Research in English
learning is a scientific activity that aims at investigating the rules that
work in the process of English learning. Understanding a process of English
teaching means being able to explain the system, rules, patterns, or formula, in
the process of English teaching (Marshall & Rossman, 1995:16) Researchers believe that an effective
process of English teaching is based on a certain system, rules, patterns,
formula, or regularity. It is this
system that is going to be discovered by researchers in English teaching.
This article explains
the process of classroom action research that covers repeated cycles consisting
of planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. Four key terms used in Classroom
Action Research are planning, acting,
observing, and reflecting. Planning refers to the proposed instructional strategy to be
developed in the research to solve instructional problems. Acting refers to the implementation of the strategy that has been
planned, (usually) with or without a collaborator. Observing and reflecting refers to assessing the
success of the implemented strategy in solving the instructional problems. In observing,
the data indicating success and other instructional problems are recorded,
while in reflecting all the recorded
data are analyzed to judge how much the implemented strategy has effectively
solved the problems
Classroom
Action Research is an effective media in improving the quality of English
teachers’ performance in instruction as well as students’ achievement in
learning English in classrooms. In Classroom Action Research, English teachers
assess the effectiveness of their own teaching activities and plan the
improvement based on the result of the assessment. The results are innovations
in English instructions. Very often, teachers’ innovations in English
instructions are accepted more (bottom up) than innovations forced from
outsiders (Top down). Classroom Action Research
starts from teachers’ serious concern about their success in their own
instructions, their students’ learning progress, their students’ behavior,
their students’ learning problems, and the learning environment, which they
assess throughout the whole process of instruction for the purpose of planning,
implementing, and evaluating improvement (Borgia, S. 2003).
Classroom
Action Research for English Instruction is aimed at developing innovative instructional
strategy that can help enhance the success in students’ learning English. English
teachers believe that every student can succeed in learning English if
appropriate learning strategy is provided.
When students fail in learning English, the blame is on the teachers who
do not provide appropriate help to the students. When the students fail in
learning English, it must be because the teachers have failed in helping them.
And this is the teachers’ problem. Identifying
classroom problems and trying to solve the problems can be done through the
process of Classroom Action research. It
is the job of professional teachers to identify their classroom problems and to
try to solve the problems.
Classroom
Action Research activities involve repeated cycles, each consisting of
planning, acting, observing, and reflecting.
The result of one cycle is used to determine the need for the following
cycle, until the problems get solved by the strategy (Kemmis & McTaggert, 1988) See Figure 1
Figure 1
The Action Research Spiral
Kemmis, S., McTaggert, R.
(1988)
Classroom
Action Research is done by teachers in their own classrooms. As English
teachers, they have to solve their classroom problems or improve the quality of
their classroom practices to result in better English achievement of their
students. As researchers, they have to produce an innovative classroom strategy
that contributes to the improvement of English teaching-learning practices in
schools of the same level.
The
research starts with observing and identifying classroom problems. A classroom
problem refers to a classroom practice that can still be improved to result in
better learning achievement of the students. A professional teacher can always
see which classroom practice can still be improved. Then the teacher-researcher
searches for alternative instructional strategies from references, by
discussing with their colleagues, or by joining seminars or workshops. One best
alternative strategy is then selected, and translated into an instructional
scenario. All necessary instructional media and assessment instrument are
developed to implement the instructional scenario. The teacher-researcher has
to learn well how to implement the scenario in the classroom before the action
is started. At this stage, there should no question anymore about how well the
teacher can implement the instructional planning otherwise the action cannot be
started. The researcher is recommended to choose a collaborator to help in
observing the implementation of the scenario. Then the action is started with
the collaborator observing the process of instruction to record any information
indicating the success or the failure of the strategy in solving the classroom
problems. The result of the observation is analyzed to reflect how successfully
the implemented strategy has solved the classroom problems. When the strategy
has not completely solved the problems, then the strategy has to be revised in
the best possible way to make sure that when implemented again in the following
cycle the problems can completely be solved.
