action research project b.ed

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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Methodology

• What Is Action Research? | Definition & Examples

What Is Action Research? | Definition & Examples

Published on January 27, 2023 by Tegan George . Revised on January 12, 2024.

Table of contents

Types of action research, action research models, examples of action research, action research vs. traditional research, advantages and disadvantages of action research, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about action research.

There are 2 common types of action research: participatory action research and practical action research.

• Participatory action research emphasizes that participants should be members of the community being studied, empowering those directly affected by outcomes of said research. In this method, participants are effectively co-researchers, with their lived experiences considered formative to the research process.
• Practical action research focuses more on how research is conducted and is designed to address and solve specific issues.

Both types of action research are more focused on increasing the capacity and ability of future practitioners than contributing to a theoretical body of knowledge.

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Action research is often reflected in 3 action research models: operational (sometimes called technical), collaboration, and critical reflection.

• Operational (or technical) action research is usually visualized like a spiral following a series of steps, such as “planning → acting → observing → reflecting.”
• Collaboration action research is more community-based, focused on building a network of similar individuals (e.g., college professors in a given geographic area) and compiling learnings from iterated feedback cycles.
• Critical reflection action research serves to contextualize systemic processes that are already ongoing (e.g., working retroactively to analyze existing school systems by questioning why certain practices were put into place and developed the way they did).

Action research is often used in fields like education because of its iterative and flexible style.

After the information was collected, the students were asked where they thought ramps or other accessibility measures would be best utilized, and the suggestions were sent to school administrators. Example: Practical action research Science teachers at your city’s high school have been witnessing a year-over-year decline in standardized test scores in chemistry. In seeking the source of this issue, they studied how concepts are taught in depth, focusing on the methods, tools, and approaches used by each teacher.

Action research differs sharply from other types of research in that it seeks to produce actionable processes over the course of the research rather than contributing to existing knowledge or drawing conclusions from datasets. In this way, action research is formative , not summative , and is conducted in an ongoing, iterative way.

As such, action research is different in purpose, context, and significance and is a good fit for those seeking to implement systemic change.

Action research comes with advantages and disadvantages.

• Action research is highly adaptable , allowing researchers to mold their analysis to their individual needs and implement practical individual-level changes.
• Action research provides an immediate and actionable path forward for solving entrenched issues, rather than suggesting complicated, longer-term solutions rooted in complex data.
• Done correctly, action research can be very empowering , informing social change and allowing participants to effect that change in ways meaningful to their communities.

Disadvantages

• Due to their flexibility, action research studies are plagued by very limited generalizability  and are very difficult to replicate . They are often not considered theoretically rigorous due to the power the researcher holds in drawing conclusions.
• Action research can be complicated to structure in an ethical manner . Participants may feel pressured to participate or to participate in a certain way.
• Action research is at high risk for research biases such as selection bias , social desirability bias , or other types of cognitive biases .

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

Action research is conducted in order to solve a particular issue immediately, while case studies are often conducted over a longer period of time and focus more on observing and analyzing a particular ongoing phenomenon.

Action research is focused on solving a problem or informing individual and community-based knowledge in a way that impacts teaching, learning, and other related processes. It is less focused on contributing theoretical input, instead producing actionable input.

Action research is particularly popular with educators as a form of systematic inquiry because it prioritizes reflection and bridges the gap between theory and practice. Educators are able to simultaneously investigate an issue as they solve it, and the method is very iterative and flexible.

A cycle of inquiry is another name for action research . It is usually visualized in a spiral shape following a series of steps, such as “planning → acting → observing → reflecting.”

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

George, T. (2024, January 12). What Is Action Research? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/action-research/

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research methods in education (8th edition). Routledge.

Naughton, G. M. (2001).  Action research (1st edition). Routledge.

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education, community-building and change

What is action research and how do we do it?

In this article, we explore the development of some different traditions of action research and provide an introductory guide to the literature.

Contents : what is action research ·  origins · the decline and rediscovery of action research · undertaking action research · conclusion · further reading · how to cite this article . see, also: research for practice ., what is action research.

In the literature, discussion of action research tends to fall into two distinctive camps. The British tradition – especially that linked to education – tends to view action research as research-oriented toward the enhancement of direct practice. For example, Carr and Kemmis provide a classic definition:

Action research is simply a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out (Carr and Kemmis 1986: 162).

Many people are drawn to this understanding of action research because it is firmly located in the realm of the practitioner – it is tied to self-reflection. As a way of working it is very close to the notion of reflective practice coined by Donald Schön (1983).

