Designing an Experimental
Action Research
RICHELLE CONDE- DELOS SANTOS
MT-1
26-29 April 2016
Civil Service Commission, Quezon City
Session Objectives
• Describe experimental research design
• Differentiate three different types of experiments
• Determine the appropriate type of experiment for
given Action Research topics
Action Research Template
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
INNOVATION, INTERVENTION
RESEARCH METHODS
WORK PLAN & COST ESTIMATES
PLAN FOR DESSIMINATION
REFERENCES
Definition of Terms
Variable – a characteristics that have different
values
Independent Variable – the variable that is
applied on purpose (manipulation) by the Action
Researcher, also known as the intervention,
treatment, or cause
Dependent Variable – the variable that is
expected to change as a result of the
implementation of the intervention or treatment,
also known as the effect
Definition of Terms
Extraneous Variable – the variable that might
differentially affect the dependent variable or the
relationship between independent and
dependent variable if not controlled
Experimental Group – the group that receives
the intervention or treatment, also known as
treatment group
Control Group – the group that does not receive
the intervention or treatment
Definition of Terms
Randomization – the process of selecting
participants for a study such that all members
of the sampling space or pool of participants
have equal chance of being included.
Group Task
Independent – Dependent Variable Chart
1. Complete the Chart by specifying the
missing dependent or independent
variables
2. Choose a presenter to present the output
3. Work within 5 minutes
Group Task
Pairs
Independent Variables
1
Instructional method:
Cooperative learning vs. Traditional
2
3
Dependent Variables
Quarterly grades
Type of in-school breakfast:
Protein-rich vs. High carbohydrates
4
Length of attention span
Note: Responses may vary
Group Task
Guide Questions:
1. What do you see as the common feature
among the two(2) variables?
2. What then is the major difference of
variables?
Group Task
SAMPLE RESPONSES
Pairs
1
2
3
4
Independent Variables
Instructional method:
Cooperative learning vs.
traditional
Type of learning material:
Digital vs. Print
Type of in-school breakfast
for Grade 1:
Protein-rich vs. High
carbohydrates
Teaching aid:
Videos vs. Photos
Dependent Variables
Achievement test scores
Quarterly grades
Weight after 3 months
Length of attention span
WORD BANK ACTIVITY!
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL
QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL
TRUE-EXPERIMENTAL
Group Task
Word Bank Activity!
Choose from the word bank on the board the
name of the experiment described on the
worksheets distributed. Select the type of
experiment used given the purpose and
condition in each situation.
Group Task
Guide Questions:
1. Compare the three situations and decide
which one would be considered a preexperiment, a quasi-experiment, and a true
experiment.
2. What do is/are the common feature/s
among the three studies that makes them
all experiments?
3. What then is the major distinction of
experiments?
Group Task
Item
No.
1
Purpose of Experiment
to determine if the use of
manipulatives will help Grade 8
students understand concepts in
Geometry
Details




2
to study the gains in performance 
of a class of Grade 10 student
volunteers after an intensive 20-day
summer workshop on English

grammar
3
to determine if the integration of

video clips in teaching Science is
effective in improving the academic
performance of one Grade 5

section, which is selected randomly
from 10 heterogeneous sections, in
comparison with that of another
Grade 5 section, also selected
randomly, that receives only the
traditional lecture-discussion
instructional approach
application of the intervention (manipulatives)
only two sections in Grade 8
Section Mahogany is assigned as experimental
group; students will be using manipulatives in
Geometry class
Section Narra is assigned as control group; students
will be taught Geometry without manipulatives
only one group is involved composed of students
who wanted to join the workshop and who lived
close to the school
implementation of the intervention (intensive
workshop on English grammar)
employment of video clips in instruction for one
section randomly assigned as the experimental
group;
classroom lecture and discussion for the other
section also randomly assigned as the control group
Type of Experimental
Research
Word Bank Activity!
Item
No.
1
Purpose of Experiment
to determine if the use of
manipulatives will help Grade 8
students understand concepts in
Geometry
Details




