CHAPTER 18
ACTION RESEARCH
TEACHING ACTIVITIES FOR CHAPTER 18
Activity 1. Selecting a focus for an action research project.
The first step in an action research project is selecting its focus. This is probably the most critical step, because
it influences all other phases of the project. Therefore, it is worthwhile to help your students develop an
understanding of what this step involves.
Typically, the focus of an action research project takes the form of a goal to improve one’s professional skills or
to solve a problem of practice. If your students are already professionals or have had field experiences, they are
likely to have several such goals. Even if they are just starting their study of education, they are likely to have
Activity 2. Action science.
Action science provides a powerful way to think about professional practice and how to improve it. You can
help your students develop an understanding of its basic concepts—espoused theories and theories-in-action—by
having them engage in this activity.
Ask students, either by themselves or in groups, to reflect on what they consider to be desirable professional
practices for educators and why. To help them get started, you might tell them one of your own espoused theories.
For example, if we were the instructors, we might say that we want to help our students become aware of their
Activity 3. Analysis and evaluation of the article reprint.
You can ask students to read the reprinted article about a method for improving reading comprehension at the
end of Chapter 18 and evaluate it using the criteria specified on pages 513-515. In class, you can call on students to
state what they consider strengths and weaknesses of the study. Also, you can ask them to form small groups in
which they discuss the practical significance of the study’s findings.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST ITEMS FOR CHAPTER 18
1. The primary purpose of action research is to
a. identify problems of practice.
b. improve professional practice by systematically seeking solutions to problems.
c. collect evidence about effective practices using experimental designs.
d. review the research literature for techniques that can be put into professional practice
2. In general, action research is
a. as rigorous as research studies published in refereed journals.
b. less rigorous than research studies published in refereed journals.
c. published in academic journals so that researchers can become more familiar with educators’
problems of practice.
d. recommended as a degree or licensure requirement rather than as a component of educator’s
professional practice.
3. In action research, systematicity refers to the process of
a. reflecting deeply on discrepancies between one’s professional beliefs and one’s professional
actions.
b. engaging in deliberate rather than spontaneous inquiry.
c. creating a research design that follows established conventions for that design.
d. gathering and recording information about one’s professional practice in ordered ways.
4. Action science is a systematic approach for
a. examining differences between professionals’ beliefs and their actual behavior.
b. developing practical theories that can guide action research.
c. conducting action research studies in a scientifically rigorous manner.
d. All of the above.
5. An espoused theory is
a. a set of hypotheses about how professionals conduct their work.
b. a set of concepts and principles for engaging in professional work.
c. a professional’s beliefs about how she deals with problems of practice.
d. a theory that is accepted as true by a consensus of professionals.
6. Action research generally involves the use of
a. quantitative research designs.
b. qualitative research designs.
c. either quantitative or qualitative research designs.
d. research designs that incorporate critical theory.
7. An action research study has outcome validity if
a. it has specific goals for the improvement of practice.
b. the research questions or hypotheses specify instructional outcomes.
c. the study is designed and carried out in a professional workplace.
d. actions are taken to solve the problem that prompted the study.
8. An action research study has process validity if
a. all stakeholders in the study contributed to its design.
b. all phases of the study were carried out in a sound, accurate manner.
c. the educator who conducted the study engaged in reflection during each phase of the study.
d. the study involved the use of collaborators to provide feedback to the educator who conducted the
study.
9. An action research study has democratic validity if
a. it is done in collaboration with the representatives of all the groups who have a stake in the problem being
investigated.
b. it involves a collaboration between a school educator and a university researcher.
c. it has the goal of promoting democratic values in educators’ students.
d. the study’s results are found to be meaningful and useful to the researcher’s colleagues.
10. An action research project has catalytic validity if
a. actions are taken to solve the problem that prompted the study.
b. its results lead the researcher to engage in reflection about her professional practice.
c. it helps the researcher’s colleagues to make improvements in their professional practice.
d. it causes the researcher to transform his view of professional practice and to promote social justice.
11. An action research project has dialogic validity if
a. its results lead the researcher to engage in reflection about his professional practice.
b. it has the goal of promoting democratic values in educators’ students.
c. the researcher consults with someone who serves as a devil’s advocate for alternative explanations
of her data.
d. All of the above.
SHORT-ANSWER TEST ITEMS FOR CHAPTER 18
1. Describe two differences between action research and the types of formal research studies that you
have studied in other chapters.
2. Describe two benefits of an action research project for educators who do one.
3. Explain the difference between an espoused theory and a theory–in-action, and why these concepts are useful
for improving professional practice.
4. Describe one way in which an outsider can help an educator who is conducting an action research project.
5. Describe two types of validity that can be used to evaluate action research studies.
CHAPTER 18
ACTION RESEARCH
Multiple-Choice Test Items
Short-Answer Test Items
