Doing Action Research in
the Classroom
A Training-Workshop on Writing Action
Research
JIMMY REY O. CABARDO, MAEd
Head Teacher III, Hagonoy National High School
Outline of the Virtual Workshop
 Introduction to Action Research
 Framing AR Titles and Questions
 Writing the Context and Rationale
 Guidelines on Proposing Innovations,
Interventions and Strategies
 Writing the AR Methodologies
Writing Research in
the Department of
Education
Legal Bases
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Republic Act No. 9155
DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2015
DepEd Order No. 39, s. 2016
DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2017
DepEd Memorandum No. 144, s. 2017
DepEd Order No. 26, s. 2021
DepEd Order No. 26, s. 2021
• Virtual Conduct of ResearchRelated Activities and Initiatives
• Online/Remote Data Gathering
Methods
Introduction to
Action Research
“If you want to truly
change something, try
to understand it.”
Dr. Mary Brydon-Miller
Editor, The Sage Encyclopedia of Action Research
What is Action Research?
“A process of systematic inquiry to
improve educational practices or
resolve problems in the classrooms
and schools”
Department of Education, 2015
What is Action Research?
“It is an interactive method of
collecting information that’ is used to
explore topics of teaching, curriculum
development and student behavior in
the classroom”
Department of Education, 2015
Action Research is …
 conducted to change something
 used to solve a problem
 done to test a new strategy
 different from traditional research
 used to construct theory from practice
 contextualized, subjective
 used to understand the world
The central goal of
action research is…
positive educational
change.
When to Use Action Research?
Use action research when you want to:
 Improve your understanding
 Develop your learning
 Influence others’ learning
When NOT to Use Action Research?
Do not use action research if you want to:
 Draw comparisons
 Show statistical correlation
 Demonstrate a cause-and-effect
relationship
Basic Research versus Action Research
Basic Research versus Action Research
Action Research Cycle
Types of Action Research?
According to Approaches (Kemmis et al., 2014)
 Industrial Action Research
 Action Science
 Action Learning
 Classroom-Based Action Research
 Critical Participatory Action Research
According to Purpose (Kemmis et al., 2014)
 Technical Action Research
 Practical Action Research
 Critical Action Research
Points to Consider in Writing Action
Research Proposal
1. Allow sufficient time for the proposal
preparation.
2. Start with a research proposal outline.
3. Make the proposal simple and
straightforward.
Points to Consider in Writing Action
Research Proposal
4. Be prepared to:
a. make mistakes and learn from it.
b. spend hours looking for information.
c. have your proposal criticized for
improvement.
d. feel confused and hopeless sometimes.
Framing AR Titles
and Questions
WHERE DO WE START?
Action research begins with an imperfectly
understood felt concern and a desire to take
action – a general idea that some kind of
improvement or change is desirable.
- McTaggart, 1994
“A teacherresearcher may start
out not with a
hypothesis to test,
but with a wondering
to pursue.”
- Bissex, 1987
Writing action research
proposal always begin
with one’s…
wondering.
WHAT DO YOU WONDER ABOUT?
A wondering is defined as a burning
question a teacher has about his/her practice
Wonder is the foundation for formulating
a researchable research question based on
issues, tensions, problems, or dilemmas
experienced by the teacher in the classroom.
- Dana, 2013
Example of Wonderings…
Math: How I am going to improve learner’s
problem solving skills in Mathematics with
modular distance learning?
Language: With remote learning strategy
implemented, how will I enhance learner’s
grammatical skills in English?
Example of Wonderings…
Science: How can I improve the laboratory skills
of my Special Science students in this time of
COVID-19 pandemic?
Social Studies: How does technology use
such as Google Earth and GPS enhance
students’ understanding and application of
geography skills in Araling Panlipunan 6?
Example of Wonderings…
Administration: With alternative work arrangement in
DepEd, how will I effectively monitor the attendance
of teachers and their accomplishments?
