In the same way that anime Pokémon EVOLVE, research too comes in many forms and looks vastly different over the course of time.
(Pokemon, 2016)
Only if we look very closely to inspect each piece of an Action Research project, can we truly understand it's native form, overall goal, and true purpose.
So, let's break it down!
Action research involves the following 4 stages:
The planning stage
The acting stage
The developing stage
The reflecting stage
One might consider these the EVOLUTION of a research plan.
Each step has different needs and requirements. The planning stage requires a preparing of the earth; this is when a priority of brainstorming and exploring the selected topic is essential. The acting stage is when seeds are planted, so the first few ideas are put into action through implementation. The developing stage is for watching and pruning, which is necessary to fully understand the data being collected. The final reflecting stage is when plants can be harvested and plans for next season begin, ensuring the cycle is understood and improvements are made.
So...
If this Action Plan was a Pokémon, what would it look like?
The topic: Blended Learning
The purpose: This study is to increase classroom engagement and decrease student and staff burnout
The fundamental question: This research is to analyze possible Blended Learning benefits. "Can the implementation of Blended Learning methods for two weeks in a middle school Literature classroom increase engagement and Lexile reading levels?"
The design & research methods: The best type of design for this research would be a "group comparison design" structure to share baseline and comparative data. This method would also include a specific quasi-experimental set-up which involves two groups being compared with each other on a common dependent variable.
The type of data collected: The most appropriate data to collect for this study would be quantitative data since it would ensure the most accurate and relevant data is reported. The students will be tracked through entry-level reading scores and later comparing them to another reading score after two weeks of independent reading and practice. Engagement will be calculated by how many readings each student completes and at which reading level. The combination of these activities will check for engagement and overall growth.
The measurements: Several instruments will be used to gauge success. The online website ReadTheory.org is free to use and streamlined to track student engagement and specifically their individual Lexile level reading comprehension progress.
The final literature review: While creating this Action Research plan, continuous research was being compiled and organized into a formal Literature Review exploring the finer details of Blended Learning. Each section of the paper describes aspects of how Blended Learning has changed the structure of education for the better. These ideas correlated directly to the plan being created. It supports the WHY and HOW for innovation each stage of the Action Research.
Then...
Over time, how can the Action Plan get accomplished?
What's great about an Action Plan is that they can be a very efficient short-term mode for educational research.
For this specific Blended Learning research plan to take place, only two weeks are needed for the actual collection of data! With one additional week at the beginning to prepare and one final week after researching to share & reflect, then significant information can be collected in one month or less! Here's an example timeline, below.
Week One - Brainstorming & Developing
Notice a problem - students are not engaged nor wanting to become better readers.
Create an essential question - "Can ____ increase engagement and Lexile reading levels?"
Write down possible ideas for solutions. - Blended Learning
Research that solution or topic to see what others already know or understand.
Prepare a method of data collection.
This stage has been completed in more detail HERE.
Weeks Two & Three - Implementing
Introduce students to ReadTheory.org website.
Explain how students will be challenged to work on individually improving their Lexile reading levels. Get everyone excited!
Show how data is monitored based on both reading scores and amount of time spent practicing.
Ensure students know how to check and monitor their own progress.
Let classes know that they will be focusing on these two aspects of learning for two weeks.
Begin!
Let students work for piece of time during class, after work completion, and after school too.
Encourage, remind, and support.
Remind them this is not graded and their classmates are NOT their competitors.
End of Week Three - Collecting & Analyzing
First, encourage students to check their own "progress" tab.
Then, evaluate whole-class progress and performance from the Teacher login page.
Chart data, look for trends, analyze learning gaps, and more by exploring additional graphs and charts listed within the Teacher login page.
Week Four - Share & Communicate
This is a FUN part of the plan. Hopefully POSITIVE correlations were found between increased engagement and Lexile reading levels.
Decide what you'd like to do with this new information!
Will you share with students? Coworkers? Grade or subject-level teams? Parents? Administration?
Decide HOW to explain any noticings found.
Will you make a video? Slideshow? Infographic? Article for the school newsletter?
End of Week Four & beyond - Reflect
Think about if your findings were similar to your first predictions. If yes, why? If not, why do you think not?
Was this Action Plan study worth completing through to the end?
Should something have been changed or altered?
Would you do it again?
Is it something that can be done each school year?
How can another topic be evaluated this same way?
There are really SO many questions and findings to analyze at the conclusion of a quick Action Research plan. What you decide to do next is up to you! I would guess that you'll be motivated to try the study again with modifications, or begin the process from the start with a new question or topic in mind. The sky's the limit!
Research is constantly changing and evolving, especially within the field of education. It's both exciting and rewarding to complete research yourself and learn more about your own students and findings.
In conclusion,
it all fits together...
and YOU can be the one to puzzle it all together.
Would you like to see more of the Action Research outline development process?
Visit THIS previous post.
Would you like to read more about Blended Learning through a researched Literature Review study?
Visit THIS previous post.
References
Blended learning. (n.d.). In Oxford Languages Dictionary. University Press.
Microsoft. Growth timeline. Templates.office.com. https://templates.office.com/en-us/growth-
timeline-tm89294769
Pokemon evolve GIF - pokemon evolve eeveelution - discover & share GIFs. (2016, July 21).
Tenor.com. https://tenor.com/view/pokemon-evolve-eeveelution-evolution-types-gif-
5710624
What is blended learning? - blended learning examples. (2014, January). TalentLMS;
Epignosis LLC. https://www.talentlms.com/elearning/blended-learning
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