Action Research Defined

Having explored various approaches to research I have decided that for my purposes the action research (AR) approach will best help me to address my research questions.

According to Bell (2010), action research is an approach to applied research carried out to address a need for change or improvement in a particular situation. Furthermore, it is a continuous process which does not end when the first data have been collected and analysed, it rather continues in a spiral of continuous action. Although I have never used action research, the intention to facilitate continuous improvement is similar to the well-established Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle I am familiar with from project management. According to the ASQ (American Society for Quality Control) this cycle can be described thus:

1. Plan. Recognize an opportunity and plan a change. 
2. Do. Test the change. Carry out a small-scale study. 
3. Check. Review the test, analyze the results and identify what you’ve learned. 
4. Act. Take action based on what you learned in the study step: If the change did not work, go through the cycle again with a different plan. If you were successful, incorporate what you learned from the test into wider changes. Use what you learned to plan new improvements, beginning the cycle again. 

The main reason for selecting action research as an approach is the lack of any existing mobile language learning materials at my institution. Producing the materials will form a part of my research project and action research will make it possible to continuously assess these tools and adapt or improve them based on the participant feedback. As Munn-Giddings (2012) also notes:

"...the purpose of AR is to work towards practice change during the research process, not merely to explore and describe a situation "as is"..."  

This reflects exactly the background to my research and makes action research therefore seem like a perfect fit.

McNiff (2002) describes an eight-stage model of action research:

1. Review current practice.
2. Identify an aspect to improve.
3. Imagine a way to do this.
4. Try it.
5. Monitor and reflect on results.
6. Modify based on results.
7. Evaluate the modified action.
8. Continue until satisfied.

With regard to my project, step 1 and step 2 have taken place and the next step is to decide on and  implement my mobile language learning tools. Stages 4 to 8 will be possible once the new semester begins in April and I look forward to trying them out. 


Sources.

Bell, J. (2010). Doing your research project. (5e). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

McNiff, J. (2002). Quoted in: Cohen et al. (2011). Research methods in education (7e). Abingdon: Routledge.

Munn-Giddings,C. in Arthur et al. (2012). Research methods & methodologies in education. London: Sage.

Tague, N. (2004). Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle.
http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/project-planning-tools/overview/pdca-cycle.html [Accessed 04.01.2013]