How can action research improve your teaching practices?

I always believe in the process of starting with 1-on-1 sessions and then transitioning to group sessions of 5 people. By learning how to address challenges with this number of people, you can improve your strategies in a more efficient way.

Action research (AR) empowers teachers to engage in reflective practice, data-informed decision-making, and continuous improvement through cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection. By customizing research questions, collaborating with colleagues, and grounding decisions in evidence, AR fosters professional development and improves student outcomes (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007; McNiff & Whitehead, 2011). AR enables teachers to take ownership of their practice, ensuring that teaching strategies are effective, relevant, and responsive to the needs of diverse learners within their classrooms and communities.

Según mi experiencia el aprender-haciendo, es una de las mejores fórmulas para que el proceso ense?anza-aprendizaje sea efectivo. Pues los alumnos aprender a aplicar conceptos a través de metodologías o protocolos técnico-científicos con aplicación a casos reales

This is very important to understand where we need to improve according to the students level of understanding. It will vary for each batch of students and their capability to learn. Hence we need to do this regularly for each batch of students and it is not a one time activity. A continuous activity to improve our teaching methodology.

In my experience, I believe that it is very important to understand our audience before delivering any kind of lecture or using any strategy. The kind of audience decides the path which needs to be taken along with how to walk on it.

In the planning phase of action research, teachers pinpoint an area for improvement, like student engagement, and devise a detailed plan with timelines and resources (Mills, 2014). This meticulous approach ensures focused, manageable action steps toward enhancing teaching practices.

I pick one thing to make better, like how students pay attention or how I teach. I figure out exactly what's wrong or what I want to know. Then, I make a plan with steps and when I'll do them. For example, I read about what others say works, watch my class, and try new things. I keep track of what happens and change things if needed. By doing this, I can focus on improving and make teaching better for me and my students.

We can design a survey to understand these aspects and based on the feedback, we can take corrective actions. The survey should be conducted after 3 or 4 sessions first. Then based on that we can tune some methodology to improve. Then after reflecting the corrective action, again we need to conduct the survey to see the effectiveness of our action.

In this phase, teachers identify specific areas of their teaching practice that they want to improve. This could be informed by personal observations, student feedback, or larger educational goals. Effective planning involves setting clear objectives, defining research questions, and designing interventions or changes to implement in the classroom. Teachers must also consider factors such as student diversity, classroom dynamics, and available resources during the planning process.

The planning phase of Action Research involves careful consideration and detailed preparation to ensure your inquiry is focused, manageable, and effective. By clearly identifying your focus area, developing a research question, planning actionable steps, and setting evaluation criteria, you lay a strong foundation for successful Action Research that can lead to meaningful improvements in your teaching practice.

In the action phase of action research, teachers execute planned strategies, meticulously documenting changes, student responses, and unexpected events. This thorough documentation is essential for later analysis of effectiveness, emphasizing learning from experiences to drive improvement (Sagor, 2017).

Generally we feel the success of our teaching lies in students applying the concepts learnt during the sessions. Hence we can invoke a group assignment, which demands them to apply their understanding on various concepts and frameworks for a real situations. By this way also we can get many insights about their ultimate learning to achieve the objectives of our course.

Once the planning phase is complete, teachers implement the planned interventions or changes in their teaching practice. These action steps should be deliberate and based on evidence-based practices or theories of teaching and learning. Teachers may need to adapt their actions based on real-time feedback from students or unexpected challenges that arise during implementation.

The action phase of Action Research is a dynamic and iterative process that involves implementing your planned strategies, documenting the process, and collecting data. By carefully observing and recording what happens, you can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your interventions. Remember, the aim is to learn and improve, not to achieve perfection on the first try. This thorough documentation and reflection will be essential when you move to the next phase of analyzing and reflecting on the outcomes.

During this phase, teachers systematically observe and collect data on the effects of their actions in the classroom. This may involve using a variety of data collection methods, such as classroom observations, student surveys, assessments, or interviews. The observation period allows teachers to gather evidence on student learning outcomes, engagement levels, behavior, and other relevant factors.

To assess the group assignment, we can design that in phases to get continuous feedback and observations to take actions to correct the same. Then the next phase will improve further and by end of the last phase we can see much more improvement than the first phase. By this way we get lot of data points to assess our methodology to correct ourself to improve the efficiency of our teaching.

The observation period is essential for collecting comprehensive data to evaluate the impact of your interventions. By using various data collection methods and thoroughly analyzing the results, you can gain valuable insights into why certain strategies worked or did not work. These insights will guide the next steps in your Action Research cycle, allowing you to refine and improve your teaching practices continually.

Reflective analysis, the core of action research, involves critically reviewing collected data to assess the efficacy of implemented action steps. It necessitates honesty, focusing on data insights rather than preconceptions, and reflecting on both successes and areas for improvement (Sagor, 2017). This reflective process informs future teaching practices, fostering continuous improvement in instructional strategies.

By way of this reflective analysis, we know clearly what worked and what needs improvement further. The successes will motivate us to do more and more. The opportunities for improvement will guide us to implement new method of teaching to enable the students to apply their learnings to a real situation. This will give ultimate satisfaction to us to do this on a regular basis

Reflective analysis is a critical component of action research. Teachers analyze the data collected during the observation period to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. This involves comparing actual outcomes with intended goals, identifying patterns or trends in the data, and reflecting on the factors that may have influenced the results. Through reflective analysis, teachers gain valuable insights into their teaching practice and areas for improvement.

Reflective analysis is essential for extracting meaningful insights from the data collected during the Action Research process. By critically examining both successes and areas for improvement, educators can inform future teaching practices and drive continuous improvement in student learning outcomes. This reflective approach ensures that Action Research remains a dynamic and iterative process, grounded in evidence-based reflection and informed decision-making.

Reflection is a core component of action research. It encourages teachers to continuously evaluate their teaching methods and the impact on student learning. This ongoing reflection helps in understanding what works and what doesn’t, leading to continuous improvement.

In the concluding phase of action research, teachers determine their next steps based on reflective analysis. This may involve refining action plans, implementing new strategies, or initiating research cycles on different teaching aspects (Mills, 2014). This iterative process fosters continual adaptation and improvement in teaching methods, reflecting a dedication to lifelong learning and enhanced effectiveness in teaching practice.

The iterative nature of action research makes adapting to new challenges and changes in the educational environment easier. Teachers can quickly test and implement new strategies to address emerging issues.