Classroom
Action Research is a part of activities of professional English classroom
teachers. Through Classroom Action Research,
English teachers improve the quality of their instructional performance by developing
innovative instructional strategies to solve their classroom problems.
PLANNING
Planning is
a step to prepare the classroom instructional strategy to be developed in the
study to solve the instructional problems. The instructional strategy has been
selected based on the belief that the strategy can theoretically solve the
problems. It is this strategy that becomes the focus of the study, to be
prepared, to be tried out, to be revised, to be tried again until it proves
effective to solve the problems. The instructional strategy has to be elaborated
into a detailed scenario of instruction provided with all necessary
instructional media and assessment instruments. At this stage, criteria of
success to measure the effectiveness of the strategy are also decided. The
criteria of success are derived from the problems to be solved through this
study and some other instructional goals to be achieved through the
implementation of this strategy. The criteria of success when achieved become
the strength of the strategy that will attract other teachers to use the
strategy to solve the same problems.
Criteria of Success in Classroom Action
Research
The success of an
English instruction is not only measured with the achievement in learning
English skills as indicated by the scores. An English instructional strategy
that creates classroom atmosphere that gives students joyful learning
experience can motivate students to sustain life-long self learning. This sustainable life long
learning of English by the students is even more important than the students’ achievement.
This joyful classroom learning should also become the goal of an effective
strategy besides the scores representing students’ achievement in learning
English. It is stated in the Indonesian National Educational system that
“Students’
self potential that needs to be
developed through school experience is not limited to the academic competence,
but, more importantly, it extends to character building, the aspects that in
fact will later play more dominant roles in driving a success in the students’
real professional career. Students’ intelligence, academic competence,
as well as the positive supporting characters need development not only during
the process of schooling, but should sustain throughout the students’ life
time, long after the formal schooling process is over. Indonesian Education System, therefore, aims
at empowering the students’ potential and civilizing them in sustainable growth
such that civilized nation could be built” (UU. No. 20 / 2003 Part III Chapter 4 Point 3)
Another criterion of an effective as well as attractive
instructional strategy is its practicality. A strategy that requires very
expensive media and complicated procedures may not attract any other teacher to
apply in their classrooms. In other words, the more a strategy can attract
other teachers who have similar problems to solve, the more effective the
instructional strategy is.
ACTING
Acting
is the second step after the planning step to implement the instructional strategy
that has been planned. At this stage, the researcher has mastered the
instructional scenario before starting the implementation in class. The
researcher at this stage is not in the process of learning how to implement the
plan, nor in the process of improving the quality of teachers’ performance, but
in the process of actually trying out the strategy to test how much the
strategy can solve the classroom problems.
The researcher is recommended to collaborate with one or two other
teachers of the same subjects. The collaborators observe the implementation of
the plan to see how much the strategy can solve the classroom problems.
OBSERVING
Observing
is the process of collecting data indicating the success of the strategy in
solving the classroom problems. The focus of the observation is on the data
related to the criteria of success that have been decided. The question that
becomes the concern in the observing process is “How well does the strategy solve the problems?” not other
questions, like “How well does the
teacher teach?” or “How well is the
strategy implemented by the researcher?” These last two questions are not
the questions for CAR but appropriate for observers observing students who are
learning how to teach, like in the practice teaching program.
At
this observing stage, which aims at collecting data, the researcher and the
collaborator have to define the type of data to be collected, the instrument to
collect the data, the data sources, and the technique of data collecting. In
other words, the discussion on those topics should be under this observing
stage. Many classroom Action Research reports
present both, observation and data collection which of course are overlapping,
as both refer to data collecting. Indah
(2002), for example, presents two separate subheadings; Research procedure
covering Planning the action, Implementing the Action, and
reflecting the Action on pages 36-40, Data and Data Source on page
41, and Data Collection and Instrument on pages 42-45. Sujak (2002) presents sub-headings Classroom Action Research Plan,
Introduction, Preparation, Planning, Implementing, Observing, Evaluating, and Reflecting on pages 46-60. and other
sub-headings, Research Subjects, Data
Collection, and Data Collection Techniques on pages 60-76. Suntari (2002), also
presents Research Design that covers Research
Subjects, Collaborator, Research instruments, Data, and Data Analysis on pages 42-73. Discussion on the two topics, observing and data collecting under different sections shows that the researchers
do not understand that the two topics refer to the same thing.
