Challenges Faced by the Public Elementary School Teachers in Conducting Action Research

Abstract

Many teachers in the Department of Education (DepEd), both elementary and secondary schools, continue to be uninterested in conducting action research despite the DepEd's efforts to update and inform the public-school teachers of the importance of doing research. Furthermore, the said teachers also have a deficiency in their practical knowledge, resources, and skills in conducting action research. The shortcomings of these teachers need to be addressed because they are integral to resolving classroom issues and improving teaching skills leading to the better academic performance of learners. Therefore, this study explored the challenges faced by the public school teachers of Talisayan District, Division of Misamis Oriental in conducting action research during the school year 2020-2021. It focused on the following action research processes that teachers undergo in the conduct of action research such as selecting a focus/problem identification; clarifying theories; identifying research questions; collecting data; and analyzing data. The challenges encountered by the teachers were also identified as the basis for crafting the offered recommendations. The qualitative phenomenological method of research was used in the study. There were 16 participants who were purposively chosen. The semi-structured interview guide questions were utilized as the data-gathering tool. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Generally, findings revealed that the teacher participants experienced the following in conducting their action research namely: struggling during the initial stage, the feeling of rejection, the complexity of demands, constraints with set priorities, difficulties in recognizing relevant theories, inadequate background knowledge on theories, lack of skills in the formulation of objectives, demonstrating low-spiritedness, lack of methods and techniques, falling short of pre-notification process, and inadequate skills in data analysis.