Generic Teaching: How can students be taught
independent learning skills and strategies so
they will use them to improve their academic
performance in this new normal?
The wonderings that we
have, will lead us to…
action research
title and questions.
Below is a list of research title, identify
those that belong to AR (First Set)
1. EFFECTIVENESS OF BASIC LITERACY TRAINING PROGRAM
OF 4P’S PARENTS IN IMPROVING CHILDREN'S LITERACY
2. FACTORS INFLUENCING LEARNER’S ABSENTEEISM: THE
CASE OF LEARNERS IN THE FAR-FLUNG AREAS
3. FLIPPED CLASSROOM: ITS EFFECTIVENESS TO GRADE
THREE PUPILS’ BASIC VOCABULARY SKILLS IN ENGLISH
4. PORTRAIT OF A SUPERMAN: MANAGEMENT ROLES OF MALE
PRINCIPALS IN SCHOOL AND FAMILY
5. ENHANCING THE LABORATORY SKILLS OF GRADE 8 SPECIAL
SCIENCE STUDENTS USING VISUAL SIMULATION STRATEGY
Below is a list of research title, identify
those that belong to AR (Second Set)
1. SPILL THE SPELL: A WORD GAME STRATEGY IN IMPROVING
THE SPELLING SKILLS OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS
2. CAST FROM THE PAST: USING SCREEN CASTING IN THE
SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’
ENGAGEMENT
3. DEVELOPING THE CONFIDENCE OF GRADE 6 PUPILS IN
MATH THROUGH SELF-REFLECTION PROCESS
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ALPHABET
KNOWLEDGE IN KINDERGARTEN CLASS
5. MAKING MELODIES IN MY HEART: INCREASING LEARNER’S
ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE USING SONGS AND YELLS
When can we say that a title for research
is for action research?
It must contain the proposed strategy, innovation or
intervention.
It should contain the action you want to
implement
 It contains a target group, either visibly
present or implied.
The issue to be investigated is clear.
Below is a list of research title, identify
those that belong to AR (First Set)
1. EFFECTIVENESS OF BASIC LITERACY TRAINING PROGRAM
OF 4P’S PARENTS IN IMPROVING CHILDREN'S LITERACY
2. FACTORS INFLUENCING LEARNER’S ABSENTEEISM: THE
CASE OF LEARNERS IN THE FAR-FLUNG AREAS
3. FLIPPED CLASSROOM: ITS EFFECTIVENESS TO GRADE
THREE PUPILS’ BASIC VOCABULARY SKILLS IN ENGLISH
4. PORTRAIT OF A SUPERMAN: MANAGEMENT ROLES OF MALE
PRINCIPALS IN SCHOOL AND FAMILY
5. ENHANCING THE LABORATORY SKILLS OF GRADE 8 SPECIAL
SCIENCE STUDENTS USING VISUAL SIMULATION STRATEGY
Below is a list of research title, identify
those that belong to AR (Second Set)
1. SPILL THE SPELL: A WORD GAME STRATEGY IN IMPROVING
THE SPELLING SKILLS OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS
2. CAST FROM THE PAST: USING SCREEN CASTING IN THE
SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’
ENGAGEMENT
3. DEVELOPING THE CONFIDENCE OF GRADE 6 PUPILS IN
MATH THROUGH SELF-REFLECTION PROCESS
4. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ALPHABET
KNOWLEDGE IN KINDERGARTEN CLASS
5. MAKING MELODIES IN MY HEART: INCREASING LEARNER’S
ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE USING SONGS AND YELLS
Action you wanted
to Implement
Issue you are
investigating
Improving Student’s Understanding of Specific
Geometrical Concepts by Incorporating Exploratory
Exercises in Grade 8 Geometry Class
Proposed Intervention,
Strategy or Innovation
Target Group
Target Group
Proposed Intervention,
Strategy or Innovation
Cast from the Past: Using Screencasting in the Social
Studies Classroom to Improve Students’ Engagement
Action you wanted
to Implement
Issue you are
investigating
Can we change a Basic
Research title into an
Action Research?
