Exploratory Action Research Research Articles

Understanding teacher research: benefits and misconceptions

Teacher research (TR) has various forms such as action research, collaborative action research, exploratory action research, exploratory practice, evaluative research, and lesson study. Teacher research plays a crucial role in enhancing best classroom practices and empowering teachers to continue their professional development. This article defines TR, discusses its common types, its benefits for teacher educators, practitioners, teacher-researchers as well as student-teachers. It also addresses common misconceptions about TR and highlights its importance as an effective CPD activity.

Synthesisability and optimising exploratory action research for continuing professional development

ABSTRACT Teachers need to engage in effective professional learning, and Exploratory Action Research (EAR) supports Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in building teachers’ knowledge and skills, even in low-resourced environments. This paper first explores mentored EAR for CPD, its affordances, and challenges. Asking EAR to serve too many functions can frustrate efforts if teachers view research as taxing, or academics undervalue teachers’ outputs. One way of optimising CPD is to shift the focus onto particular concepts of research quality to help teachers and academics develop professionally. This paper next conceptually examines the conjunction of EAR with Qualitative Research Synthesis (QRS), a secondary research method that synthesises and offers new perspectives on aggregated qualitative research outputs. A critical exploration of a published study applying QRS methods in a related field, Technology-Mediated Task Based Language Teaching, is given. The analysis suggests that a novel research orientation be adopted- that of ‘synthesisability’. The contribution to the field is amelioration of the researcher-practitioner relationship, and the pedagogical implications are that teachers can show the thoroughness and value of their impactful work.

Supporting Students' Speaking Skill in ELT Classroom: An Exploratory Action Research

The purpose of this Exploratory Action Research (EAR) was to explore the reasons behind the reluctance of students to speak in ELT class and to come up with possible solutions. It is based on an exploratory research design following a questionnaire, focused group discussions, and reflective notes as the tools for data collection. To investigate and overcome the issue, a set of questionnaires (open and close-ended were made in MS Word and Google Forms) and asked the students studying in grade 8 aged 13- 15 years old. I additionally used my reflective journals and had informal discussions with the focused group of 7 students to gather the data. After analyzing the data statistically and thematically, I found that my students liked to communicate in English but avoided it because of the fear of making mistakes and being laughed at by their peers. After devising the plans like asking the students to make self-suggestive and reflective notes, clapping instead of laughing while someone speaks in English, creating learner autonomy in the classroom, focusing on group and pair activities and providing complete and clear instructions in English helped to enhance the speaking skill of my students.

Cartes conceptuelles des facteurs critiques à la transition vers des espaces ouverts et flexibles sur la performance et le bien-être

<p>Many organizations are considering reconfiguring their workspaces to optimize them. While studies (Brunia et al., 2016; Dunford et al., 2013; Hoendenvanger et al., 2016) on open and flexible spaces tend to show mixed results, it is important to consider experimenting and transitioning to these new spaces so that they best meet the needs of the change recipients and the organization. A pilot project was built for recipients to experiment with new spaces. A support team followed 15 cohorts of about 15 people for two to three months each, over three years. Exploratory action research in a university setting made it possible to collect qualitative data from weekly follow-up meetings, a survey, and videotaped statements. Concept maps created (Davies, 2011) from 260 verbatim excerpts illustrate the hierarchical relationships between critical factors and their psychosocial effects. The results show three critical factors. The diversity and flexibility of the layouts facilitated adaptation and created a sense of increased performance by meeting the needs for focus, privacy, and teamwork. Physical proximity contributed to increased social interaction and accessibility to colleagues and managers, leading to collaboration and a sense of well-being. Change management fostered the perception of organizational support and spatial appropriation. Change management practitioners and leaders might consider a transition period of a few months for learning and monitoring of recipient groups before final decisions are made. The results obtained need to be contextualized and could vary by type of position. The effects of these spaces in the long term and consideration of tasks performed during the days spent in the office would be interesting leads for future studies.</p>

