Action Research in Education: A Practical Guide

Acclaimed as a text and professional development tool, this user-friendly resource has now been revised and updated, and offers expanded coverage of collaborative action research (CAR) and participatory action research (PAR). Preservice and inservice educators get crucial step-by-step guidance for conducting classroom- and school-based studies to improve their instructional practices. Organized to mirror the full cycle of action research, the book provides balanced coverage of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Vivid vignettes and examples illustrate research approaches for a range of teaching and learning situations, school subjects, and age groups (PreK-12). Readers learn how research approaches are driven by the research question, as well as how to develop data collection strategies; design and/or evaluate assessment tools; interpret, analyze, report, and implement study results; and design a new cycle of research that builds on the previous one.

New to This Edition

• In-depth descriptions of CAR and PAR--which enable groups of teachers to work together to solve problems in a classroom or school--plus examples of both throughout the book.
• Expanded or new discussions (with examples) of such topics as how research approaches and methods are driven by the research question, how to assess different types of reliability and validity, the differences between analysis and interpretation, and how to use sequential cycles of research for continuous improvement and professional development.
• Fully updated references and resources.

Pedagogical Features

• Both individual and group exercises and activities in every chapter.
• New and updated checklists and guidelines that enable busy educators to self-assess the progress and quality of their studies.
• Sample templates to assist in development of research instruments.
• Example boxes illustrating the components of an action research report.
• Summary tables highlighting key aspects of different research strategies.
• Chapter summaries (now shorter for ease of use) and suggestions for further reading.

Sara Efrat Efron, EdD, is Professor of Education and Director of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum, Advocacy, and Policy at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include teacher research, mentoring, and moral and democratic education in times of crisis. Dr. Efron is coauthor, with Ruth Ravid, of Writing the Literature Review and Action Research in Education, Second Edition. She has published numerous book chapters and journal articles and presents widely at national and international conferences. She has also written several foreign-language instruction books for middle and high school students.

Ruth Ravid, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Education at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include educational research, action research, assessment, and school–university collaboration. Dr. Ravid has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and books, including Writing the Literature Review and Action Research in Education, Second Edition, both coauthored with Sara Efrat Efron.