Action research

The authors acknowledge the work of our colleagues, clinical and nonclinical, whose data have shaped our views. Our work is funded by grants from the Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain, Action Research, the Wellcome Trust, the MRC, and the Royal Society. 

The use of the modelling-based strategy above described was investigated from an action research perspective by one of us (PF) who was the chemistiy teacher of a first grade medium level school class of 26 students (14-15 years old) in Brazil. 

Action Research to Promote the Formation of Linkages by Chemistry Stndents Between the Macro, Snbmicro, and Symbolic Representational Levels... 

Does the action research approach taken contribute to the development and implementation of the LON approach ... 

Our investigation, within Terrance s (2000) classification of action research, was collaborative action research. The LON project team existed from three groups of partners Seven teachers from primary schools, six of whom conducted interventions in their schools the adviser for chemistry from the National Board of Education for Slovenia and three chemical education researchers from the Department of Chemical Education and Informatics, University of Ljubljana. 

Our research design, shown in Fig. 13.1, followed the typical action research cycle as proposed by Ferrance (2000) which involves the following five phases (1) Identification of problem area, (2) Collection and organisation of data, (3) Interpretation of data, (4) Action based on data and (5) Refiection and evaluation of results. Finally, the results are used in a new cycle of research. 

Fig. 13.1 Action research cycle (adapted from Ferrance, 2000)...

The particular steps undertaken in onr action research are indicated in Table 13.1. 

Dining the action research, teachers wrote their reflective diaries that this procedure helped them to reflect on what they have done with their time, on what they had taught and what they were to teach. In the diary they recorded detailed descriptions of classroom practice. It was also a valuable tool in helping them to deal with emotionally challenging situations. Diaries included entries on what happened during the lessons, what they thought about those lessons and how they reacted to what had... 

The unit was taught in six schools. Two hundred and twenty six students (13-14 years) were involved in the action research (120 females and 106 males). To provide anonymity of participants and to avoid competition between the participating schools, the schools were labelled 1 to 6. 

Does the Action Research Approach Taken Contribute... 

Such collaborations as represented in the project team have been described by Watts (1985) as important for the snccess of action research. He pointed ont that it is important for teachers to help each other by working collaboratively and that working with external colleagues supports them in their professional development. Our collaborative action research experience snpport these statements, namely it seems that the success of the investigation is to a great proportion due to the effective collaboration between the involved partners (the specific roles of partners are described earlier). 

It has to be acknowledged that the teaching process was not eqnally efficient in all participating schools, but it appeared that an action research approach did lead to a significant improvement in the teaching process in all the participating schools. This observation is supported by positive feedback from teachers and their declared willingness to continue with the implementation of the LON approach in years to come as illustrated below ... 

The investigation was conducted in the form of collaborative action research in order to bring together the strengths of chemistiy teachers, the advisor for chemistry from The National Board of Education for Slovenia, and chemical education researchers from University of Ljubljana, and at the same time to enable a direct transfer of estabhshed research findings into teaching practice. According to teachers opinion, in comparison with their experiences in previous years, the most important achievements of the LON approach were ... 

Calhoun, E. (1993). Action research Three approaches. Educational Leadership, 51(2), 62-65. 

Ferrance, E. (2000). Action research. Providence Brown University. 

Kochendorfer, L. (1997). Active voiee. Types of classroom teacher action research. Teaching and Change, 4 2), 157-174. 

McKernan, J. (1988). The countenance of curriculum action research Traditional, collaborative, and emancipatory-critical conceptions. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 5(3), 173-200. 

Nofike, S. E., Stevenson, R. B. (Eds.). (1995). Educational action research Becoming practically critical. New York Teachers College Press. 

Exposure to other ideas, resources and opportunities broadens teachers awareness of possibilities for change and fosters a sense that alternatives are available. Teachers would make use, initially on a small scale, of classroom materials developed especially to meet the new approaches to models of the triplet relationship (see especially Tsaparlis, 2008 Tan et al., 2008 Meijer et al., 2008 Davidowitz Chittleborough, 2008 Justi et al., 2008 Treagust Chandra-segaran, 2008). This awareness of alternative resources implies either that such materials are prepared beforehand (Van Berkel, Pilot, finite, 2008) or that the teachers themselves prepare the materials by an action research approach (Ferk Savec et al., 2008). 

Mode of action research has caused similar challenges for investigators working with either natural products or synthetic pesticides. The major difficulty is to separate secondary effects from primary causes. Although effects can be measured in... 

TTiis kind of deliberate development most typically occurs when a manager is on a course where some kind of action-research or action-learning project is a requirement. But it could of course be engineered quite independently of any formal course. 

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