Incorporating vertical collaboration to address sustainable development goals: the Monarch Route Project

Higher Education Institutions in their societal transformative role need to effectively integrate the UN‘s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda into their curricula. Our goal is to inspire and trigger the discussion in the academic community on learning environments for education for sustainable development. We report The Monarch Route (MRP), a project conducted at Tecnologico de Monterrey and awarded with the 2018 Premios Latinoamerica Verde. Engaging all the students enrolled in the different semesters of the Sustainable Development Engineering (SDE) program, it adopted a research-based learning methodology, which is highly flexible at setting the final deliverables and due dates. It also implemented horizontal (intraclass), vertical (interclass), and interdisciplinary (multiple courses) student collaboration. In partnership with a non-governmental organization, the MRP aimed to reverse the extinction threat to the monarch butterfly while benefiting rural communities along the butterfly’s migratory route. With an exploratory action research approach, we analyzed the data gathered 2 months after the end of the courses: A survey on the perceived learning outcomes (87% confidence level) and a letter for future classes sharing their experience on the MRP, both optional. The analysis included a mixed methodology, i.e., quantitative and qualitative, including text mining, which evidenced that the participants strengthened both, transverse competences (collaboration, citizenship, communication, and critical thinking) and disciplinary competences (subject matter). The MRP is innovative for its dynamic structure that resembles the interconnectedness of real professional practice, scientific research, and environmental conservation efforts. In addition to the disciplinary application and societal relevance, the instructional design of MRP reflects that contributing to 2030 Agenda requires a multi-faceted approach, involving educational institutions, community partnerships, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Traditional education no longer fulfills our needs to face environmental challenges; academics, institutions, and governments are encouraged to implement policies and strategies to educate for a sustainable and better future for humanity and the planet.

Students’ Self-Correction: A Strategy for Writing Improvement

The purpose of this action research is to find out why students are disinterested in writing and implement self-correction technique to motivate them in writing. I purposively selected the participants for this study consisting of 35 students of grade six studying in one of the schools in Surkhet valley. The study was based on Exploratory Action Research (EAR) with mixed-method approach in which I employed questionnaire, discussion and note-copy observation as the tools for data collection. After reviewing the data self-correction technique was taken into action. The result indicates that self-correction technique enables the students’ writing along with motivating and developing their interest in writing. This study encourages the teachers and ELT practitioners to conduct similar studies in other skills of language learning to explore and implement student-centered teaching strategies in the classrooms.

The Potential of the SMART Learning Framework to Design and Implement Geospatial Curricula in the Secondary Classroom

This study investigates the didactic educational use of Web GIS in the framework of SMART learning and its potential to help students’ practice geospatial thinking. Using qualitative, exploratory action research methods, four classroom experiences were designed, developed, implemented, and analyzed. The findings support the claims that the use of Web GIS facilitates geographic knowledge and enhances spatial and digital competencies and skills. Additionally, in line with the SMART framework and perspective on learning, these findings indicate that such classroom approaches promote autonomous learning, is adaptable in diverse settings, and is motivating for students.

ENHANCING COMPREHENSION AND MOTIVATION IN LOWER LEVEL ECUADOR EFL STUDENTS: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY OF THREE READING STRATEGIES AT UNAE

It has been observed that EFL students at the National University of Education (UNAE) struggle with acquiring basic vocabulary, reading comprehension skills, and intrinsic motivation to promote reading in English. To address this issue, a qualitative exploratory action research was conducted aimed at improving these areas through the use of three reading strategies—extensive reading, language experience approach (LEA), and literacy circles—on the reading and motivation of 89 lower-level EFL students in UNAE within three different courses which were conducted over a six-month period. Qualitative and quantitative tools such as diagnostic and summative exams, questionnaires, observations, and reflective journals were used to understand and identify students' improvement and progress throughout the exploratory, intervention, and reflection phases of the study. Throughout this period the teachers regularly observed the strategies being utilized in the classes and reflected on their experiences. The findings from these tools suggest that the implementation of the different reading strategies together had a positive impact on students' reading abilities, writing abilities, vocabulary, comprehension, engagement, and motivation. Additionally, students were more motivated to read not only in class but also for pleasure, which promoted increased reading in English. The study provides insights into the potential benefits of using these strategies to facilitate autonomous reading, improve overall language competencies and may support EFL teachers in the development of reading programs that foster autonomous learning, increase motivation, and promote language development among EFL learners.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0056/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Addressing the withdrawal of playtime: a collaborative action research project

