Deck 13: Action Research: Research for Solving Practical Problems

Question 1

Which of the following would be the least compelling reason to conduct an action research study?

A) There is a problem in practice
B) There is an important gap in the literature
C) Individuals in the community need to be empowered
D) Professionals need to advance their professional development

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following aspects of a study best fits the participatory action research design?

A) Use of an objective, impersonal point of view
B) Emphasis on quantitative data even if some qualitative is included)
C) Study of teachers
D) Goal of wanting to empower individuals and groups

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The factor that best differentiates action research from narrative research is:

A) Only action research is practical to implement
B) Only educators conduct action research
C) Only action research focuses on practical application
D) Only action research involves the study of a problem

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What criteria below would be least important when evaluating the quality of an action research study?

A) Whether the research addresses a practical problem
B) The validity and reliability of instruments used
C) Whether the research empowers the lives of participants
D) If the results were reported to audiences that could use the information

Question 5

Of the factors listed below, which one best distinguishes participatory action research from practical action research?

A) The intent to advocate for individuals in the community
B) The study of problems that need to be solved
C) The use of action plans to address issues
D) The use of quantitative and qualitative data

Question 6

A researcher plans to study how a community supports or does not support a bond issue. This researcher plans to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The intent of this researcher is further to lobby with the city council for better schools for minority children. What type of research design would best suit this study?

A) An advocacy design
B) A participatory action design
C) A mixed methods action design
D) None of the above

Question 7

What is the first step in the dialectic action research spiral that guides practitioner -researchers?

A) Engage in self-reflection while describing the situation, reviewing the literature and developing a plan
B) Complete a summary of findings, and recommended actions, timelines, and resources
C) Collect quantitative and qualitative data while attending to issues of validity, reliability, and ethics
D) Analyze data, develop visual relationships of ideas, and contextualize findings with personal experiences and existing literature

Question 8

If you were to engage in an action research project, where would you start?

A) With the problem that needs to be addressed
B) With data collection of quantitative and qualitative information
C) With a plan for research
D) Any of the above

Question 9

Describe what it means that action research is often a dynamic process.

Question 10

With Sam, Sally meets after school and discusses the issue of loss of control in the classroom and invites him to participate in an action research project. This phase of action research is…

A) Collaborating with others
B) Collection of data
C) Identification of a problem
D) Development and implementation of an action plan

Question 11

Which of the following are reasons why action research is sometimes criticized as lacking scientific rigor?

A) The study of an educational issue
B) Methods are adapted and changed and somewhat informal
C) Results are typically not reported to scholarly journals
D) The data includes quantitative and qualitative information

Question 12

Sally observes Sam teaching several periods in the third grade room. She also asks Sam to write down in a personal journal his feelings about what is occurring in the classroom during the periods he is teaching. Student tests on the material Sam teaches are also reviewed. This phase of action research is…

A) Analysis of the data
B) Identification of a problem
C) Collection of data
D) Collaborating with others

Question 13

Which of the following would be an inappropriate use of practical action research studies?

A) Study of a local problem
B) Inquiry by an individual practitioner, such as a teacher
C) Attempt to generate a theory about a process
D) Focus on professional development

Question 14

To change a mixed methods research study into an action research study calls for

A) Mixing the quantitative and qualitative data less in the study
B) Focusing the study more on developing a plan to solve a problem
C) Placing more action into the research plan
D) Using essentially the same multiple forms of data collection

Question 15

What is another name for practical action research designs?

A) Problem-based research
B) Applied research
C) Teacher inquiry
D) Community-partner research

Question 16

In an action research study, a researcher would like to collaborate with individuals on the project. What is the least likely reason for this collaboration?

A) To equally share the rewards from publication of the study
B) To share the practical findings widely
C) To try not to marginalize the participants more
D) To obtain research expertise not possessed by the inquirer

Question 17

Sally decides, based on data, to have Sam implement a "quiet time" when students become uncontrollable. Sally and Sam try out the "quiet time" strategy in the classroom. This phase of action research is…

A) Collaborating with others
B) Identification of a problem
C) Analysis of the data
D) Development and implementation of an action plan