Action Research in Education: Importance, Strengths, Limitations, and a Topic for Action Research Project

Running head: ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
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1ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
Part 1: Action research in education
Researches can be performed in various ways, and it is essential to know about the
method in order to implement it in the appropriate professional field. For the professional field
that involves psychology, social work, sociology, medicine, and education it is one of the most
important aspects to understand the appropriate research method (Mertler & Reinhart, 2016).
Action research is one of the ways to conduct research in the field of education. Action research
is an interactive method to collect information that helps in exploring topics of student
behaviour, curriculum development and teaching. The present paper aims to discuss the
importance of action research in education along with the strengths and limitations of action
research. The paper will also include a topic that would that would be explored as an action
research project. in this paper, the topic selected is the usage of digital devices in the classroom
to improve student's understanding.
Action research in education:
A method of systematic enquiry undertaken by teachers as researchers. It has gained
attention over the last decades most popular among the educators, policymakers and
administrators across the globe. Educators off variety levels have successfully embraced it and
implemented in order to make research more manageable yet capable of getting results that are
more informative. It is preferred methods for its direct and immediate application to the field of
research.
Action research can be defined as any systematic inquiry utilised by teachers,
administrators, and counsellors or others with vested interest in the learning and teaching process
or environment. It is used in order to gather information regarding the ways their schools

2ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
operate, they teach and the way their student learning. It is a research that is performed by
teachers by themselves such as their own institutional methods their own assessment and their
own student to understand the specific pattern, behaviour and the system in a better way and
improve their quality and effectiveness. According to Mertler (2008), action research method
focuses on the characteristics that are unique and exceptional of the population with whom they
are working and the people with whom specific actions needed to be taken. To conduct action
research, the basic process is inclusive of four steps:
1. Identification of the area of focus
2. Collection of data
3. Analysing and interpreting the data
4. Development of a plan of action
Strengths and limitation of action research method
Action research is a process that encourages reflection of an individual’s practice.
Through the action research method, changes are promoted, and development takes place. It is a
method that helps in identifying issues that are important to identify. Also, in this research
method sharing practices is endorsed. According to Creswell & Clark (2017) the action research
method is a method that aids in identifying own practices, arrange them after evaluation.
Through the process, the educational practice can be amended as it provides a better reflection to
own practices. There are several researchers that suggest including pupils in the process of
school improvement and through action research process it lets pupils become inclusive in the
program along with collaboration with colleagues, clients or professional researchers. Action
research as a purpose helps in improving educational practices.