ABSTRACT Despite evidence for the importance of playtime for children, the use of the withdrawal of playtime is a sanction that is used throughout schools in the UK. In light of this, there have been recent arguments highlighting the need to explore alternatives to this sanction in order to protect opportunities for playtime. This exploratory action research study included an initial focus group and multiple psychological consultations with teachers in a single setting to collaboratively explore and review potential alternatives. Findings include teachers wanting to address behaviours that often result in the withdrawal of playtime, and strategies to address these were co-constructed and implemented. Other findings included contextual barriers to stopping the use of withdrawing playtime, such as curriculum constraints, as well as facilitative aspects to stopping the withdrawal of playtime. Further implications for EP and school practice and research, as well as limitations, are discussed.

Constructing teacher identity in teacher collaboration: What does it mean to be a teacher of culturally and linguistically diverse English learners?

Research calls for practice-based inquiry where language teachers conduct exploratory action research to transform their pedagogical practices to impact student achievement. This study builds on the research in practitioner inquiry, teacher collaboration, and teacher identity to investigate how a seventh-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher (Heather) constructed her identity as she collaborated with an ESL teacher (Amanda) to plan for and teach ESL students in a collaboratively taught ELA classroom. Our qualitative inquiry included data gathered from two collaborative cycles with three semi-structured interviews, two collaborative planning sessions, fieldnotes of the collaborative teaching sessions, and two reflective journals authored by the ELA teacher. The findings illustrate that Heather constructed her teacher identity as a novice teacher with surface-level understandings of ESL students and a limited knowledge about how to plan for the ESL students in her classroom. Collaboration did not disrupt her deficit student perspectives nor did this partnership pave the way for Heather’s renewed understandings about how to teach ESL students in the ELA classroom. Collaboration, instead, provided Heather access to Amanda, whom Heather positioned as an experienced content teacher who could make the content accessible to ESL students.

Exploratory action research: experiences of Nepalese EFL teachers

Abstract The number of reports and publications about exploratory action research (EAR) has been increasing in recent years; however, there is still a dearth of studies that examine its effectiveness for improving teaching and learning. This study explores Nepalese EFL teachers’ perceptions of EAR, the ways they explored their classroom issues, and how they acted to improve their classroom practices through involvement in an online EAR training course for a year. The data collected from interviews and the teachers’ written reports show that these teachers found EAR to be an effective approach to explore their classroom puzzles or problems and develop informed, context-sensitive strategies to solve these. The findings of this study are relevant for teachers, teacher educators, and education policymakers in providing insights into the value of EAR for bringing about changes in teaching and learning situations.

Which is More Effective in Teaching Energy Transformations: Technology-Based or Inquiry-Based Science Teaching?

This research aimed to compare the short and long-term effects of technology-supported and inquiry-based teaching prepared within the scope of energy transformation on students’ academic achievement. It was designed as an exploratory action research case study. The research group consisted of forty-three students studying at the seventh grade (between thirteen-fourteen ages) of a public middle school in Turkey during the fall semester of the 2017 year. One of the classes with a similar academic background in the school where the researcher also worked as a science teacher was assigned as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The activities in the experimental group were carried out in a technology-supported manner using PhET simulations supported by also worksheets, while the control group was taught based on inquiry-based hands-on laboratory activities by worksheets. The data were collected through an achievement test consisting of open-ended questions and scoring with a rubric. The test was implemented twice, after the interventions, and in the following sixth month for both groups. Normally distributed data were compared with interdependent and paired-samples t-tests. The results showed that although the achievement scores for the technology-supported teaching group were significantly higher in the post test, no difference between the scores at the end of the sixth months, and significant information losses were experienced in both groups, with the most technology-supported science teaching.

