & Davis, 2012 ). However, in the particular field of physics education, the literature is still inconclusive. While some researchers have found a strong predictive relationship between student self-efficacy in physics and physics grade (Cavallo, Potter & Rozman, 2004 ; Taasoobshirazi & Sinatra, 2011 ), others have reported a negative relationship between physics self-efficacy and physics achievement (Gungor, Eyilmaz & Fakioglu, 2007 ). Here again, there appears to be a lack of empirical studies on self-efficacy in physics education in the local context.

Looking specifically at authentic inquiry-based instruction, the literature on the link with students’ self-efficacy is similarly inconclusive. Ketelhut ( 2007 ), for example, reported that authentic, inquiry-based curriculum in context-specific settings may help raise the self-efficacy of students. On the other hand, Gormally, Brickman, Hallar & Armstrong ( 2009 ) reported that students taught using the inquiry method experienced frustration with the process of ‘figuring things out’ on their own. These students showed lower gains in self-efficacy after the intervention compared to students taught using traditional methods of instruction. In this particular study, the teachers’ practical experience of teaching these students made them realise that the students generally, had a low sense of self-efficacy in physics. While students did make an attempt to solve problems or answer questions, there appeared to be a lack of confidence in their answers, even among those who were able to provide correct responses. The team of teachers believed that employing a different instructional approach could foster a different way of learning and this could, in turn, produce learners with a greater self-efficacy in physics. It is hoped, therefore, that this study would be able to shed some light on how authentic, inquiry-based instruction impacts student self-efficacy in the physics classroom.

Research questions

This study aims to investigate the following four research questions:

RQ1: What is the impact of authentic, inquiry-based instruction (AIBI) on students’ conceptual understanding of thermal physics?

RQ2: What is the impact of authentic, inquiry-based instruction on student achievement in standardised tests?

RQ3: What is the impact of authentic, inquiry-based instruction on students’ physics self-efficacy? and.

RQ4: What is the correlation between conceptual understanding of thermal physics and student achievement in standardised tests?

A strong, positive correlation here would suggest that the performative culture that is pervasive throughout our system, does in fact, act as a useful driver of effective teaching and learning. It would not be too farfetched then, to claim that although there is a disproportionate emphasis on meeting targets and producing results, it actually contributes to a deep conceptual understanding of the subject matter being taught. The absence of any such correlation, however, warrants a careful and thorough review of our practices at the systemic level. If significant proportions of our students have a good conceptual understanding of the subject matter but are unable to perform well on achievement tests, it suggests possible flaws in our assessment practices. Existing modes of assessment would be shown to be inadequate in accurately measuring students’ subject matter knowledge.

On the other hand, having a significant proportion of students scoring well in achievement tests despite having poor conceptual understanding of the subject matter would be equally, if not even more, problematic. We would need to carefully examine the effectiveness of existing teaching and learning practices. Such a finding would suggest that the pursuit of ‘excellence’, as defined by targets and numbers, has inadvertently shifted the emphasis in our system from acquiring knowledge to acquiring results . While subtle and almost imperceptible at the classroom or school level, such a shift would certainly have far-reaching and significant societal implications. We would then be compelled to confront the possibility that the output of our education system may be knowledge deficient and inadequately equipped and this certainly warrants attention and action on the part of educators. At the fundamental level, therefore, we may need to re-examine our aims of education and we must be prepared to embrace reform where necessary.

Setting and participants

This study was conducted in a single secondary school during the course of a regular academic year. In this school, the entire year’s curriculum outline, including schemes of work, formal assessment dates and topics covered by each assessment, was communicated to all key stakeholders at the start of the academic year. These stakeholders include students, teachers, middle managers, school leaders and even students’ parents. As such, care was taken by the researcher to minimize any disruptions to or re-sequencing of the planned curriculum. Since this study focused on thermal physics, the subjects selected were limited to students who were learning scientific concepts related to thermal physics at this point in time. In this particular instance, this study involved three classes of Secondary 3 Normal Academic students ( N = 89). In the year prior to this study, these students had been streamed into these three classes. Students were ranked according to an aggregated score across all subjects before being sorted. Generally, the highest ranked students were sorted into the first class (3 N1) while the lowest ranked students were sorted into the third class (3 N3).