Data for Classroom Action
Research
Data collected for Classroom Action
Research include all information
related to the criteria of success targeted in the research. The data may come from numerical
information, like the results of tests as well as verbal information, like
students’ problems, classroom atmosphere, students’ motivation, the
practicality of the instructional strategy, cooperative behavior of the
students, etc. Because both type of
data, numerical as verbal data, may be collected, Classroom Action Research
does not belong to only quantitative research or qualitative research. It
is not necessary to claim the Classroom Action Research as quantitative or
qualitative.
Data Collection
and the Instruments in Classroom Action Research
Classroom Action Research
instruments are needed to record the data to be collected during the process of observation. The instruments have
to be developed based on the nature of the data to be collected. The
data which are derived from the criteria of success to solve the classroom
problems have to be defined based on the right construct and content. The
data on students’ English achievement, for example, can be collected using
English achievement tests developed based on the curricular objectives, while
the data on students’ problems, classroom atmosphere, and students’ motivation
can be collected using observation, interview, documents, etc. An observation
check list to record the teacher-researcher’s activities is not appropriate in
the observation stage, because the teacher-researcher’s activities do not
always relate to the criteria of success. An observation check list to record students’
activities in the learning process is not appropriate, either, as the students’
activities do not relate to the criteria of success. Again the appropriate
instruments to collect data in Classroom Action Research are the instruments
that can be used to collect data reflecting “how well the strategy can solve the problems” not “How well the teacher implements the strategy”,
or how well the strategy is implemented”.
Sources of
Data in Classroom Action Research
Data for Classroom
Action Research are mostly collected from the students who are taught using the
strategy being developed. Data on
students’ English learning progress can be collected by observing the students’
use of English during the learning process.
Data on students’ English learning achievement can be collected by
giving English achievement tests to the students being taught. Data on
classroom atmosphere (e.g. How joyful the classroom is or how tensed the
students are) can be collected by observing the students’ behavior in class and
by recording the classroom situation. The teacher may be asked to judge the
classroom atmosphere and the parents may also be asked about their children’s
progress.
It is suggested that a
table be developed relating the classroom problems to be solved, the target or
the criteria of success to be achieved, the data to be collected, the sources
of data, the instruments to collect data, and the technique of data collection.
See the following table.
1
|
The classroom problems to
be solved
|
|
2
|
The
target or the criteria of success to be achieved
|
|
3
|
The
data indicating the achievement of the target
|
|
4
|
The sources of data
|
|
5
|
The instruments to
collect data
|
|
6
|
The data collection
techniques
|
REFLECTION
Reflection
is the process of analyzing data to determine how far the data collected have
shown the success of the strategy in solving the problem. Reflection also shows
what factors support the success of the strategy or what other problems may
occur during the implementation process. The discussion on data analysis is
done under the reflection stage. There
is no need to present a sub heading data
analysis in any other parts, like what is done by Indah (2002: 45), Sujak
(2002: 76) and Suntari (2002:73) because
doing so will just make the discussion overlapping, or will give the impression
that reflection and data analysis are two different things.
The
analysis of the result of observation is done by comparing the data collected
with the target or the criteria of success. For example, a strategy of improving the
students’ writing skill using picture
series is considered successful if (1) the students enjoy learning writing
using picture series, (2) the teacher feels convenient in using the strategy of
picture series, (3) the students become more active in improving their own
writing skills, (4) the students enjoy helping each other in the process of
learning writing, and (5) the students writing skills improve as indicated by
the average score of at least 75.