Innovation transfer in construction: re-interpreting factor-based research from the perspective of the social construction of technology (SCOT)

PurposeThe construction industry has shown an inherent inability to adopt advanced technological innovations. The construction innovation literature is highly fragmented and outlines an overwhelming number of factors that arguably influence the transfer of technological innovations in construction. Factor-based research in the construction innovation literature tends to set out technological innovations and their adoption as socially neutral events, overlooking the role of context in the adoption process. Hence, the authors’ understanding of how technological innovations are transferred and implemented in the construction industry remains limited by the constraints of reductionist approaches adopted by factor-based research. This paper aims to advance the authors’ understanding of the actual experiences of technological innovations transfer in construction. Instead of introducing another set of factors, the research, through empirical investigation, develops a comprehensive and holistic framework to re-interpret the existing factor-based literature taking into consideration the role of the construction context and the socially constructed nature of technological innovations.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a participatory exploratory multiple case study design strategy, which has much in common with action research. The factors that could influence the transfer of technological innovations were investigated in three selected case studies over an extended period of time. During the research, a prototype system application of construction integration was used as a basis to discuss the adoption of technological innovations.FindingsThe findings suggest moving from the commonly held beliefs in the rational school of technological innovation and the functionalist paradigm towards constructivist approaches to capture the role of context and the stoically constructed nature of technological innovations. It is suggested that construction companies need to develop management capabilities to manage the changing political environments of the adoption process. The research supports the emerging view of technological innovations in construction as a collaborative-based innovation, which is a function of relationships and context.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited by the settings of the action research design and the use of an interpretive approach. Because the focus was on investigating the “why” question, little attention was given to the “how” question. Accordingly, the findings provide little insights into the way organizations can manage the changing political and social environment of the adoption process. The authors also acknowledge that in spite of their best efforts to build a theoretically grounded framework of factors, they may have overlooked some relevant studies. However, the objective of this research was not to conduct a systematic literature review or to come up with a framework that quantitatively captures all previous research studies; instead, the objective was to build a holistic framework that can be used as a base to analyze the role of construction context and the socially constructed nature of technological innovations in the adoption process.Practical implicationsThe research offers several practical insights. First, it suggests that construction companies need to develop management capabilities to be able to lead the changing political environment of the adoption process successfully. Second, the research supports the emerging view of technological innovations in construction as a collaborative-based innovation that is a function of relationship. From a policy perspective, the research provides the basis to reconsider the effectiveness of federal and provincial policies that promote advanced technological Initiatives. The majority of these policies focus on the technical aspects in assessing the adoption of technological innovation, providing little incentives to companies to manage the changing political and social environment of the adoption process.Originality/valueThis research offers several theoretical and methodological contributions. First, it advances the authors’ understanding of the actual experiences of the transfer of technological innovations in construction organizations. Second, instead of introducing another set of factors, the research develops a framework to re-interpret the existing factor-based literature, considering the role of construction context and the socially constructed nature of technological innovations. The research uses the theoretical lens of the social construction of technology framework to analyze the adoption process. The existing literature suggests that such research is scarce and highly needed. Third, unlike the mainstream reductionist approaches, this research adopts an exploratory action research inquiry design that uses both inductive and deductive inquiry approaches to understand the socially constructed nature of innovation transfer in construction. The adopted research design offers a valuable methodological contribution to the existing body of knowledge.