The second tradition, perhaps more widely approached within the social welfare field – and most certainly the broader understanding in the USA is of action research as ‘the systematic collection of information that is designed to bring about social change’ (Bogdan and Biklen 1992: 223). Bogdan and Biklen continue by saying that its practitioners marshal evidence or data to expose unjust practices or environmental dangers and recommend actions for change. In many respects, for them, it is linked into traditions of citizen’s action and community organizing. The practitioner is actively involved in the cause for which the research is conducted. For others, it is such commitment is a necessary part of being a practitioner or member of a community of practice. Thus, various projects designed to enhance practice within youth work, for example, such as the detached work reported on by Goetschius and Tash (1967) could be talked of as action research.

Kurt Lewin is generally credited as the person who coined the term ‘action research’:

The research needed for social practice can best be characterized as research for social management or social engineering. It is a type of action-research, a comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms of social action, and research leading to social action. Research that produces nothing but books will not suffice (Lewin 1946, reproduced in Lewin 1948: 202-3)

His approach involves a spiral of steps, ‘each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of the action’ ( ibid. : 206). The basic cycle involves the following:

This is how Lewin describes the initial cycle:

The first step then is to examine the idea carefully in the light of the means available. Frequently more fact-finding about the situation is required. If this first period of planning is successful, two items emerge: namely, “an overall plan” of how to reach the objective and secondly, a decision in regard to the first step of action. Usually this planning has also somewhat modified the original idea. ( ibid. : 205)

The next step is ‘composed of a circle of planning, executing, and reconnaissance or fact-finding for the purpose of evaluating the results of the second step, and preparing the rational basis for planning the third step, and for perhaps modifying again the overall plan’ ( ibid. : 206). What we can see here is an approach to research that is oriented to problem-solving in social and organizational settings, and that has a form that parallels Dewey’s conception of learning from experience.

The approach, as presented, does take a fairly sequential form – and it is open to a literal interpretation. Following it can lead to practice that is ‘correct’ rather than ‘good’ – as we will see. It can also be argued that the model itself places insufficient emphasis on analysis at key points. Elliott (1991: 70), for example, believed that the basic model allows those who use it to assume that the ‘general idea’ can be fixed in advance, ‘that “reconnaissance” is merely fact-finding, and that “implementation” is a fairly straightforward process’. As might be expected there was some questioning as to whether this was ‘real’ research. There were questions around action research’s partisan nature – the fact that it served particular causes.

The decline and rediscovery of action research

Action research did suffer a decline in favour during the 1960s because of its association with radical political activism (Stringer 2007: 9). There were, and are, questions concerning its rigour, and the training of those undertaking it. However, as Bogdan and Biklen (1992: 223) point out, research is a frame of mind – ‘a perspective that people take toward objects and activities’. Once we have satisfied ourselves that the collection of information is systematic and that any interpretations made have a proper regard for satisfying truth claims, then much of the critique aimed at action research disappears. In some of Lewin’s earlier work on action research (e.g. Lewin and Grabbe 1945), there was a tension between providing a rational basis for change through research, and the recognition that individuals are constrained in their ability to change by their cultural and social perceptions, and the systems of which they are a part. Having ‘correct knowledge’ does not of itself lead to change, attention also needs to be paid to the ‘matrix of cultural and psychic forces’ through which the subject is constituted (Winter 1987: 48).

Subsequently, action research has gained a significant foothold both within the realm of community-based, and participatory action research; and as a form of practice-oriented to the improvement of educative encounters (e.g. Carr and Kemmis 1986).

Exhibit 1: Stringer on community-based action research

A fundamental premise of community-based action research is that it commences with an interest in the problems of a group, a community, or an organization. Its purpose is to assist people in extending their understanding of their situation and thus resolving problems that confront them….

Community-based action research is always enacted through an explicit set of social values. In modern, democratic social contexts, it is seen as a process of inquiry that has the following characteristics:

• It is democratic , enabling the participation of all people.

• It is equitable , acknowledging people’s equality of worth.

• It is liberating , providing freedom from oppressive, debilitating conditions.

• It is life enhancing , enabling the expression of people’s full human potential.

(Stringer 1999: 9-10)

Undertaking action research

As Thomas (2017: 154) put it, the central aim is change, ‘and the emphasis is on problem-solving in whatever way is appropriate’. It can be seen as a conversation rather more than a technique (McNiff et. al. ). It is about people ‘thinking for themselves and making their own choices, asking themselves what they should do and accepting the consequences of their own actions’ (Thomas 2009: 113).

The action research process works through three basic phases:

Look -building a picture and gathering information. When evaluating we define and describe the problem to be investigated and the context in which it is set. We also describe what all the participants (educators, group members, managers etc.) have been doing.