The
reflection stage aims at evaluating which criteria or target of success has
been achieved, which one has not been achieved, and what are the possible
reasons that those targets are not achieved yet. The result of the reflection
is used to determine what part of the strategy needs improvement. The strategy is examined to find out
how maximum improvement can possibly be made so that when implemented again all
the targets of success can be achieved. The revised strategy (planning) is then
implemented again, the result is observed, and then reflected in the second
cycle. The cycle is repeated until the implementation of the strategy can
achieve all the targeted criteria of success.
The
number of cycles cannot be predicted in advance. A Classroom Action Research may take only one
cycle if after the first cycle, all the targeted criteria of success have been
achieved. The researcher, in fact, has
to do their best to plan their Classroom Action Research as few cycles as
possible. But if the targeted criteria of success have not all been achieved
yet, then the revision of the strategy still needs to be done and another
following cycle is still needed.
STATING RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN
CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH
The research problems in
Classroom Action Research reflect two things; the classroom problems to be
solved and the strategy to be developed to solve the problems. For examples, How can Reading Skills of Junior High School Students in SLTPN 3 Malang be improved using
Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) strategy?, How to improve Reading Skills of Junior
High School Students in SLTPN 3 Malang using Contextual Teaching and Learning
strategy?
Following are examples
of research problems in Classroom Action Research by Indah (2002), Sujak
(2002), and Suntari (2002).
1. How is the effective model of explanation on Summary
writing to enhance the students’ content-area reading skills? (Indah,
2002:11)
2. How
can SQ3R strategy be implemented to improve the students’ critical reading
skills at SLTP Negeri 2 Ngimbang
Lamongan? (Sujak, 2002: 100).
3. How
to make effective instructions using poem-formula to improve the students’
skills in learning to write poems in grade 9 SLTP Negeri 3 Tuban? (Suntari, 2002: 9)
STATING OBJECTIVES OF
CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH
Research objectives in
Classroom Action Research are stated to contain two things, the classroom
problems to be solved and the innovative instructional strategy to be
developed. For example, “This study aims at developing Contextual Teaching
Learning strategy to improve Reading Skill of
Junior High School students of SLTP3 Malang
Following are examples
of objectives for Classroom Action Research by Indah (2002), Sujak (2002), and
Suntari (2002).
1.
This study tries to develop the effective model of
explanation on Summary writing to enhance the students’ content-area reading
skills (Indah, 2002:12)
2.
This study tries to
describe the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of SQ3R strategy to
improve the quality of the process of learning critical reading of Junior High
School students of State SLTP 2 Ngimbang Lamongan (Sujak,
2002: 12)
3.
This study tries to
improve the effectiveness of poetry writing instruction using poem-formula for
Junior High School students in grade 9
SLTP Negeri 3 Tuban (Suntari, 2002: 9)
THE PRODUCT OF CLASSROOM
ACTION RESEARCH
The product of a
research is the answer to the research problems that have been raised or the
achievement of the objectives that have been proposed at the beginning of the
research. Since Classroom Action Research always proposes a strategy to solve
classroom problems, the product is always an innovative instructional strategy
to solve classroom problems. This is
different from the product of other research designs, like experimental, co-relational,
etc.
Research conclusions
like, “The writing skills of the students
increase”, “the average score of female students is better than the average
score of male students”, “Students learning listening skills in a language lab
achieve better on the average than those studying in a conventional classroom”,
“Students’ achievement in reading is better after the implementation of jig-saw
strategy” are not the conclusions of a classroom Action Research. Indah
(2002) gives a good example of the result of Classroom Action Research as
follows.
The model of direct instruction of
content area summarizing consists of three components: the explanation, the guided
practice, and the independent application. (Indah, 2002: 143).
QUESTIONS OFTEN RAISED ABOUT CLASSROOM AR
Following
are questions and the answers addressed to Classroom Action Research, about the
uniqueness, objectives, stating research problems and objectives, the criteria
of success, the process, the cycle, the content of planning, acting, observing,
and reflecting, and measuring the success of a cycle.
