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How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education Book Cover
How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education, 5/e
Jack R. Fraenkel, San Francisco State University
Norman E. Wallen, San Francisco State University

Action Research

Chapter Outline


What is Action Research?

Basic Assumptions Underlying Action Research

Types of Action Research

Practical Action Research
Participatory Action Research

Levels of Participation

Steps in Action Research

Identifying the Research Question
Gathering the Necessary Information
Analyzing and Interpreting the Information
Developing an Action Plan

The advantages of Action Research

Similarities and Differences between Action Research and Formal

Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Sampling in Action Research

Controlling Threats to Internal Validity in Action Research

Action Research and External Validity: Once again, the Importance of

Replication

Some Hypothetical Examples of Practical Action Research

Investigating the Teaching of Science Concepts by Means of a Comparison-Group Experiment

Studying the Effects of Time-out on a Student's Disruptive Behavior by

Means of a Single-Subject Experiment

Determining What Students Like About School by Means of a Survey

Checking for Bias in English Anthologies by Means of a Content Analysis

Predicting which Kinds of Students are likely to have Trouble Learning

Algebra by Means of a Correlational Study

Comparing Two Ways of Teaching Chemistry by Means of a Causal-Comparative Study

Finding Out How Music Teachers Teach by Means of an

Ethnographic Study

An Example of Action Research

A Published Example of Action Research

Analysis of the Study

Purpose/Justification
Definitions
Prior Research
Hypotheses
Sample
Instrumentation
Procedures/Internal validity
Data Analysis
Results/Interpretation/Discussion