Transformative Experiences of EFL Lecturers’ Professional Identity in Online Education

<p style="text-align: justify;">English teachers had to retrain and build a new normal in order to prepare for an online classroom while keeping their teaching pedagogy and professional identity as a result of the sudden changes brought by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in education. In this study, the effect of English teachers' professional identity transformations, attitudes toward online teaching was explored. The study's sample comprises 130 English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers from a state and a foundation university in Turkey. The research data was gathered from a questionnaire, the Teacher Professional Identity scale, and a semi-structured interview with 12 volunteers. Qualitative data collected via semi-structured interviews were apportioned into pattern coding and analyzed through content analysis. EFL lecturers did not appear to be properly prepared for their online pedagogical and technological difficulties, which had a deeply corrosive effect on teachers' professional identities as they shift away from face-to-face education. The results showed that participants who were educated on EduTech during their undergraduate education or as professional development affected their perceptions of professional identity throughout the transition to online language teaching. Future studies can broaden the field of study by making use of exploratory action research, awareness of the teaching community, and continued professional development.</p>

Drypoint Printmaking: Alternative Material and Technique for Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

Drypoint refers to an intaglio sub-section printmaking technique (non-acid technique) of which a rough needle is used to make scratches across the plate (metal or copper plate) surfaces. Since March 2020, the education system is one of the sectors which has been affected by the pandemic and the process of teaching and learning was determined to be delivered through Open Distance Learning (ODL). Since drypoint printmaking is a part of the Fine Art education syllabus, this research aims to explore an alternative in drypoint printmaking, especially in the exploration of material and techniques without compromising the aesthetic and rules in drypoint. The method that will be used in this research is qualitative research through exploratory action research approach. This method is significant in terms of exploring other alternatives in substituting the role of equipment such as etching press and other possible materials. In this research, the comparative method from the aspect of material and technique will be used since it involves comparing circumstances, classes, cultures, or anything that are similar and yet different in comprehensible ways. The outcome from this study will produce the result of whether the alternative method and technique can achieve the same kind of quality as the common practice of the drypoint printmaking technique. Based on the findings, the researcher will develop a formal guideline for educators and art practitioners to expand this alternative technique as an approach in achieving the best quality of drypoint printmaking artworks without having to worry about lack of experience in an art studio environment or complete equipment. In the future, there should be more exploration, especially on the alternative material and technique in Drypoint printmaking.

Students' Reluctance to Participate in Writing Tasks: Challenges and Ways out

Writing is a secondary skill as it requires a lot of training and practice to acquire. It is also important for language students in grades eleven and twelve in Nepal as it is the only means of evaluating students' levels of skills and knowledge of the language. This article is based on the first phase of an exploratory action research project. I discovered that students who were hesitant to engage in writing tasks and attempted to discover why they were hesitant despite the importance of writing tasks in passing board exams. Analysis of students' writings, classroom discussion, focus group discussion, and self-reflection were used to collect the data. After the analysis and interpretation of the data, it was found that students’ lack vocabulary and limited understanding of writing mechanics and organization of ideas in coherent manner discouraged them from being involved in writing tasks in the classroom. Moreover, they were not taught writing systematically and both teacher and students spent less time in the class developing students' writing skills.

People-Centered Smart Cities: An exploratory action research on the Cities’ Coalition for Digital Rights

ABSTRACT Declarations and manifestos have emerged across the world claiming to protect citizens’ digital rights. Data-driven technologies in global cities not only have yielded techno-euphoria but also have intensified techno-political concerns as reflected in UN-Habitat’s flagship program called “People-Centered Smart Cities” (PCSC) that advocates the willingness to promote inclusiveness while subverting the technocratic smart city meaning. Against this backdrop, in 2018, the city councils of Barcelona, Amsterdam, and New York formed the Cities’ Coalition for Digital Rights (CCDR), an international network of cities—currently encompassing 49 cities—to promote globally citizens’ digital rights. Inspired by Arendt’s famous quote, this article explores what “the right to have digital rights” may currently mean, drawing on a sample consisting of 13 CCDR cities. Through action research to examine six digital rights-related factors, full findings revealed not only distinct strategies—related to AI adoption—but also common policy patterns in the 13 CCDR cities.