A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was employed. For the purpose of this study, students from 3 N2 were selected to be in the treatment group while students from 3 N1 and 3 N3 were selected to be in the control group. The treatment group was taught by the author, while the control groups were taught by colleagues of the author who agreed to be part of the study. All three teachers involved in this study had between 10 and 12 years of teaching experience at the time of the study. Since the students were already streamed according to ability prior to the start of the year, selecting 3 N2 as the experimental group would allow comparisons to be made with both a high ability and a low ability control group. Although such comparisons are beyond the scope of the current study, it was felt that the data collected here would be useful for future studies in this area.

Lesson plans for both classes were crafted around the same instructional objectives, which were explicitly recorded in the lesson plan documents. Sample lesson plans for both classes have been appended for the readers reference (see Appendix 2 ).

In the treatment group, elements of authentic, inquiry-based instruction were incorporated into lesson designs. These included opportunities for student collaboration and discussion, teacher demonstrations, experiments and the use of applets to aid in the visualization of concepts. Where relevant, students were exposed to real-life scenarios where they were required to recognize the concepts learnt and apply their knowledge of thermal physics. Lesson were framed around the 5E Instructional Model developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) which was designed to promote inquiry learning in the classroom. In crafting the detailed lesson plan for this group, each lesson segment was explicitly labelled with its intended stage of inquiry learning.

In the comparison group, students were taught using largely traditional methods of instruction. Teaching and learning activities were teacher-directed and lesson content was delivered using frontal teaching methods. Students were provided with accompanying notes and tasked to complete a set of practice questions at the end of the lesson unit.

Instruments

Three separate instruments were used in the collection of data so as to adequately address the research questions posed. The first two instruments are both outcome measures but it is worth noting that the focus of each instrument is slightly different.

The first, the Thermal Concept Evaluation (Yeo and Zadnik 2001 ), is a diagnostic instrument developed based on international research and it was administered to measure changes in students’ conceptual understanding of thermal physics. The test reliability, determined using a split-half correlation with Spearman-Brown correction, was 0.81.

The second, however, is a standardised test that is more specific to the Singapore context and it comprises test items that the students are likely to encounter in their national examinations. This instrument was administered to reflect students’ achievement scores and it was incorporated within a termly summative assessment, known as Common Test 2, administered to all three classes in Term 3. Common Test 2 includes assessment items from all topics taught in Term 3. However, for the purpose of this study, only students’ scores in assessment items related to thermal physics were extracted for comparison.

The third instrument is a questionnaire developed by researchers to measure students’ self-efficacy. The Sources of Self-Efficacy in Science Courses (Physics) Questionnaire (Fencl and Scheel 2005 ) was administered to measure changes in students’ physics self-efficacy before and after the unit of instruction. The questionnaire comprised 33 statements and students were required to select one of the following five responses to these statements; Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree or Strongly Agree. 19 of these statements were worded positively (eg. I enjoyed physics labs/activities. And I have usually been at ease in this class. ) while 14 statements were worded negatively (eg. Physics makes me feel uneasy and confused. And I got really uptight while taking exams/quizzes in this class. ) The questionnaire is disaggregated into four subscales by the four sources of self-efficacy described earlier; ME, VL, SP and PS. Internal consistency reliability alpha coefficients range from 0.68 (SP) to 0.88 (PS) with the coefficient for the overall scale at 0.94 (Sawtelle, Brewe & Kramer, 2012 ). Numerical ratings from 1 to 5 were assigned to each of the five options for the positively worded statements with Strongly Disagree given a rating of 1 and Strongly Agree given a rating of 5. Negatively worded statements were reverse scored with Strongly Disagree given a rating of 5 and Strongly Agree given a rating of 1.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of AIBL over traditional physics instruction in terms of both learning and affective student outcomes.

