What is action research? How can this be identified in the study?

The first 200 words of this essay...

MEDD4022- Organisational Improvement through Action Research

Introduction

The author selected a study on a piece of action research carried out by an American teacher on interventions implemented to improve reluctant readers' performance, Kwok (2009) carried out an action research project to establish what promising strategies could increase third grade reluctant readers motivation and improve their reading stamina (See appendix one). This paper critically analyses the action research and puts it to trial judging its claim to being "action research". This was chosen as the findings from the research may be interpreted and applied to organisational improvement through using similar strategies to improve staff performance or for educational leaders to utilise to help their staff to improve classroom performance.

What is action research? How can this be identified in the study?

The definitions of action research cited in literature are abundant and diverse. Cohen and Mannion (1998), symbolic writers in research, claim action research to be an "on the spot procedure designed to deal with a concrete problem, located in an immediate situation.." One should consider two key words here, designed and problem. "Designed" emphasising the genetic composition of action research to be a systematic structure