Absolutely yes!
For example:
A BASIC RESEARCH TITLE:
FLIPPED CLASSROOM: ITS EFFECTIVENESS TO GRADE THREE
PUPILS’ BASIC VOCABULARY SKILLS IN ENGLISH
ACTION RESEARCH TITLE:
FLIPPED CLASSROOM: A STRATEGY TO IMPROVE
THE BASIC VOCABULARY SKILLS OF GRADE 3
PUPILS IN ENGLISH
Proposed Intervention,
Strategy or Innovation
Action you wanted
to Implement
Flipped Classroom: A Strategy to Improve the Basic
Vocabulary Skills of Grade 3 Pupils in English
Issue you are
investigating
Target Group
How to formulate Title for your
Action Research ?
1. Have your research question?
Ex: Why are my students always absent?
2. Think of possible intervention or strategy to
address the problem.
Ex: Home Visitation, Intensive Monitoring,
Consistent Communication
How to formulate Title for your
Action Research ?
3. Formulate the possible title of your action research.
Ex: Home Visitation: An Approach to Reduce the
Absenteeism of Grade 4 Learners
Intensified Monitoring Mechanism: An Intervention
to Reduce Absenteeism of Grade 6 Pupils
Reducing Absenteeism of Grade 9 Students
through Regular Communication
Now, from the wonderings,
we develop our AR title, and
from our AR title, we will
frame our…
AR questions.
“Identifying a good research
question requires reflection,
observation, conversation,
and study of the natural life
of the classroom..”
“It is important to remember that the first question
propelling an action research study may change as
the research is under way.”
- Pine, 2009
What is a good AR question?
 It should be meaningful, compelling, and important
to you as a teacher-researcher
It is manageable and within your sphere of influence.
It should be important for learners.
It leads to taking an action, to trying
something out, to improve a teaching and
learning situation, to implement actions that
can make a difference in the lives of
students.
What is a good AR question?
A good AR question is authentic – you have to own it.
It doesn’t lead to a yes or no answer.
It is specific, but sufficiently open-ended to
facilitate meaningful exploration and to
provide opportunities for deep and rich
understandings of teaching and learning in
the classroom.
In writing AR question, begin with the statement of
purpose of your study. For example…
ACTION RESEARCH TITLE
ENHANCING THE LABORATORY SKILLS OF GRADE 6 SPECIAL
SCIENCE STUDENTS USING VISUAL SIMULATION STRATEGY
This action research primarily intends
to enhance the laboratory skills of Grade 6
Special Science students using visual
simulation strategy. (Followed by a question)
This action research primarily intends to
enhance the laboratory skills of Grade 6
Special Science students using visual
simulation strategy. To carry on with the study,
this action research seeks to answer the
question, “How do visual simulation strategy
enhance the laboratory skills of Grade 8
Special Science students?”
An Action Research Question
Some Examples of Specific AR Questions
 How does the use of computers affect the student writing
process in our Grade 4 classrooms?
 Does student understanding of specific geometrical
concepts improve when incorporating exploratory exercises
into the teaching of geometry in Grade 6 class?
 Does implementing peer editing throughout Grade
6 English classes enhance the quality of student
writing?
Allows you to explore
and investigate
Necessary
Action/Change
Issue you are
investigating
Does student’s understanding of specific geometrical
concepts improve when incorporating exploratory
exercises into the teaching of geometry in Grade 8
class?
Proposed Intervention,
Strategy or Innovation
Target Group
Framing the Research Question
Clearly and concisely state the issue you are
investigating.
Clearly state the intervention, strategy or innovation
you intend to implement or try out.
Specify the target group of your research.
Specify the necessary action/change you
are expecting to happen.
Writing the Context
and Rationale
Context and Rationale
This part includes the description of the
context of the study, the reason for
conducting the study and how the results
could be used in action planning and/or
policy formulation and development.