Conceptual understanding

A pre- and post- concept evaluation test was administered to each of the three classes to determine the effect of the teaching pedagogy on improving students’ conceptual understanding. In addition to a comparison of absolute test scores between classes, the learning gains for individual students were also computed. Comparing the raw TCE scores from the pre- and post-tests showed that the mean post-test score ( M = 8.46, SD = 2.88) of N2 students was significantly higher than their mean pre-test score ( M = 6.86, SD = 2.16), t(27) = 4.69, p < .05. However, the difference in pre- and post-test scores for N1 and N3 students were not statistically significant. A comparison of learning gains showed that the mean normalised learning gain made by N2 students ( M = 0.09, SD = 0.10) was significantly higher than the mean normalised learning gain made by N3 students ( M = − 0.08, SD = 0.18), F(2, 86) = 3.84, p < .05. However, a similar comparison between the gain scores of N1 and N2 students yielded non-significant results.

Student achievement scores

The achievement test was administered at the end of the entire teaching unit for all classes. The test items used were adopted from those used in previous years’ N Level national examinations. Test results showed that the mean achievement score of N1 students ( M = 19.88, SD = 4.22) was significantly higher than the mean achievement score of N2 students ( M = 16.32, SD = 4.36), F(2, 86) = 6.27, p = .007 as well as the mean achievement score of N3 students ( M = 16.80, SD = 4.32), F(2, 86) = 6.27, p < .05. There were no significant differences between the mean achievement scores of N2 and N3 students.

Students’ physics self-efficacy

In terms of affective student outcomes, a comparison between the two groups showed that the post-intervention MRI on the overall self-efficacy scale for N2 students ( M = 3.45, SD = 0.51) was significantly higher than the pre-intervention MRI ( M = 3.29, SD = 0.48, t(27) = −3.58, p < .01. However, the difference in pre- and post-intervention MRIs for N1 and N3 students were not statistically significant. Results from a further analysis of the four self-efficacy subscales for N2 students are summarised in Table 1 . Here again, it is worth noting that the difference in pre- and post-intervention MRIs for N1 and N3 students were not statistically significant for any of the four subscales.

Correlation between student achievement and conceptual understanding

A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to investigate the relationship if any between students’ achievement scores on the standardised test and students’ scores on the post-intervention conceptual evaluation instrument. In classes where TPI was employed, there was no correlation between students’ achievement scores and students’ scores on the post-intervention conceptual evaluation instrument. However, in the class where AIBL was employed, there was a positive correlation between students’ achievement scores on the standardised test and students’ scores on the post-intervention conceptual evaluation instrument r = 0.382, n = 28, p < .05.

This study hoped to illuminate the links between pedagogy and student outcomes in the Singapore context and investigate the correlation, if any, between students’ conceptual understanding of thermal physics and their achievement scores in the subject. The findings that emerged are promising and certainly warrant deeper discussion. The gains made by the experimental group in their post-intervention concept evaluation suggest that the use of AIBL is significant in promoting deeper conceptual understanding of thermal physics concepts. The absence of similar results in the comparison group is in agreement with existing literature which states that TPI is ineffective and may even prove counter-productive in the learning of thermal physics.

Interestingly though, achievement scores in the high ability control group (N1 students) were significantly higher than those in the experimental group at the end of the unit of instruction. Yet, the lower ability control group (N3 students) showed no significant difference in achievement scores compared to the experimental group.

Although the intervention in this study was conducted over a period of only 3 weeks, the findings that emerged from the pre- and post-questionnaire on student self-efficacy showed some consistency with existing literature. By the end of the unit of instruction, students in the experimental group reported a significantly greater sense of self-efficacy. Further analysis of the data revealed that three of the four sources of self-efficacy contributed to this increase; ME, SP and PS. SP, in particular, showed a highly significant increase in scores. There appeared to be no significant increase in the subscale for VL.