Learning to care for the spirit of dying patients: the impact of spiritual care training in a hospice-setting

BackgroundPatients approaching the end of their life do not experience their existential and spiritual needs being sufficiently met by the healthcare professionals responsible for their care. Research suggest that this is partly due to a lack of insight about spiritual care among healthcare professionals. By developing, implementing, and evaluating a research-based educational course on spiritual care targeting hospice staff, we aimed to explore the perceived barriers for providing spiritual care within a hospice setting and to evaluate the post-course impact among staff members.MethodsCourse development and evaluation was based on primary exploratory action research and followed the UK Medical Research Council’s framework for complex intervention research. The course was implemented at two Danish hospices and comprised thematic days that included lectures, reflective exercises and improvised participatory theatre. We investigated the course impact using a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The questionnaire data were summarized in bar charts and analysis of the transcribed interviews was performed based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Results85 staff members participated in the course. Of these, 57 answered the evaluative questionnaire and 15 participated in 5 focus group interviews.The course elements that the participants reported to be the most relevant were improvised theatre unfolding existential themes and reflexive group activities. 98% of participants found the course relevant, answering either “relevant” or “very relevant”. 73,1% of participants answered “to a considerable extent” or “to a great extent” when asked to what extent they assessed the content of the course to influence their work in hospice.The focus group data resulted in 3 overall themes regarding perceived barriers for providing spiritual care: 1. Diverse approaches is beneficial for spiritual care, but the lack of a shared and adequate spiritual language is a communicative barrier, 2. Existential conversation is complicated by patients’ overlapping physical and existential needs, as well as miscommunication, and 3. Providing spiritual care requires spiritual self-reflection, self-awareness, introspection, and vulnerability.ConclusionsThis study provides insights into the barriers facing spiritual care in a hospice setting. Furthermore, the course evaluations demonstrate the valuable impact of spiritual care training for health care professionals. Further course work development is warranted to enhance the “science” of spiritual care for the dying.

Exploratory Action Research: Teaching EFL Vocabulary to Deaf Students through the Use of Visual Aids

In Chile, the 2015 Decree 83 from the Ministry of Education demands curriculum adaptations to ensure that students with special learning needs fully develop their skills by being included into the mainstream classroom. However, little information can be found regarding deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) students in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Therefore, this qualitative Exploratory Action Research (EAR) aims to explore the contribution of using visual aids in the EFL classroom for teaching written vocabulary to five D/HH students from a public school in Chile. Two multitask tests were conducted before and after the intervention to assess the performance of the students on recalling vocabulary, and a semi structured interview was carried out to identify the students’ perspectives regarding visual aids and EFL learning. While the performance test showed inconclusive results, the students’ perspectives on the use of visual aids were positive. These findings are relevant to provide insights into the challenges these students face and the importance of Sign Language and visual aids to create an effective environment for inclusive teaching practices.

Experiences of developing pre-performance routines with recreational pianists

The main approach for improving the performance experience and/or performance quality for musicians has been to find solutions for music performance anxiety. An alternative model is prevention through psychological skills training (PST), which is increasingly being shown to have beneficial effects. Pre-performance routines (PPRs) are a common strategy used in such programs. PPRs are thought to help musicians be “ready to perform,” and that musicians could benefit from a deliberate introduction to PPRs by an instructor. This article reports on the teaching of PPRs to recreational piano pupils in an exploratory action research project designed to introduce a PST approach in regular piano lessons. PPRs were taught for 4 weeks in two action cycles leading up to a performance and were evaluated by teachers and pupils. The findings demonstrate how PPRs can be developed, learned, and implemented and suggest that PPRs function in two ways: to improve concentration and to achieve a sense of calm prior to the performance. Consequent increases in performance confidence and improved performance quality could not be attributed to the PPRs alone as the teaching of routines led to changes in working practice. Implications for future research are discussed.