2
3
to study the gains in performance 
of a class of Grade 10 student
volunteers after an intensive 20-day
summer workshop on English

grammar
to determine if the integration of

video clips in teaching Science is
effective in improving the academic
performance of one Grade 5

section, which is selected randomly
from 10 heterogeneous sections, in
comparison with that of another
Grade 5 section, also selected
randomly, that receives only the
traditional lecture-discussion
instructional approach
application of the intervention (manipulatives)
only two sections in Grade 8
Section Mahogany is assigned as experimental
group; students will be using manipulatives in
Geometry class
Section Narra is assigned as control group;
students will be taught Geometry without
manipulatives
only one group is involved composed of students
who wanted to join the workshop and who lived
close to the school
implementation of the intervention (intensive
workshop on English grammar)
employment of video clips in instruction for one
section randomly assigned as the experimental
group;
classroom lecture and discussion for the other
section also randomly assigned as the control
group
Type of Experimental
Research
Manipulatives-Quasi
Experimental
-NO CONTROL GROUP
-NOT RANDOMLY
ASSIGNED
Summer Workshop-PreExperiment
-NO CONTROL GROYP
-NO RANDOMINATION
Video Clips-True
Experiment
-RANDOMNIZATION
-CONTROL GROUP IS
PRESENCE
TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
DESIGN
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL
QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL
TRUE-EXPERIMENTAL
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
DESIGN
• Is an Action Research design that
determines causation or cause-and-effect
relationship between variables. Its
distinctive feature is the manipulation of an
independent variable to see its effect on a
dependent variable.
Legend of the Procedures
Where:
R stands for random selection
O1 stands for pretest
O2 stands for posttest
X stands for intervention
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL
• Pre-Experimental Studies follow the basic
feature of an experimental research design,
wherein an independent variable is
manipulated to see its effect on a
dependent
variable.
However,
randomization is not applied in the selection
of participants. There is also no control
group.
Pre-experimental design
a. One shot case study.
The procedure is as follows:
X
O
Pre-experimental design
b. One-group pretest-posttest design.
The procedure is as follows:
O1
X
O2
QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL
• Quasi-Experimental studies also involve the
basic characteristic of experimental
research design; an independent variable is
manipulated to examine its influence on a
dependent variable. Like pre-experimental
studies, there is no random selection of
participants in quasi-experimental studies.
However, there is a designated control
group .
Quasi-experimental design
a. Non-equivalent controlled group design.
The procedure is as follows:
O1
X
O2 (experimental group)
O1
O2 (control group)
Quasi-experimental design
b. Time-series design.
The procedure is as follows:
O1 O2 O3 X O4
O5
O6
Where:
O1,O2,O3 stand for pretest (multiple observations)
O4,O5,O6 stand for posttest (multiple observations)
TRUE-EXPERIMENTAL
• True experimental studies introduce an
independent variable to assess its impact
on a dependent variable. Like quasiexperimental studies, a control group is
included in true experimental studies. In
contrast though, randomization is utilized in
the selection of participants.
True experimental designs
a. Pretest-posttest controlled group
i. Subjects are randomly assigned to
groups.
ii. A pretest is given to both groups.
iii. The experimental group receives
treatment while the control group does not.
iv. A posttest is given to both groups.
Pretest-posttest controlled group
design
The procedure is summarized as follows:
R
O1
X
O2 (experimental group)
R
O1
O2 (control group)
b. Posttest only controlled group design
i. Subjects are randomly assigned to
groups.
ii. The experimental group receives the
treatment while the control group does not
receive the treatment.
iii. A posttest is given to both groups.
Posttest only controlled group
The procedure is summarized as follows:
R
X
O2 (experimental group)
R
O2 (control group)
c. Solomon four-group design
It is considered as the most prestigious
experimental design. It minimizes threats to both
internal and external validity.
i. Subjects are randomly assigned to one or
four groups.
ii. Two of the groups (experimental group 1
and control group 1) are pretested.
iii. The other two groups (experimental
group 2 and control group 2) receive
routine or no treatment.
Solomon four-group design
The procedure is summarized as follows:
R
O1
X
O2 (experimental group)
R
O1
O2 (control group)
R
X
O2 (experimental group)
R
O2 (control group)
TYPES OF EXPERIMENTS
Pre-experiment Quasi-experiment True Experiment
Manipulation of
independent
variable
No random
assignment of
participants
Manipulation of
Manipulation of
independent
independent variable
variable
No random
Random assignment
assignment of