Think – interpreting and explaining. When evaluating we analyse and interpret the situation. We reflect on what participants have been doing. We look at areas of success and any deficiencies, issues or problems.

Act – resolving issues and problems. In evaluation we judge the worth, effectiveness, appropriateness, and outcomes of those activities. We act to formulate solutions to any problems. (Stringer 1999: 18; 43-44;160)

The use of action research to deepen and develop classroom practice has grown into a strong tradition of practice (one of the first examples being the work of Stephen Corey in 1949). For some, there is an insistence that action research must be collaborative and entail groupwork.

Action research is a form of collective self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own social or educational practices, as well as their understanding of those practices and the situations in which the practices are carried out… The approach is only action research when it is collaborative, though it is important to realise that action research of the group is achieved through the critically examined action of individual group members. (Kemmis and McTaggart 1988: 5-6)

Just why it must be collective is open to some question and debate (Webb 1996), but there is an important point here concerning the commitments and orientations of those involved in action research.

One of the legacies Kurt Lewin left us is the ‘action research spiral’ – and with it there is the danger that action research becomes little more than a procedure. It is a mistake, according to McTaggart (1996: 248) to think that following the action research spiral constitutes ‘doing action research’. He continues, ‘Action research is not a ‘method’ or a ‘procedure’ for research but a series of commitments to observe and problematize through practice a series of principles for conducting social enquiry’. It is his argument that Lewin has been misunderstood or, rather, misused. When set in historical context, while Lewin does talk about action research as a method, he is stressing a contrast between this form of interpretative practice and more traditional empirical-analytic research. The notion of a spiral may be a useful teaching device – but it is all too easy to slip into using it as the template for practice (McTaggart 1996: 249).

Further reading

This select, annotated bibliography has been designed to give a flavour of the possibilities of action research and includes some useful guides to practice. As ever, if you have suggestions about areas or specific texts for inclusion, I’d like to hear from you.

Explorations of action research

Atweh, B., Kemmis, S. and Weeks, P. (eds.) (1998) Action Research in Practice: Partnership for Social Justice in Education, London: Routledge. Presents a collection of stories from action research projects in schools and a university. The book begins with theme chapters discussing action research, social justice and partnerships in research. The case study chapters cover topics such as: school environment – how to make a school a healthier place to be; parents – how to involve them more in decision-making; students as action researchers; gender – how to promote gender equity in schools; writing up action research projects.

Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming Critical. Education, knowledge and action research , Lewes: Falmer. Influential book that provides a good account of ‘action research’ in education. Chapters on teachers, researchers and curriculum; the natural scientific view of educational theory and practice; the interpretative view of educational theory and practice; theory and practice – redefining the problem; a critical approach to theory and practice; towards a critical educational science; action research as critical education science; educational research, educational reform and the role of the profession.

Carson, T. R. and Sumara, D. J. (ed.) (1997) Action Research as a Living Practice , New York: Peter Lang. 140 pages. Book draws on a wide range of sources to develop an understanding of action research. Explores action research as a lived practice, ‘that asks the researcher to not only investigate the subject at hand but, as well, to provide some account of the way in which the investigation both shapes and is shaped by the investigator.

Dadds, M. (1995) Passionate Enquiry and School Development. A story about action research , London: Falmer. 192 + ix pages. Examines three action research studies undertaken by a teacher and how they related to work in school – how she did the research, the problems she experienced, her feelings, the impact on her feelings and ideas, and some of the outcomes. In his introduction, John Elliot comments that the book is ‘the most readable, thoughtful, and detailed study of the potential of action-research in professional education that I have read’.

Ghaye, T. and Wakefield, P. (eds.) CARN Critical Conversations. Book one: the role of the self in action , Bournemouth: Hyde Publications. 146 + xiii pages. Collection of five pieces from the Classroom Action Research Network. Chapters on: dialectical forms; graduate medical education – research’s outer limits; democratic education; managing action research; writing up.

McNiff, J. (1993) Teaching as Learning: An Action Research Approach , London: Routledge. Argues that educational knowledge is created by individual teachers as they attempt to express their own values in their professional lives. Sets out familiar action research model: identifying a problem, devising, implementing and evaluating a solution and modifying practice. Includes advice on how working in this way can aid the professional development of action researcher and practitioner.

Quigley, B. A. and Kuhne, G. W. (eds.) (1997) Creating Practical Knowledge Through Action Research, San Fransisco: Jossey Bass. Guide to action research that outlines the action research process, provides a project planner, and presents examples to show how action research can yield improvements in six different settings, including a hospital, a university and a literacy education program.

