Does action research is helpful for teacher in classroom? How?

Teachers are often looking for ways to improve their teaching methods and ensure they are using the best practices in their classroom. One way to systematically examine these practices is through Action Research, a type of research that teachers can conduct with data collected from their own classroom. It is more methodical than teacher reflection, which teachers do continuously, but not as formal as traditional educational research. Action Research helps teachers answer questions that they pose specific to their classroom's needs and challenges.

1. • 1

     Decide on the question you would like to answer about your classroom. A good Action Research question examines a challenge that is important to you and will lead to an action you can take in your classroom. For example, "How does Readers' Workshop improve my students' reading scores?"

   • 2

     Read relevant literature surrounding the topic you are going to research, and discuss your question with colleagues. It is important to have a lot of background knowledge about your topic before beginning your Action Research.

     • Plan your method of data collection, or how you will know if your action is making a difference. Consider the best way to examine your particular question, whether it is test scores or teacher observations and notes. Sometimes you may need more than one way to collect data to check for consistency in your results.

     • 4

       Collect data over a period of time long enough for you to find patterns or changes in student results. A few weeks' worth of data will usually be enough to inform your decision about what actions you will need to take.

     • 5

       Analyze your data searching for a pattern among it all. Look for improvement or decline in test scores, or a theme in your written observations, depending on the type of data collection you chose.

     • 6

       Develop your action plan based on the results of your analysis. You may decide to keep the strategy you implemented or decide it did not make a difference in student achievement. By carefully examining what the data told you, you can choose a teaching method that will work best for your students.

Action research is either research initiated to solve an immediate problem or a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems.

It can be applied for anything.

Action research is very popular in the field of education because there is always room for improvement when it comes to teaching and educating others. Sure, there are all types of methods of teaching in the classroom, but action research works very well because the cycle offers opportunity for continued reflection. In all professional fields, the goal of action research is to improve processes. Action research is also beneficial in areas of teaching practice that need to be explored or settings in which continued improvement is the focus.