of participants
participants
No control group
Either there is no
control group
Has control group
Individual Task
Complete Me!
1. Read carefully the description study and
complete the table distributed on the
activity sheet.
2. Work within 5 minutes.
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
Teacher
A
used
advanced organizers in
Grade 6 Science to
improve
student
achievement in Section
Mabini;
Section
Quezon was not given
advanced organizers.
Scores of the two
sections in long quizzes
were compared.
Variables
Control
Group?
Randomization?
Type of
Experiment
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
Teacher B used PeerAssisted
Learning
Strategies
(PALS)
to
improve the performance
of the bottom 33% of her
class. To assess the
effectiveness of PALS,
scores before and after
their
implementation
were examined.
Variables
Control
Group?
Randomization?
Type of
Experiment
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
To find the effectiveness
of scaffolding, English
Coordinator C randomly
selected two of twelve
heterogeneous sections
of Grade 7 in a large
school and assigned them
to one of two conditions:
one where scaffolding
was used for every lesson
and another where no
scaffolding was applied.
Their scores in the long
examinations
were
evaluated.
Variables
Control
Group?
Randomization?
Type of
Experiment
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
Variables
Teacher
A
used
advanced organizers in
Grade 6 Science to
improve
student
achievement in Section
Mabini;
Section
Quezon was not given
advanced organizers.
Scores of the two
sections in long quizzes
were compared.
Independent
variable: Use
or non-use of
advanced
organizers
Control
Type of
Randomization?
Group?
Experiment
Yes
Dependent
variable:
Scores in long
quizzes
None
Quasiexperiment
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
Teacher B used PeerAssisted
Learning
Strategies
(PALS)
to
improve the performance
of the bottom 33% of her
class. To assess the
effectiveness of PALS,
scores before and after
their
implementation
were examined.
Variables
Independent
variable:
Application or
nonapplication of
PALS
Dependent
variable:
Scores before
and after PALS
Control
Type of
Randomization?
Group?
Experiment
None
None
Preexperiment
GROUP TASK
Description of Study
Variables
To find the effectiveness
of scaffolding, English
Coordinator C randomly
selected two of twelve
heterogeneous sections
of Grade 7 in a large
school and assigned them
to one of two conditions:
one where scaffolding
was used for every lesson
and another where no
scaffolding was applied.
Their scores in the long
examinations
were
evaluated.
Independent
variable:
Implementatio
n or nonimplementatio
n of
scaffolding
Control
Type of
Randomization?
Group?
Experiment
Yes
Dependent
variable:
Scores in long
examinations
Yes
True
Experiment
THANK YOU!
SAMPLING
Sampling Method
It is desirable that sampling method for
experiments be random. However, since
experimental Action Research are conducted
to solve specific classroom problems, the
sampling may have o be purposive and
accessible.
Data Collection Method
The most common data collection methods in
experimental Action Research are paper andpencil instruments that yield numerical data.
These include tests, rating scales, and
checklists. Observation and documentation,
such as portfolios, may also be used as long
as the data derived from these can be
transformed to numerical values.
Data Analysis Techniques
Descriptive Statistics
-Measures of central tendency or location,
such as mode, median, and mean
-Measures of variability or dispersion, such as
range, variance, and standard deviation
Data Analysis Technique
Inferential Statistics
a. Independent t-test – when comparing two
means from two groups (e.g. Experimental vs.
control)
b. Paired t-test – when comparing two means
from one group measured twice (e.g., pretest
vs. posttest)
c. Analysis of Variance – when comparing three
or more groups or means
Group Task 3
1. Formulate an Action Research Question
using the following topics:
-effectiveness of buddy system in
improving test scores in Math
-efficacy of self-eavaluatio in
developing self-directed learning
-usefulness of feedback through SMS
in increasing the achievement levels of
at-risk students
2. Using the research questions, complete the
table
Research
Question
Hypotheses: Type of
Null and
Experiment
Research
Independent
Variable and
Dependent
Variable
Group/s:
Experimental
or
Experimental
& Group
Section of
Participants:
Random or
Nonrandom
References
Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. n.d. Type of Experimental
Research. Arizona: Grand Canyon University. Accessed May12, 2018.
https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/ex
perimental/design_types.
Complete Dissertation.n.d.Experimental Research Designs.Statistics Solution.
AccessedMay12,2018.
http://www.statisticssolutions.com/experimentalresearchdesigns/.
Trochim,WilliamM.K.(1999)2008.TheResearchMethodsKnowledge Base.
Mason,OH:AtomicDogPublishing,Inc.
“The heart and soul of good writing is
research; you should not what you know but
you can find out about.”
- ROBERT J. SAWYER