1. How is Classroom
Action Research different from Experimental Research?
Classroom
Action Research is different from Experimental research. In English Classroom
Action Research, the goal is to produce an innovative instructional strategy
that can solve English classroom problems.
The final product is an instructional strategy that has proved effective in
solving classroom problems. The process is repeated cycles. The result of one
cycle is evaluated to see how much the strategy has solved the problem. If the
problem has not been completely solved yet, the strategy is revised and
implemented in the following cycle, until the strategy effectively solves the
problem. In experimental research, the
goal is to see the effectiveness of an existing strategy (not the strategy
which is still in the process of its development). The effectiveness of one strategy is measured by comparing the
average score of a group of students getting the experimental treatment with the
average score of another group of students getting another control treatment
(Tuckman, 1999:132). No
revision on the strategy is done in experimental
research.
2. What is the objective of a
Classroom Action Research?
Classroom Action Research
is a research especially designed for teachers so that classroom teachers can
conduct research in their own classrooms for the purpose of improving the
quality of their classroom performance. So the research is done by the
teacher-researcher. As a teacher, he/she has to solve the classroom problems
and as a researcher he/she has to contribute to the development of the
knowledge in their subjects by producing an innovative instructional strategy
that improves the effectiveness of the classroom performance. In 1976, John
Elliot (1991) established Classroom Action Research Network for Teachers in UK
to share the experience in conducting research.
The classroom
Action Research Network was established in 1976 to enable individuals and
groups committed to action research in the UK
3.
How to state Research Problems and
research objectives in Classroom Action Research?
A Research problem and a
research objective in Classroom Action Research indicate two focuses: (a) solving classroom problems and (2) developing
an innovative instructional strategy. Some people prefer emphasizing the
problem solution in the research problems and objectives more then the
development of a strategy. They prefer statements of research problems, like “How can students’ ability in reading be
improved through …………….”? Or “How can
students’ achievement in state final exams be increased using …………….?. The
weakness of too much emphasizing the problem solution is that the researcher
may forget the need to develop the instructional strategy to solve the problem.
Some Classroom Action Research reports only present the success in improving
the quality of students’ achievement without producing any instructional
strategy that can be shared to other classroom teachers.
Other people prefer
emphasizing the development of an innovative instructional strategy more than
the solution of the problems. They argue that the classroom problems are the
contextual background reasons why the research has to be conducted. The problems
are used as a starting point for the research. The research problems are used
as the criteria of success to measure the effectiveness in the development of
the instructional strategy. So, the most important part in Classroom Action
Research is the development of the instructional strategy.
Examples of research problems in
Classroom Action Research that emphasize the solution of the problems:
§
How can the
skill of writing recount texts of the second year students of SMP Negeri 3
Nganjuk in 2007/2008 academic year be improved through the implementation of
interactive experience? (Sumidi,
2008:6)
§
How can
reading comprehension instruction be improved using the Reciprocal Teaching
Strategy?(Iyan Hayani, 2008:5)
Examples
of research problems in Classroom Action Research that emphasize the
development of instructional strategy
§
How can Picture Games strategy be developed to
increase the students’ participation in their learning speaking?
§
How can the Reciprocal Teaching Strategy be developed
to improve the quality of reading comprehension instruction?
Examples
of objectives of Classroom Action Research that emphasize more on problem solution
§
This study
aims at improving the skill of writing recount texts of the second year
students of SMP Negeri 3 Nganjuk in 2007/2008 academic year through the
implementation of interactive experience? (Sumidi, 2008:6)
§
The purpose
of this study is to improve the quality of reading comprehension instruction
using the Reciprocal Teaching Strategy
(Iyan Hayani, 208:5)
Examples
of objectives of Classroom Action Research that emphasize the development of an
instructional strategy
- This study aims at developing Picture Games
Strategy to increase students’ participation in learning speaking.
- This study aims at developing the Reciprocal
Teaching Strategy to improve the quality of reading comprehension
instruction
4. How many research questions and objectives
should a Classroom Action Research have?