Yet another interesting finding that emerged was the positive correlation between achievement scores and scores in the post-intervention conceptual evaluation in the experimental group. In the experimental group, students who had scored well on the conceptual evaluation after instruction were also likely to score well on the achievement test and the converse was also true. Such a correlation was absent in classes where TPI was employed, suggesting that in these classes, the scores on both tests, which were conducted at the end of the unit of instruction, were somewhat independent of each other.

The mixed effect observed in students’ achievement scores could be interpreted in the light of findings by Cobern et al. ( 2010 ) which suggested that direct instruction is as good as inquiry-based instruction for traditional outcomes as long as lesson units are soundly designed and good instruction is delivered in both modes. There are a number of other possibilities that could have contributed to such an outcome.

The high ability students had ‘learned how to succeed’ in the current system. In other words, they had become more adept at test-preparation and test-taking than their peers in N2 and N3. This includes revision methods as well as time and stress management skills during the test itself, so their higher score may not be entirely attributed to deeper conceptual understanding. This is further supported by the lack of correlation between their achievement test scores and their post intervention concept evaluation scores, which will be discussed later on in the paper.

The test items in the achievement test were unable to provide as comprehensive a test of conceptual understanding in thermal physics as the concept evaluation test. While items in the concept evaluation test were well-researched and carefully selected to probe students’ overall understanding of thermal physics, test items in the achievement test were directly lifted off previous years’ national examination papers so they may have been skewed towards testing particular concepts related to thermal physics. With sufficient practice on the end-of-chapter textbook questions as well as the workbook questions, the high ability students would have learned how to answer such questions without necessarily having achieved deep understanding of the concept.

The significant learning gains made by the N2 students may not have been sufficient to bridge the pre-existing gap in understanding between the N2 and N1 students. The pre-intervention concept evaluation showed that the N1 students had a significantly higher score than the N2 students. While the N2 students showed significant improvement in conceptual understanding, this improvement could not translate to improved scores. Further study with possible qualitative methods could explore this and other possible reasons for this finding. In all likelihood, though, the difference in achievement scores is due to a combination, rather than any one, of these factors.

As for students’ physics self-efficacy, one possible reason for a significant increase in the ME, SP and PS subscales could be the nature of the tasks that were given to students in experimental group. Almost all AIBL lessons involved students participating in collaborative work. Working in groups of four or five, they were given tasks (eg. produce a poster or design a product that would slow down the melting of an ice cream ) that necessitated interaction among themselves and with their teacher. This could explain the marked increase in SP scores, as there were ample opportunities for their teacher and peers to positively affirm the work they were engaged in. In addition, the lessons required them to present their products to the class at the end of the lesson and ‘defend’ their designs against peer/teacher critique. This could have contributed to the increase in ME and PS scores. However, due to the way the lesson was sequenced (as evident in the lesson plan in Appendix 2 , all students in the class worked concurrently and there was little opportunity for them to observe one another at work. While they saw the final product designed by their peers during the student presentations at the end of the lesson, they were unable to observe their peers during the designing process . Neither were they shown any teacher demonstrations or suggested techniques on how to go about completing the task. These, together with the fact that they were already engaged in their own activities during the lesson meant that there was hardly any opportunity for vicarious learning to take place. Hence, the VL scores showed no significant increase by the end of the unit of instruction. These claims are of course, tentative and must be substantiated with deeper investigations and more extensive research. What is more certain from this study, at least, is that traditional instruction in thermal physics has little impact, if any at all, on students’ beliefs in their own ability to perform scientific tasks related to thermal physics.

