Teachers in Action, a Guide to Conduct Action Research
Being part of a changing society where education also endures constant shifts, teachers often find themselves noticing diverse issues which require their attention and action. Nowadays, educators may choose to go beyond their teaching practices and dive into action research (AR) with the aim of looking deeply into these practical problems. Burns’(2010) Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for Practitioners is a valuable resource for teachers desiring to embark on research since it provides a thorough explanation of the steps and aspects to be considered when carrying out an investigation. The book is organized in five chapters, each one presenting a specific stage in the AR cycle, ranging from the first motivation to delve into AR to the reflection process which derives after the investigation is concluded.
The book starts by defining Action Research as well as comparing it with other types of research. Chapter 1 also provides a much-needed guidance on how to put AR into practice. It is important to highlight that each chapter includes a variety of resources such as pre-reading questions, reflection, action and summary points and classroom voices, giving the researchers-to-be the chance to reflect upon their learning. If the author had not included these sections, it would have been difficult for teachers to know what direction to take first.
In chapter 2, Burns (2010) focuses on the planning stage. The importance of narrowing the scope of the problem to make the investigation doable as well as morally and responsibly conducted are highlighted. The reader ends the chapter with a clear idea of how AR is organized and what must be considered before endevouring in it. If the author had failed to carefully provide these tips, many teachers would have been convinced that AR is an inaccessible and complex process.
Moving forward, a useful guide on how to collect data can be found in chapter 3. While multiple teaching activities can be well used to collect data, the researcher might sometimes get overwhelmed by the amount of data. Therefore, the author suggests two leading questions: “What do I need to see? And what do I need to know?” (Burns, 2010, p. 56). By answering them, the researcher can define what and how to observe; and what roles and techniques to be adopted. This chapter can be used as consultation material when doing research, as it provides useful tips for designing questionnaires, planning observations and conducting interviews.
Chapter 4 expands on data analysis, which Burns (2010) describes as a challenging and overwhelming task. It outlines a handy step-by-step process the researcher should follow in order to review, classify, compare and understand the data collected. As a result of the analysis, teachers will not only interpret their findings objectively, but they will also gain understanding of their own teaching contexts and practice, and seek for further improvement.
To top it all, chapter 5 deals with reflection and the actions that could be taken after the research cycles are coming to or have come to an end. Considering that having conducted research is a profound mark in any teacher’s professional life, what is encouraged next by the author is finding a way of socializing the knowledge gained with the endmost reflections. Thus, various procedures through which teachers could share and broaden their insights are described. Reflection is the ultimate goal in the cycle of Action Research.
To conclude, Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for Practitioners (2010) can be considered a useful tool to get introduced into the action research world as it covers all the topics required to carry out an investigation in the teaching context. Not only is this book engaging in style, and persuasive in terms of its content and structure, but also the writing is straightforward and reader friendly. In addition, it introduces concepts and offers a step-by-step guide with examples from different contexts. If teachers were doubtful about conducting research, they would be persuaded into doing so after reading this book as the author manages to convince the audience that it is a reachable and worthwhile experience.
References
Burns, A. (2010). Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for Practitioners. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203863466