Plummer, G. and Edwards, G. (eds.) CARN Critical Conversations. Book two: dimensions of action research – people, practice and power , Bournemouth: Hyde Publications. 142 + xvii pages. Collection of five pieces from the Classroom Action Research Network. Chapters on: exchanging letters and collaborative research; diary writing; personal and professional learning – on teaching and self-knowledge; anti-racist approaches; psychodynamic group theory in action research.

Whyte, W. F. (ed.) (1991) Participatory Action Research , Newbury Park: Sage. 247 pages. Chapters explore the development of participatory action research and its relation with action science and examine its usages in various agricultural and industrial settings

Zuber-Skerritt, O. (ed.) (1996) New Directions in Action Research , London; Falmer Press. 266 + xii pages. A useful collection that explores principles and procedures for critical action research; problems and suggested solutions; and postmodernism and critical action research.

Action research guides

Coghlan, D. and Brannick, D. (2000) Doing Action Research in your own Organization, London: Sage. 128 pages. Popular introduction. Part one covers the basics of action research including the action research cycle, the role of the ‘insider’ action researcher and the complexities of undertaking action research within your own organisation. Part two looks at the implementation of the action research project (including managing internal politics and the ethics and politics of action research). New edition due late 2004.

Elliot, J. (1991) Action Research for Educational Change , Buckingham: Open University Press. 163 + x pages Collection of various articles written by Elliot in which he develops his own particular interpretation of action research as a form of teacher professional development. In some ways close to a form of ‘reflective practice’. Chapter 6, ‘A practical guide to action research’ – builds a staged model on Lewin’s work and on developments by writers such as Kemmis.

Johnson, A. P. (2007) A short guide to action research 3e. Allyn and Bacon. Popular step by step guide for master’s work.

Macintyre, C. (2002) The Art of the Action Research in the Classroom , London: David Fulton. 138 pages. Includes sections on action research, the role of literature, formulating a research question, gathering data, analysing data and writing a dissertation. Useful and readable guide for students.

McNiff, J., Whitehead, J., Lomax, P. (2003) You and Your Action Research Project , London: Routledge. Practical guidance on doing an action research project.Takes the practitioner-researcher through the various stages of a project. Each section of the book is supported by case studies

Stringer, E. T. (2007) Action Research: A handbook for practitioners 3e , Newbury Park, ca.: Sage. 304 pages. Sets community-based action research in context and develops a model. Chapters on information gathering, interpretation, resolving issues; legitimacy etc. See, also Stringer’s (2003) Action Research in Education , Prentice-Hall.

Winter, R. (1989) Learning From Experience. Principles and practice in action research , Lewes: Falmer Press. 200 + 10 pages. Introduces the idea of action research; the basic process; theoretical issues; and provides six principles for the conduct of action research. Includes examples of action research. Further chapters on from principles to practice; the learner’s experience; and research topics and personal interests.

Action research in informal education

Usher, R., Bryant, I. and Johnston, R. (1997) Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge. Learning beyond the limits , London: Routledge. 248 + xvi pages. Has some interesting chapters that relate to action research: on reflective practice; changing paradigms and traditions of research; new approaches to research; writing and learning about research.

Other references

Bogdan, R. and Biklen, S. K. (1992) Qualitative Research For Education , Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Goetschius, G. and Tash, J. (1967) Working with the Unattached , London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

McTaggart, R. (1996) ‘Issues for participatory action researchers’ in O. Zuber-Skerritt (ed.) New Directions in Action Research , London: Falmer Press.

McNiff, J., Lomax, P. and Whitehead, J. (2003) You and Your Action Research Project 2e. London: Routledge.

Thomas, G. (2017). How to do your Research Project. A guide for students in education and applied social sciences . 3e. London: Sage.

Acknowledgements : spiral by Michèle C. | flickr ccbyncnd2 licence

How to cite this article : Smith, M. K. (1996; 2001, 2007, 2017) What is action research and how do we do it?’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education. [ https://infed.org/mobi/action-research/ . Retrieved: insert date] .