In writing your Context and Rationale,
consider the following questions…
 What am I studying?
 Why is the topic important to be investigated?
 What do we already know about this topic?
 What have other experts discovered about
the topic?
 How will my research advance new
knowledge or new ways of understanding?
In writing your Context and Rationale,
consider the following tips…
Establish the problem or issue you wanted to
pursue in your AR.
1. Narrate the experiences you had in your
classroom to arrive at the problem or issue.
2. Make sure that you comprehensively describe
the context of your study and the need to
provide intervention, innovation or strategy.
In writing your Context and Rationale,
consider the following tips…
End your statement highlighting the relevance,
value and significance of your study.
1. Why is your research relevant?
2. What will it contribute to the field as well as
beyond?
3. Why should we care about your research?
Sample Context and Rationale
Sample Context and Rationale
Guidelines on
Proposing Innovations,
Interventions and
Strategies
Proposed Innovations, Interventions
and Strategies
This is a detailed description and explanation
of the proposed innovation, intervention and
strategy. Include in the discussion the source/s
of the idea, activities to be undertaken, the
persons to be involved and the plausibility of
addressing the problem of the study.
Proposed Innovations, Interventions
and Strategies
 Innovation refers to the introduction of a new idea in order to
ensure continuous implementation of educational programs,
projects and activities.
 Intervention refers to a method, procedure or process
primarily utilize in order to improve certain educational
conditions.
Strategy refers to a set of careful plans or methods
in order to achieve a goal.
Proposed Innovations, Interventions
and Strategies
 This will be an innovation, intervention or strategy of some
sort, perhaps a technique, new environment or new material
that you feel has potential to correct the problem.
 It must be novel.
It must not be copied from the internet (OR FROM
OTHER SOURCE); If it is, it should have viable
change so the researcher’s touch can be felt.
Tips in Writing Proposed Innovations,
Interventions and Strategies
Reflect with your daily teaching activities.
Discuss your wondering with your
learning circle or your learning action cell.
Take advantage of the potential and
strengths of the Internet in helping you
think of a possible solution.
Writing AR
Methodologies
Participants and Data Sources
Action research, as defined, usually takes
place in the classroom. This means that
your participants are part of your daily
tasks, that is providing better learning
experiences for them to perform in your
class. But doing AR in your class lead you
to ask the following:
Identifying the Participants
Who among them will be involved in the study?
Who will be the main source of your data?
Who will participate in the research?
How many will participate in the study?
What are the characteristics of those who
will participate in the study?
Participants and Sources of Data
 In the conduct of AR, teacher-researcher should provide
details as to who will and how many will participate in the
study.
 Characteristics of who will participate (inclusion criteria).
 How will the sample be selected?
Note: Writing an inclusion criteria is very important
in order to delineate other learners that do
not have the same characteristics as the
participants of the study.
Sources of Data in School
 Artifacts – These are data source that are compiled or kept
for special purpose. Examples of artifacts are:
 Teacher made Tests
 Meeting Notes
 Standardized Tests
 Lesson Plans
 Written Assignments
 Student Portfolios
Projects
 Student Records
 Report Cards
 Test Reports
Sources of Data in School
 Observations – This source of data generally stem from
researcher’s observation and providing annotations to
one’s work.
 Field Notes
 Video Recordings
 Anecdotal Records
 Checklists
 Audio Recordings
Sources of Data in School
 Inquiry – This source of data particularly emerge from the
conduct of inquiry or evaluation.
 Individual Interview
Focus Group Interview
 Survey/Questionnaires
 Attitude Scales
 Student Portfolios
 Self-Assessments
 Focus Group Discussion
Data Gathering
Methods
Data Collection in Action Research
 Note taking
 Interview
 Survey
 Saving student work and
classroom artifacts
Researcher Notes
(Corsaro, 1983, cited in Hubbard & Power, 1993)
 Field Notes – direct observations of what you are seeing in
your classroom or other research site.
 Methodological Notes – observations involving the
research methods you are using.