A classroom Action
Research aims at developing one strategy to solve classroom problems, so only
one research problem and one research objective is required. This one research
problem and objective may be elaborated into several sub questions and sub
objectives. The elaboration should make the research problems and objectives
clearer. The sub questions and sub objectives may be developed to describe the
stages in using the instructional strategy. These stages then will make up one
grand strategy. An instructional
strategy to develop students’ writing skills, for example, may be elaborated
into several stages of (a) activating
schemata, (2) brainstorming, (3) drafting,
(4) editing, and (5) publishing. When the Classroom Action Research objective
is to develop an instructional writing strategy using movies to improve the quality
of students’ writing skills of Junior High School students of SMP 1 Malang, for
example, this research objective can be elaborated into 5 sub objectives as
follows.
1. To develop an instructional writing strategy using
movies in activating schemata
2. To develop an instructional writing strategy using
movies in brainstorming
3. To develop an instructional writing strategy using
movies in drafting
4. To develop an instructional writing strategy using
movies in editing
5. To develop an instructional writing strategy using
movies in publishing
The research question may
be stated into“ How can movies be used as
a strategy in improving the quality of Junior High School students’ writing
skills in SMP 1 Malang?” This research question may be elaborated into 5
sub questions as follows
1.
How can movies be used as a strategy in
improving the quality of the process of activating
schemata for Junior High School students learning writing in SMP 1 Malang
2.
How can movies be used as a strategy in
improving the quality of the process of brainstorming
for Junior High School students learning writing in SMP 1 Malang
3.
How can movies be used as a strategy in
improving the quality of the process of drafting
for Junior High School students learning writing in SMP 1 Malang
4.
How can movies be used as a strategy in
improving the quality of the process of editing
for Junior High School students learning writing in SMP 1 Malang
5.
How can movies be used as a strategy in
improving the quality of the process of publishing
for Junior High School students learning writing in SMP 1 Malang
When a Classroom Action
Research objective, to develop students’ writing
skills using Movies, is elaborated based the sub-skills that make up the
writing skills, (a) to develop the students’ vocabulary, (b) to develop
students’ grammar, (c) to develop students’ skill in using cohesive devices, (d)
to develop students’ skill in developing coherence, etc. the elaboration does
not make the main objective clear.
Developing the strategy for each of those sub skills does not make up
one unified grand strategy.
5. What is the process of Classroom Action Research?
The process of Classroom
Action research involves several steps to be conducted by the teacher who acts
as a researcher.
1. Classroom problems are identified to be
solved. The problem here refers to any classroom practice that can be improved
to get better results. Any professional teacher has a classroom problem.
2. Alternative instructional strategies
are reviewed from related references, from teachers conferences, from
discussion with colleagues,
3. One best alternative instructional
strategy is selected to solve the problem,
4. The selected instructional strategy
is translated into a detailed teaching scenario, or a lesson plan,
5. The instructional media and the
assessment instruments are developed.
6. The targeted criteria of success are
decided to be achieved
7. Observation instruments are prepared
8. A collaborator is selected to help
the researcher observe the implementation of the strategy.
9. The teacher-researcher is trained to
implement the planned instructional scenario
10. The observer is trained to observe
the implementation of the strategy to collect data related to the criteria of
success
11. The instructional scenario is
implemented in class and observed by the observer.
12. The data collected from the
observation are analyzed to reflect the result of the implementation of the
strategy
13. If the result of the implementation
of the strategy does not meet the targeted criteria of success, the
instructional strategy is examined closely to find which part to be revised.
14. The revised strategy is implemented
again, observed, and reflected to see if further revision is needed.
15. If the targeted criteria of success
are achieved, the research activities are reported.
16. The strategy is presented in a manual
booklet or video record.
6.
What are the criteria of success?