Findings from the correlational study seem to suggest that when AIBL is employed as an instructional approach, it is more likely that achievement scores are accurate predictors of students’ conceptual understanding. Conversely, the absence of any correlation between conceptual understanding and student achievement in the TPI classrooms also imply that when traditional instruction is employed, scores on achievement tests may not be accurate predictors of student understanding of the subject matter. This, in turn, has serious implications especially in a system where achievement scores are often depended upon for key decision-making processes in school such as student ranking, streaming or course admission.

Limitations and future work

As with all research studies, there are a number of limitations that must be considered when interpreting the findings from this study. For the purpose of brevity however, three of the main limitations will be discussed here. This is the followed by a brief discussion on possible areas for future research. Firstly, the unit of instruction was carried out over a period of only 3 weeks, which may be too short a time for significant changes to be measured or even observed. Attitudes, motivation and self-efficacy are deeply entrenched within individuals and any attempt to measure changes in these areas requires a significant investment of time. This possibly explains why students in the experimental group only showed favourably significant differences in four out of the 33 items on the self-efficacy instrument. In terms of conceptual understanding of science content, there is sufficient evidence in the existing literature to suggest that learning gains have a cumulative effect and they become more significant when the intervention is carried out over several years (Lee, Buxton, Lewis & LeRoy, 2006 ).

Secondly, this study investigated the impact of AIBL in the teaching and learning of thermal physics. Hence, there is a need to be cautious when extrapolating such findings to the broader field of physics or even science in general. While the findings here are generally consistent with existing literature in the field of science education, more research is required to verify if similar outcomes arise in the teaching and learning of other domains of science.

Thirdly, it is worth noting that this study was conducted with students in a secondary school during a regular school term. Students remained within three intact classes to minimise disruption to the students as well as the broader school curriculum. While all three classes did not receive any prior instruction on thermal physics, the TCE pre-test administered at the start of the study showed that there were, in fact, initial group differences. The students in N1 showed significantly higher pre-test scores than their peers in N2 and N3. This was mitigated somewhat by comparing normalised learning gains after administering the TCE post-test to all three groups, rather than simply comparing their absolute gain in scores.

Having said that, this study has still provided the researcher with some valuable insights and illuminated at least one area for further research. A comparison of the learning gains made in all three classes showed that there was a significant difference in learning gains between the experimental group and the low-ability control group. However, there was no such difference between the experimental group and the high-ability control group. This seems to suggest that the impact of AIBL may not be uniform across all learner profiles. Further research is required to investigate how students of different ability respond to AIBL in the learning of thermal physics concepts. While interesting, this is certainly not unexpected - a previous study by Cuevas, Lee, Hart, and Deaktor ( 2005 ) showed that inquiry instruction does indeed yield greater increases in achievement for low-achieving, low-SES at risk students. Whether or not such a finding is applicable to our local context is uncertain and presents us with an opportunity for future research.

If we are concerned about continually enhancing the learning experience of our students, then we must examine how teachers seek to improve their practice. Action research offers us a viable and systematic way of achieving such improvements. Engaging in action research would certainly add on to the deluge of teaching and non-teaching responsibilities that teachers are already expected to attend to. However, it is worth reminding ourselves that teachers are in the unique position of being curriculum gatekeepers. From design to enactment, the influence that teachers have on the learning experiences that students encounter in the classrooms cannot be over-emphasised. We must, therefore, endeavour to shift engagement in action research from being an optional or recommended activity to being one that is an essential component of teachers’ work in schools. Teaching practice, informed by context-relevant research, is bound to advance science education in the classroom. The support provided by MOE and the school leadership, in terms of (1) deliberately structuring time and space for action research to take place in schools, and (2) developing among teaching staff, a school-wide culture of using action research to improve practice, is vital to the success of such a shift.

There is also a need to re-look at our assessment practices and the manner in which data is used. Assessment must be designed to inform the teaching and learning process; ideally, it should provide accurate feedback to both teachers and learners about the learners’ understanding of the subject being taught. This, in turn, provides direction for the next phase of the teaching and learning process. In a system that is centred on principles of meritocracy and heavily reliant upon assessment data for ability grouping from a very young age, it is imperative that such data represents a true reflection of learner understanding. This becomes especially important when the decision making that follows the analysis of such assessment data often have significant long term effects on the learners in terms of courses made available to them and their subsequent job prospects upon exiting the system.

