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Action Research
Using Strategic Inquiry to Improve Teaching and Learning

January 2017 | 288 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Action Research: Using Strategic Inquiry to Improve Teaching and Learning helps educators use research to guide decision-making and determine the effectiveness of various instructional strategies.  The book leads the reader through the action research process using a model of self-regulation, which focuses on task definition, goal setting and planning, enacting research, and adaption. Written specifically for educators who may not feel prepared to measure the impact of interventions on student learning outcomes, the book provides very practical and useful tools, containing specific examples that are relevant to teachers’ everyday reality.  The text also reinforces how action research can improve the teaching and learning process by reinforcing or changing perceptions about the use of informal data, including anecdotal notes or observations, in the research process.

 

 
PREFACE
Acknowledgments

 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
 
PHASE I—TASK DEFINITION
 
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS ACTION RESEARCH?
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Research in the Age of Accountability

 
Taking Action: Using the CAPES Framework

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Introducing the Research Log

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
PHASE II—GOAL SETTING AND PLANNING
 
CHAPTER 2: IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH TOPIC
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Choosing a Research Topic

 
Taking Action: Developing the Research Topic

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Completing a Topic Proposal Form

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Developing a Topic

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
CHAPTER 3: CREATING A REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Sources of Information

 
Taking Action: Locating and Synthesizing Information

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Writing the Synthesis of Literature

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Annotated Bibliography Entries

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
CHAPTER 4: CREATING A RESEARCH PLAN
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Examining Characteristics and Components of Research Methods

 
Taking Action: Developing a Preliminary Research Plan

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Initiating the Research Plan Proposal Form

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Research Plan (Pre-implementation)

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
CHAPTER 5: METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Choosing Data Collection Methods

 
Validity and Reliability

 
Sources of Data

 
Taking Action: Selecting Data Collection Methods

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Revising the Research Plan Proposal Form and Creating a Timeline

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Revising the Research Plan and Timeline

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
PHASE III—ENACTING
 
CHAPTER 6: ANALYZING THE DATA
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Analyzing Your Data

 
Taking Action: Selecting the Method of Data Analysis

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Completing the Research Plan Proposal Form and Timeline

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Final Research Plan and Timeline

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
PHASE IV—ADAPTATION
 
CHAPTER 7: REFLECTING ON RESULTS AND PLANNING FOR ACTION
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Reflecting on the Results of Action Research

 
Taking Action: Creating a Plan for Action

 
Developing a Plan or a Product: Completing a Plan of Action

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Reflecting on Results

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
CHAPTER 8: THE ACTION RESEARCH REPORT: SHARING RESULTS
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Determining the Audience, Format, and Outlet

 
Taking Action: Crafting the Abstract and Policy Implication Statements

 
Developing a Product: Creating the Action Research Report Outline, Presentation, and Summary

 
Evaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?

 
Moving Forward: Potential Challenges

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Action Research Summary

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
CHAPTER 9: LEADING A COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH TEAM
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Aims and Goals

 
Setting the Context: Organizing for Collaborative Action Research

 
Taking Action: Collaborative Action Research

 
Developing the Product: Forming the Collaborative Action Research Team

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Case in Point: Developing a Collaborative Action Research Study

 
Activities and Additional Resources

 
 
APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF ACTION RESEARCH REPORTS
Examining the Impact of Readers’ Theater on Struggling Readers’ Fluency Levels

 
Using an Investigation Model in Ninth-Grade Science Class: Impact on Lower-Level Readers

 
 
APPENDIX B: POTENTIAL PUBLICATION OUTLETS FOR ACTION RESEARCH
 
GLOSSARY
 
INDEX

Supplements

Instructor Teaching Site

SAGE edge for Instructors supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter to encourage students to think critically
  • Video and multimedia links that appeal to students with different learning styles
  • Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to ease preparation for lectures and class discussions
Student Study Site

SAGE edge for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment.

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
  • Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material
  • An online action plan allows students to track their progress through the course and materials and to individualize their learning experience
  • Learning objectives reinforce the most important material
  • Video and multimedia links facilitate student use of internet resources and further exploration of topics.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter

The text below offers an outstanding explanation of action research that is ideal for novice researchers. It is clearly written and leaves no room for confusion.

Dr Vanessa Rigaud
Education Dept, Xavier University
February 21, 2024
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Well written with many resources for students.

Dr Melanie Fowler
Education Dept, Florida Southern College
December 8, 2020
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This book is perfect for practicing teachers to look at how to bring research into their practice and use data to determine actions.

Dr Kim Silbaugh
Teacher Education Dept, Western State Colorado Univ
October 31, 2017
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Key features
KEY FEATURES:
  • The CAPES* Self-Regulatory framework process guides the reader through the relevant stages of the action research process, including identifying a topic to investigate, creating a synthesis of literature, developing a plan to collect and analyze data collection, sharing results, and, finally, reflecting on the next phase of the process. *The CAPES model presents a self-regulatory framework that teaches students to establish a Context for inquiry, take Action to complete a task associated with the stage of inquiry, create a Product and Evaluate it against a set of Standards.
  • Inclusion of a chapter focused on collaborative action research that instructional leaders will find useful for developing the capacity to facilitate and lead the action research process for a larger group.
  • Case in Point examples detail the process from the perspective of two teachers.
  • Voices from the Field narrative vignettes convey teachers' experiences conducting action research, from development of a plan and literature review, through data analysis and planning additional cycles.
  • “Note”-able Thoughts represent a way to encourage the reader to stop and think about how the content relates to prior knowledge or experience related to the chapter topic or to take a specific action that will help develop the artifact for the chapter.
  • TECH Connections highlight ways that technology can be used to facilitate the research process, including searching literature, collecting, storing, or analyzing data, or communicating with peers within the collaborative action research process.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 2

Chapter 9