The criteria of success
for Classroom Action Research are
derived from the classroom problems to be solved and the classroom goals to be
achieved. Many criteria are used to
measure the success of the process of teaching and learning. Classroom instructions that do not
result in students’ academic achievement is having a classroom problem to be
solved. So, students’ academic achievement is one criteria of success. Classroom
instructions that do not sustain students’ motivation in learning (self-regulated
learning or independent self-learning) are having a classroom problem to be
solved. So, students’ motivation in
learning is one criteria of success. Classroom instructions that create scary
atmosphere, where students are scared or highly worried, that create students
loose their self esteem and their self confidence, that kills their personal as
well as social skills are having classroom problems that need to be solved. So,
classroom atmosphere is criteria of success.
The data indicating the
achievement of the criteria of success may come from numerical information
(quantitative data), obtained from the result of a test, or from verbal
information (qualitative data) obtained from observation, interview, or documentation.
The more criteria of success are achieved in the process of Classroom Action
Research, the more other teachers having similar classroom problems get
interested in using the strategy in their classrooms.
7. What represents a cycle in Classroom Action
Research?
A cycle in Classroom
Action Research comprises four stages. The
first stage is strategy planning, where the strategy is planned to solve
classroom problems that have been identified.
The second stage is acting, where the strategy that has been planned is
implemented. The third stage, which is done simultaneously at the second stage,
is observing, to collect data indicating the achievement of the criteria of
success. The fourth stage is reflecting to analyze the data collected from the
observing stage by comparing the data and the criteria of success.
The implementation of the
instructional strategy may be done in one classroom meeting or several related classroom
meetings. In writing instructions, for example, the first meeting is used for
activating students’ schemata and drafting, the second meeting is used for peer
editing and revising, and the third meeting is for publishing. All the three meetings make up one
cycle. In speaking instructions using
Picture Games strategy, for example, one meeting is enough to implement the
Picture Games Strategy. This one meeting makes up one cycle.
8. Which group should be used for the second
cycle.?
The product of a Classroom
Action Research is an innovative instructional strtegy, which significance
depends on how many other classroom teachers find it useful for their
classrooms. They may get interested in the product of our Classroom Action
Research if the strategy can help them a lot in solving their classroom
problems. So, the instructional strategy resulted must have real strength of
solving classroom problems. If the cycle in a Classroom Action Research is
conducted in the same group of students who have got the treatment in the
previous cycle, and the topic in the cycle is the same as the previous cycle,
then the achievement of this group of students may be caused by the repetition
of the treatment, not merely resulted from the implementation of the strategy.
When the strategy is applied by other teachers who want to achieve the same
goal, the strategy might not work well. So it is suggested that if the cycle is
repeated to teach the same topic, the next cycle should be done in another
group of students having similar problems. If the strategy is applied to teach
another topic, then for the next cycle after the strategy is revised, the same
group of students can be used for the implementation of the strategy.
9. What should be discussed under PLANNING in the Method of research?
PLANNING in Classroom
Action Research is a technical term referring to the instructional strategy
selected to be developed in the research to solve classroom problems. So, the
focus of discussion under the PLANNING section is not on what is going to be
done. The section should focus the discussion on the elaborated instructional
strategy that has been selected. In fact, the focus of Classroom Action
Research is on this instructional strategy. It is this instructional strategy
that is going to be developed; to be tried out, observed, evaluated, and then
revised, and tried out again in cycles. So, the section under PLANNING contains
the detailed description of the instructional strategy. Other things also need
to be prepared to support the implementation of this strategy, like the
instructional media, the assessment instrument, the criteria of success, and
the instrument to collect data.
10. What should be discussed under ACTING?
The discussion under the
section ACTING focuses on the description on the context of the implementation;
the size of the class, the classroom environment, the existence of the observer
in the classroom, and the schedule of the implementation. The description of the steps in teaching activities that has been
described in detailed under the PLANNING does not need to be repeated under
this section. The description of
what is happening can be attached in the appendix of the thesis, not
necessarily inside the thesis because it is going to disturb the flow of the
ideas in the thesis.
