Action Research Accounts

Meaning of Action Research:

Action Research refers to a wide variety of evaluative, investigative, and analytical research methods designed to diagnose problems or weaknesses—whether organizational, academic, or instructional—and help educators develop practical solutions to address them quickly and efficiently.

Action research may also be applied to programs or educational techniques that are not necessarily experiencing any problems, but that educators simply want to learn more about and improve.

The general goal is to create a simple, practical, repeatable process of iterative learning, evaluation, and improvement that leads to increasingly better results for schools, teachers, or programs.

Action Research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research.

Definition of Action Research

According to S.M.Corey, “Action research is a process for studying problems by practitioners scientifically to take decisions for improving their current practices.

 According to Sara Blackwell, “Research concerned with school problems carried on by school personal to improve school practice is action research.”

Characteristics of Action Research

·       Action Research maybe informal and lack rigor

·       It is flexible type

·       It deals with some situational problem which is a real problem

·       It’s goal is to bring about improvement in the situation

·       It does not aim at generalization only a few suggestions, solutions are arrived at

·       Action Research is self evaluative

·       Uses of action research are direct and immediate

·       Can be conducted both by an individual and a group on problem which is faced by an individual or a group of individuals in a class or school or in different institution.

Types of Action Research

Individual Teacher Research - Usually focuses on a single issue in the classroom.

Collaborative Action Research - May include as few as two teachers or a group of several teachers and others interested in addressing in a classroom or department issue.

School-wide Research – Focuses on issue common to all.

District-wide Research – Far more complex and utilizes more resources, but the rewards can be great. Issues can be organizational, performance-based or processes for decision making.

Objectives of Action Research

·       To improve the working conditions of school plant

·       To develop scientific attitude among teachers and principals for studying their problems

·       To develop scientific attitude among students and teachers for solving their problems

·       To bring excellence in school working

·       To develop the ability among administrators to improve and modify the school conditions and make it more conducive to learning

·       To root out obsolete, unworkable policies and conditions

·       To make the school system effective for generating a health environment for student learning     

·       To raise the level of performance and level of aspiration of the students

·       Hence it leads to—development—quality improvement

Advantages of Action Research

·       Action research makes teachers fully interested in their voice

·       It helps in bringing decentralization in research

·       It infuses in the teacher the quality of research mindedness

·       Action research tries to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of education

·       It helps the teacher to acquire new knowledge

·       It infuses experimental outlook in the teachers who are actually the field workers.

·       It helps the teachers to solve immediately the problem of the classroom

·       It helps the administrator to solve immediately the problems in the school campus

Limitations of Action Research

·       It is a research dealing with only local problems

·       It’s findings may not be generalized

·       It may not contribute significantly to the fund of knowledge

·       It may/ may not use standardized tools

·       It’s field is generally narrow

·       We cannot make use of complicated statistical techniques (because the sample is small, hence error could be more)

·       Results if not implemented make it a futile exercise

The Action Research Process

Educational action research can be engaged in by a single teacher, by a group of colleagues who share an interest in a common problem, or by the entire faculty of a school. Whatever the scenario, action research always involves the same seven-step process. These seven steps, which become an endless cycle for the inquiring teacher, are the following:

·       Selecting a focus

·       Clarifying theories

·       Identifying research questions

·       Collecting data

·       Analyzing data

·       Reporting results

·       Taking informed action

ACTION RESEARCH PLAN

Problem:

Students not able to prepare Bank Reconciliation Statements.

Defining the Problem:

Students of STD 11^th facing problem while preparing Bank Reconciliation Statement.

Area of the Problem:

Problem: Students of STD 11^th facing problem while preparing Bank Reconciliation Statement.

Population = All the students of STD 11^th

Sample = All the students of STD 11^th

Probable Reasons:

1.   Student does not possess the clarity regarding the concept of Bank Reconciliation Statement.

2.   Concept of Cash Book and Pass Book is not clear which is required must for preparing Bank Reconciliation Statement

3.   Students not clear with Banking Terminologies used in Business.

4.   Lack of interest in the topic by students.

5.   Lack of teaching tactics, methods and skills.

6.   Students are irregular in Class.

7.   Teachers have pressure to complete the syllabus.

8.   Practical life examples related to the topic are not given to the students.

Action Hypothesis:

1^st Cause: Students do not possess the clarity regarding the concept of Bank Reconciliation Statement.

Hypothesis: Proper and clear explanation should be given to students regarding the topic with proper examples should be given wherever required so that concept of topic becomes clear in students mind.

2nd Cause: Concept of Cash Book and Pass Book is not clear which is required must for preparing Bank Reconciliation Statement.

Hypothesis: If it is clearly explained to students regarding Cash Book and Pass Book and “What is Debit/Credit balance” according to Cash Book & Pass Book. So once the base of cash book & pass book is clear it will be easy for students to understand Bank Reconciliation Statement.

 3^rd Cause: Students not clear with Banking Terminologies used in Business.

Hypothesis:  Basic terminologies used in Banking terms like Cheque Issued, Cheque Presented, Post dated cheques, Cheque dishonoured etc should be clearly explained to students so that they can easily understand the transactions.

4^th Cause: Lack of interest in the topic by students:

Hypothesis: Teacher should explain the importance and need of preparing Bank Reconciliation Statement & how it is being prepared by Accountants in Practical life & how useful it is to an Accountant which will develop the interest of students.

5^th Cause: Lack of teaching tactics, methods and skills.

Hypothesis: Teacher should use different and modern teaching tactics to make understand the students the difficult topics. Maxim of teaching from simple to complex should be followed.

6^th Cause: Students are irregular in Class.

Hypothesis: To understand any topic thoroughly students should attend all the classes missing any of the class will make it difficult to understand the remaining concept.

 7^th Cause: Teachers have pressure to complete the syllabus:

Hypothesis: Syllabus should be ideally planned by the competent authorities and it should be such that teacher gets enough time to complete each and every chapter.

8nd Cause:   Practical life examples related to the topic are not given to the students.

Hypothesis: If teacher gives practical life examples related to the topic say in this case Banking Examples Students will understand in a better way.

                                             Thank You.