Research helps instructional designers understand more about the field of education. Researchers gather information and seek to answer questions using a systematic, objective approach. The steps in both traditional and action research provide a systematic process by which researchers can inquire about various topics within education, and instructional designers can make decisions about their approach to providing learning opportunities. In the ETEC program, I explored and applied my understanding of research as it applies to my career as an educator.
Traditional research is what I was first introduced to as a pre-service educator as I investigated educational topics through theoretical assumptions and hypotheses about teaching. The findings in traditional research helped to provide the foundation in my understanding about education and teaching, but I have found that traditional research is removed from the typical classroom setting, which is an active learning environment. In traditional research, the focus is on the improvement of knowledge in the field, so a more generalized approach to improving educational practice or gaining more of an understanding about education in general. Hypotheses are derived from theoretical propositions and tested to refine theories using scientific method. According to Gay and Airasian (2000, p. 24) as quoted in Mertler, the main focus of traditional educational research is to "explain or help understand educational issues, questions, and processes" (2017, p.7).
Researchers follow a linear approach in traditional research which is as follows:
Although traditional research provides important insight into education for instructional designers, action research gives classroom teachers like myself the opportunity to put changes into practice immediately.
Action research is an ongoing, self-reflecting practice of research and evaluation which has a goal of creating awareness of or working to solve an issue in an educational setting such as my classroom. The cyclical process involves continuity of reevaluation so that as issues resurface, another action research cycle can begin. This process will help support my students in being successful with the implementation of new learning tools and technologies. It is "a systematic inquiry conducted by teachers...with a vested interest in the teaching and learning process or environment for the purpose of gathering information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how their students learn" (Mills, 2011, as referenced in Mertler, 2017, p. 4). Action research is not confined to education, however, many educators use action research to gain an understanding about how students learn, how processes work in the classroom, and many other areas of study involved in academia.
The stages and processes of implementing action research are:
Data collection can be approached through various research methods: quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Triangulation is an important component to mixed-methods research design because it incorporates multiple instruments, sources and methods of data collection which enhance the validity of the research (Mertler, 2016, p.141).
In quantitative collection, measurable outcomes as defined numerically which can be proven are gathered and interpreted using descriptive statistical analysis. Some instruments used in quantitative data are surveys, assessment results, questionnaires, and document review. Typically, descriptive statistics using measures of central tendency check how the data is similar with identifying the median, mean, mode, and dispersion which measures what is different in the data using range and standard deviation.
Qualitative data is information gathered about learners that is more narrative in style. Some qualitative instruments include in-depth interviews, focus groups and observations. The results of the data collection can be analyzed through inductive analysis where it is organized through identifying patterns and themes. Coding schemes is a way to interpret qualitative data results that the researcher categorizes emerging themes that come from organizing data results.
Although both types of data have different instruments and purposes for using those instruments, they both are valuable in providing the researcher with measurable information and data about the topic of study. This data can be used to drive instruction in an educational setting which supports learning outcomes in students.
After learning about action research and its benefits to my specific field of practice, I was able to work to determine if the teaching practices and procedures for assessing students' understandings in math that I was using were effective. I was able to work alongside another primary educator using an explanatory mixed-method approach to determining if our students learned better using digital or traditional mathematics assessment tools. We also worked to determine student perceptions of using either method for mathematic assessment because it provided us insight into student motivation. The artifact below is the research we conducted including our findings:
In ETEC 643, I honed my skills in educational research. I systematically addressed a question about my classroom involving how my students learn with the use of computers. The process began with creating guided research questions, and supporting my research with literature review. The research design was then decided upon based on what outcomes I wanted to observe. I chose a quasi-experimental design to measure the effectiveness of an intervention. Then I chose the instruments needed to gather the data I wanted to measure, and tested its validity and reliability. The Readability test was a new concept that I learned which will help me continue to create instruments such as surveys which are age-appropriate for my students. Then, using both quantitative measures (numerical values) and qualitative measures (naturally-occurring information), I was able to analyse the data set and determine if my students were able to learn with the intervention. Below is the result of my efforts in research:
Mertler, C. A. (2017). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California. Sage Publications.