While educators in Singapore have come a long way in embracing alternative pedagogies and exploring new ways of teaching and learning, it is not too farfetched to claim that traditional forms of instruction continue to be employed quite extensively in schools. It is worrying therefore when empirical studies such as this one show the absence of any correlation between student achievement and conceptual understanding of the subject. In our push towards achieving academic excellence, are we inadvertently producing ‘good test-takers’, rather than ‘good learners’? Is the assumption that the two are always synonymous a valid one? For a system that has experienced such tremendous change over the past three decades, it is odd that our assessment landscape continues to remain largely dormant. If we are willing to reframe our understanding of how learning takes place, then we must be prepared to relook at our existing assessment practices. More weight should be given to authentic and formative assessment embedded within the curriculum, rather than periodic, standardised tests which are typically conducted at the end of a unit of instruction. Ideally, though, if we shift the spotlight onto learning for understanding , rather than learning for grading, we might see a change in the type of learner our system produces and there may be less of a need to rely so heavily on such assessment data.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript is based on work carried out in a Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) secondary school. The opinions or findings presented are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Institute of Education or MOE. The author wishes to recognize the assistance of Mr. Aaron Cheng, Mr. Jerry Tai and Mr. Ernest Ng, secondary school physics teachers, for their contributions towards this work.

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Flavian Brian Fernandez

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Flavian B. Fernandez serves as the Subject Head (Physics) in Woodgrove Secondary School, Singapore. He has been teaching physics for the past 10 years and currently leads a team of physics teachers in enhancing the physics curriculum in the school. He completed his Masters in Education (Curriculum and Teaching) from the National Institute of Education, Singapore.

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Appendix 1: Thermal Physics learning outcomes in the formal curriculum

Appendix 2: lesson plans (aibl vs tpi), lesson plan – set 2.

Topic: Transfer of Thermal Energy.

Lesson Duration: 1 h 30 min.

Instructional objectives :

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to

Understand that that thermal energy is transferred from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature

Describe in molecular terms the process of conduction

Describe in terms of density changes, convection in fluids

Explain energy transfer by radiation

Prior knowledge :

Prior to this lesson, students should be able to

state that heat is a form of energy

understand that a medium refers to an environment

AIBL Detailed Lesson Plan

Day/Date: Friday, 31 July 2015.

Class/Venue: 3 N2/Classroom.

Resources :

Laptop and projector

Raw materials for ice cream project (black paper, foil, cloth, Styrofoam, plastic container) × 10 sets

TPI Detailed Lesson Plan

Day/Date: Tuesday, 28 July 2015; Thursday, 30 July 2015.

Class/Venue: 3 N1/Classroom, 3 N3/Classroom.

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Fernandez, F.B. Action research in the physics classroom: the impact of authentic, inquiry based learning or instruction on the learning of thermal physics. Asia Pac. Sci. Educ. 3 , 3 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41029-017-0014-z

