How to Implement Action Research Methodology in Classroom

Introduction

Teachers can be referred to as agents of change since they are laying the foundation for the current generation to create a better future for all. As a teacher, you can bring about a lot of changes in society through your students. You have the power to greatly influence your students and to equip them with the skills necessary to face any challenge they may come across.

There is no denying that being a teacher is no piece of cake. As teachers, you have to put in so much effort to bring the best out of your students. In order to make that happen, teachers need to continuous learners and have to incorporate the best teaching practices to keep improving. Action research is a methodology that would help teachers to reflect on themselves and their teaching practices. Action research would help teachers to come up with different strategies that can enhance the learning process for their students. Before understanding how can you implement action research methodology, let us look at what it is.

What is Action Research Methodology?

The term "action research" was first proposed by Kurt Lewin in 1944 to describe a process of inquiry and investigation in order to bring about a change in the professional or social setting.

Teachers and other educators use action research as a way to enhance the effectiveness of their pedagogy and the learning experiences for their students. In order to improve their educational methods and have a long-lasting effect on their students' learning, teachers do a self-analysis of their performance.

Action Research Cycle

Using the action research methodology, the teacher would assess how they were doing and, if changes were needed, would make them in order to become better teachers. Let's examine the different stages of the action research cycle. The cycle consists of the following four steps, which are listed below:

Planning

In this step, the teacher would develop strategies that might be included in pedagogical methodologies to raise the standard of instruction given to the students. Following a brainstorming process, teachers come up with specific strategies they believe will work best for the students. The teachers' ultimate objective is to increase their students' knowledge and their academic success.

Implementation

In this stage, teachers would implement the plan that they had come up with. These could be different strategies or they would be focusing on one. Unless and until they implement their plans, they wouldn’t be able to come to a conclusion about whether it will work or not. Hence, implementation is one of the integral steps in the cycle.

Observation

This step is crucial in the whole cycle as it would give teachers an insight into the shortcomings and strengths of their plans. They will be closely monitoring the functioning of the plan and understand the outcomes of their plans.

Reflection

In this step, the teacher will be analyzing the consequences of the implementation of the plans. They assess whether their plans had a positive or negative impact on the students. This would help them in their professional development as well as their development as a teacher.

Ways to Implement Action Research in Classroom

Surveys

Make sure you spend some time formulating the questions for the survey. You can conduct the survey with the help of your students or you can divide your students into a few groups and take the survey. Make sure the questions will help you analyze your performance and will give you information about how can you improvise your strategies.

Videotapes

You can record your own classes to analyze your pedagogical styles. This will help you to improve your teaching style on your own. You will be able to point out your strengths and weaknesses and can make modifications to your teaching styles accordingly.

Questionnaires

For this methodology, you can seek the help of your fellow teachers. This is also a great way to assess your performance as a teacher. You can use the questionnaires developed by you. It is an effective methodology to understand the shortcomings of your pedagogical methods.

Conclusion

Teachers ought to improve their teaching strategies and methodologies in order to facilitate the growth and development of their students. The way teachers impart knowledge to the students would have a great impact on the students and helps them in academic and life success. Teachers can implement action research in the classroom to broaden their horizons and bring about positive changes in the way they teach.

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