 Theoretical Notes – notations involving theories
about what is happening in the field.
 Personal Notes – references involving events in
your life or in the lives of your students that may
affect what you are seeing.
Classroom Artifacts
 Student work outputs (projects, journals,
quizzes, drafts, etc.)
 Lesson plans & Curriculum guide
 Notes from parents, colleagues, students
Note: Do not allow student work to go home
unless you are assured of having it
returned to you.
Interviews
One-on-one interview or focus group discussion.
Interview guide (structured, semi-structured or
unstructured
Open-ended questions
Follow-up/probe answers
Participants can explain their answers
Surveys
Make use of a questionnaire (ready-made or
researcher-made)
Used to obtain students’ attitudes, beliefs,
habits, behaviors and demographics
Questionnaires need to be validated and pilot
tested before they can be used
Chance of non-response is high & socially
desirable responses
Triangulation
 Using of at least three independent windows to observe
any phenomenon, which helps ensure quality of results. It
provides the following benefits:
 It compensates for the imperfection of data
gathering tools.
 When multiple techniques give the same results,
it can increase confidence in the results; and
 When multiple resources fail to give the same
results, it can raise follow up questions.
Triangulation
Strengthens the quality and trustworthiness of
your research
Four types of triangulation (Denzin, 1978)
 Use of multiple methods
 Use of multiple sources of data
 Use of multiple investigators
 Use of multiple theories to confirm emerging
findings
Ethical Issues in Conducting Research
(Amdur & Bankert, 2011)
 Respect for persons
 Beneficence
 Justice
Ethical Issues in Conducting Research
(Amdur & Bankert, 2011)
 Respect for Persons
o Informed Consent
o Voluntary Participation
o No Coercion
o Confidentiality
o Relevance of Data
o Data Security (storage, management and reporting)
Ethical Issues in Conducting Research
(Amdur & Bankert, 2011)
 Beneficence
o Maximize possible benefits
o Minimize possible harm (avoid
and emotional harm to participants)
mental, physical,
 Justice
o Fairness to all involved (Give everybody a chance
to participate)
Data Analysis
Plan
Data Analysis Plan
Classroom action research typically
involves the use of qualitative,
interpretive modes of inquiry and data
collection by teachers with a view to
teachers making judgments about
how to improve their own teaching
practices in the classroom (Kemmis
et al., 2014).
Analyzing Quantitative Data
Descriptive Statistics such as
frequency counts, percentages,
mean, standard deviation
Analyzing Qualitative Data
Content Analysis – A method for the
subjective interpretation of the content
of text data through the systematic
classification process of coding and
identifying themes or patterns (Hsieh &
Shannon, 2005)
Analyzing Qualitative Data
Thematic Analysis – A method for
identifying, analyzing and reporting
patterns (themes) within data; end goal
is a thematic network or map (Braun &
Clarke, 2006)
Steps in Thematic Analysis
Transcribing, Reading, and Familiarization
Move on to Coding
Identifying Patterns: Codes to Themes
(Sub-Themes and Themes)
Searching, Reviewing, and Finalizing
Themes
Developing the Analysis
Sample Data Analysis Plan
Sample Data Analysis Plan
Now, that you are
through with the
Template for
Classroom-Based AR,
let’s transfer it to our
Final AR Template
Amdur, R.J. & Bankert, E.A. (2011). Institutional review board member
handbook. 3rd Ed. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.
Bradbury-Huang, H. (2010). What is Good Action Research? Why the
Resurgent Interest? Action Research , 8 (1), 93-109.
McNiff, J. & Whitehead, J. (2006). All You Need to Know About Action
Research: An Introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Norton, L.S. (2009). Action Research in Teaching and Learning: A Practical
Guide to Conducting Pedagogical Research in Universities. New
York: Routledge.
Pine, G.J. (2009). Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
References
“We do not learn from experience;
we learn from reflecting on
experience.”
John Dewey
Philosopher, Psychologist, Educational Reformer