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Published : 28 July 2017

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s41029-017-0014-z

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Action Research Report on How to Increase Students' Participation In a
Students believe that if they had not learnt the content during their previous years, i.e. from their previous classes, they would have paid due attention and interest to the teacher and/or the lesson and even participated. Another factor that the research found was the students' seating arrangement in the classroom. This was rated 50%.
What Is Action Research?
Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate and solve an issue. In other words, as its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time. It was first coined as a term in 1944 by MIT professor Kurt Lewin.A highly interactive method, action research is often used in the social ...
IMPORTANCE OF ACTION RESEARCH FOR B.Ed. PUPIL TEACHER
The importance of action research that its lies in the fact that this helps in finding quick solutions of immediate problems which search by b.ed. Students , administrator and teacher. Action research is a way to find problems and their solution S.M. Corey has developed this research technique. Objectives of action research are - process
Action Research
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PDF Sample Action Research Report 2
Student talk was about half this, at 33%. The I/D ratio was about one-fourth. For every indirect statement the teacher made, four direct statements were made. A breakdown of teacher talk revealed 29% of teacher talk was questioning, 21% was lecture, and 27% was giving directions (see Figure 2).
Action Research Project for B.Ed Students in English 2023
Certificate. This is to certify that the action research report entitled "A Study on Problem of Grammatical Mistake by the Students with Special Reference to Class vii of XYZ Govt. Higher Secondary School" submitted by XYZ bearing Exam.Roll No: 0000 is an original work done by him for the award of the degree of B.Ed.
PDF INCREASING STUDENT LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS WITH THE USE OF ...
The high school dropout. rate in 2006 was 6.3% while the chronic truancy rate was at 7.4%. The financial earnings of the teachers and administrators at this district average at. $62, 452 per year. The teachers in this district have been working for an average for 12.5. years.
Action Research Report For B.Ed Social Science
In this video, I shall discuss the Action research project, action research project, and action research project for B.Ed students, the action research repor...
Action research in the physics classroom: the impact of authentic
Students experience thermal physics phenomena from a very young age, but in Singapore their formal science instruction occurs in Primary 3 or 4 (aged 9 or 10) and again in secondary school (aged 13 to 16). Hence, students often form alternative or incomplete scientific conceptions related to thermal physics well before they begin learning it in the science classroom. The team of teachers ...
PDF Increasing High School Student Interest in Science: an Action Research
An action research study was conducted to determine how to increase student interest in learning science and pursuing a STEM career. The study began by exploring 10th-grade student and ... the individuals who made this research possible. To all the students who completed the survey,
Action Research Report For B.Ed Students In Social Science
Action Research Report For B.Ed Students In Social Science,B. Ed Internship Program,B. Ed Notes,action research,action research file,action research in educa...
Enhancing Biology Students Motivation Through Classroom Action Research
PDF | On Oct 31, 2018, Erna Mufidatul Hijriyah and others published Enhancing Biology Students Motivation Through Classroom Action Research Based STAD Learning Model | Find, read and cite all the ...
The Economics of Administration Action on Student Debt
CEA simulations show that by 2055, a policy that increased the college going rate by 1, 3, and 5 percentage points could increase the level of GDP in 2055 (thirty years from now) by 0.2, 0.6, and ...

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students [Updated 2024]

Understanding Action Research in B.Ed

How to Select Action Research Topics?

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students: Category Wise

Teaching Strategies and Methods

Student Engagement and Motivation

Assessment and Evaluation

Inclusive Education

Parent and Community Involvement

English Language Learning (ELL)

Special Education

Educational Leadership

Classroom Environment

Technology Integration

Professional Development

Literacy Development

Mathematics Education

Science Education

Social Studies Education

Arts Education

Physical Education

Health Education

Environmental Education

Early Childhood Education

Higher Education

Educational Policy and Reform

Global Education

Teacher Well-being

Steps to Conduct Action Research in B.Ed

Benefits of Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students

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Action Research Project for B.Ed Students in English 2023

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Action research in the physics classroom: the impact of authentic, inquiry based learning or instruction on the learning of thermal physics

Introduction

Literature review

Effectiveness of authentic, inquiry-based instruction on the teaching and learning of science

The performative culture in Singapore – Help or hindrance?

Student self-efficacy and science instruction

Research questions

Setting and participants

Instruments

Student achievement scores

Students’ physics self-efficacy

Correlation between student achievement and conceptual understanding

Limitations and future work

Acknowledgements

Author information

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

Appendix 1: Thermal Physics learning outcomes in the formal curriculum

AIBL Detailed Lesson Plan

TPI Detailed Lesson Plan

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