© Mark K. Smith 1996; 2001, 2007, 2017

Last Updated on December 7, 2020 by infed.org

Action Research

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J. Spencer Clark, Kansas State University

Suzanne Porath, Kansas State University

Julie Thiele, Kansas State University

Morgan Jobe, Kansas State University

Copyright Year: 2020

Last Update: 2024

ISBN 13: 9781944548292

Publisher: New Prairie Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• About the Authors
• What is Action Research for Classroom Teachers?
• Action Research as a Process for Professional Learning and Leadership
• Planning Your Research: Reviewing the Literature and Developing Questions
• Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues
• Collecting Data in Your Classroom
• Analyzing Data from Your Classroom
• Let it Be Known! Sharing your Results
• The Action Research Process from a High School ELA Teacher’s Perspective

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Action research is a common journey for graduate students in education and other human science fields. This book attempts to meet the needs of graduate students, in-service teachers, and any other educators interested in action research and/or self-study. The chapters of this book draw on our collective experiences as educators in a variety of educational contexts, and our roles guiding educator/researchers in various settings. All of our experiences have enabled us to question and refine our own understanding of action research as a process and means for pedagogical improvement. The primary purpose of this book is to offer clear steps and practical guidance to those who intend to carry out action research for the first time. As educators begin their action research journey, we feel it is vital to pose four questions: 1) What is action research, and how is it distinct from other educational research?; 2) When is it appropriate for an educator to conduct an action research project in their context?; 3) How does an educator conduct an action research project?; 4) What does an educator do with the data once the action research project has been conducted? We have attempted to address all four questions in the chapters of this book.

About the Contributors

J. Spencer Clark is an Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kansas State University. He has used action research methodology for the past 17 years, in K-12 schools and higher education. More recently, for the past 10 years he has taught action research methods to teachers in graduate and licensure degree programs. He also has led secondary student action research projects in Indiana, Utah, and Kansas. Clark also utilizes action research methodology in his own research. Much of his research has focused on understanding and developing teacher agency through clinical and professional learning experiences that utilize aspects of digital communication, inquiry, collaboration, and personalized learning. He has published in a variety of journals and edited books on teacher education, technology, inquiry-based learning, and curriculum development.

Suzanne Porath has been an English Language Arts, history, and humanities classroom teacher and reading teacher for 13 years before becoming a teacher educator. She has taught in Wisconsin and American international schools in Brazil, Lithuania, and Aruba when she conducted her own action research projects. Before accepting her current position as an assistant professor at Kansas State University in Curriculum and Instruction, she taught at Concordia University and Edgewood College in Wisconsin. She has taught action research methods at the graduate level and facilitated professional development through action research in school districts. She is the lead editor of Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research  https://newprairiepress.org/networks/ .

Julie Thiele , PhD. is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University.  She teaches math education courses, math and science education courses and graduate research courses. Prior to teaching at KSU, she taught elementary and middle school, and led her district level professional learning community, focusing on implementing effective, research-based teaching practices.

Morgan M. Jobe is a program coordinator in the College of Education at Kansas State University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Morgan taught high school English-Language Arts for ten years in two different Kansas school districts before returning to Kansas State University as a staff member. Her research interests include diversity and equity issues in public education, as well as action research in teacher education programs.

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Created by the Great Schools Partnership , the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. | Learn more »

Action Research

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.

Action research may also be called a cycle of action or cycle of inquiry , since it typically follows a predefined process that is repeated over time. A simple illustrative example:

• Identify a problem to be studied
• Collect data on the problem
• Organize, analyze, and interpret the data
• Develop a plan to address the problem
• Implement the plan
• Evaluate the results of the actions taken
• Identify a new problem
• Repeat the process

Unlike more formal research studies, such as those conducted by universities and published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, action research is typically conducted by the educators working in the district or school being studied—the participants—rather than by independent, impartial observers from outside organizations. Less formal, prescriptive, or theory-driven research methods are typically used when conducting action research, since the goal is to address practical problems in a specific school or classroom, rather than produce independently validated and reproducible findings that others, outside of the context being studied, can use to guide their future actions or inform the design of their academic programs. That said, while action research is typically focused on solving a specific problem (high rates of student absenteeism, for example) or answer a specific question (Why are so many of our ninth graders failing math?), action research can also make meaningful contributions to the larger body of knowledge and understanding in the field of education, particularly within a relatively closed system such as school, district, or network of connected organizations.

The term “action research” was coined in the 1940s by Kurt Lewin, a German-American social psychologist who is widely considered to be the founder of his field. The basic principles of action research that were described by Lewin are still in use to this day.

Educators typically conduct action research as an extension of a particular school-improvement plan, project, or goal—i.e., action research is nearly always a school-reform strategy. The object of action research could be almost anything related to educational performance or improvement, from the effectiveness of certain teaching strategies and lesson designs to the influence that family background has on student performance to the results achieved by a particular academic support strategy or learning program—to list just a small sampling.

For related discussions, see action plan , capacity , continuous improvement , evidence-based , and professional development .

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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”

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare 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” is being submitted by me to XYZ University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of B.Ed. degree.

The matter embodies in this report is genuine work done by the investigator and has not been submitted either to this university or any other university/institute for the fulfillment of the requirement of any course of study.

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

• 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.                          

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