If the detailed
description of the instructional strategy is presented under ACTING, then when
the cycle is repeated because the targeted criteria is not completely achieved
yet, the researcher has to revise the ACTING not the PLANNING. This of course
confuses the flow of the cycles in Classroom Action Research (See the Action
Research Spiral, Figure 1 by Kemmis &Taggart).
11. How do we measure the success of a
cycle?
The success of a cycle is
measured from the achievement of the targeted criteria of success indicating
the solution of the classroom problems and the achievement of the classroom
goals that have been decided in
advance. When the result of observation
and reflection in one cycle has shown that the targeted criteria of success
have been completely achieved, the cycle is successful, and no further cycle is
needed. If some criteria of success
have not been achieved, the cycle is not successful yet, and further cycle is
needed to improve the quality of the strategy. A Classroom Action Research may
need only one cycle or many need several cycles.
The improvement in the
results from one cycle to the following cycles is not the measure of the
success of the cycles. The improvement of the results from the first cycle to
the last cycles does not determine whether one more cycle is needed. Therefore,
comparing and analyzing differences in achievement from the first cycle to the
last cycle to find out statistical significant difference is beyond the Classroom
Action Research and so it is not needed. This comparison belongs to another
research design.
Comparing the results of
pre test conducted before the first cycle is started and the results of post test
administered after one cycle is conducted to find out statistical significant
difference is not the measure of success of the cycle, as the significant
difference between the two sets of scores does not determine whether one more
cycle is needed. Similarly, comparing and
analyzing the results of one cycle with the results from an instructional
process using another strategy to find out statistical significant difference
is not the measure of success of the cycle, as the significant difference does
not determine whether one more cycle is needed. The statistical comparison
belongs to another research design.
12. What data are collected during Observing?
Observation in Classroom
Action Research is a step for collecting data. The data to be collected are determined by the targeted criteria
of success to be achieved. Any information not related to the
criteria of success is not the data to be collected. The data to be collected are going to be used in the reflection
process to determine whether one more cycle is needed. Teachers’ activities and
students’ activities are not the data to be collected if they do not represent
the achievement of the criteria of success.
The data to be collected are
indicators of the results of the implementation of the strategy not the process
of the implementation of the strategy. The
question to be answered during the process of observation is “How well does the strategy being implemented
achieve the results to meet the criteria of success?” not “How well is the strategy implemented?”
A check list to record
the activities by the teacher and the students to check whether the activities
have run following the planned scenario is not going to result in the data
appropriate for Classroom Action Research purposes. These data do not indicate
the result of the implementation of the strategy, so the data will not be
useful in reflecting the effectiveness of the strategy.
13. What should be reported under Findings?
Description under Findings focuses on the research result
obtained through the research process. Research process and research results
are two different things. In Classroom
Action Research, the research process involves the repeated cycles comprising
four steps; planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In planning, the strategy is prepared so planning does not produce research results. In acting, the strategy is implemented, so acting does not produce research results. In observing, data indicating the success of the strategy are
collected, so observing does not
produce research results. In reflecting,
the data collected are analyzed and evaluated, so the reflecting alone does not produce research results. It is the
research process involving the four steps that produces the research
results. The research process is
described in detail under the Research Method. There is no need to describe the
planning, the acting, the observing,
and the reflecting under the findings,
because the research process discusses the method of obtaining the result, it
does not discuss the results.
14. What should be reported under the conclusion of the research?
The conclusion of
research is the answer to the research problems. So, a conclusion answers the
research problems. As the problem in
Classroom Action Research is, “How can an
instructional strategy solve selected problems?” or “How can an instructional
strategy achieve certain classroom goals?” the answer is a procedure in solving classroom problems or in
achieving certain classroom goals and
the evidence to support the achievement. The detailed elaboration of the
research conclusion becomes a guide book for teachers on how to implement the
strategy that has been developed through the research
This conclusion is
different from the conclusion from Co-relational research which describes the
relationship between two variables by stating: “the better students are in one measure, the better they are in another
measure.” It is also different from causal research which describes the
relationship between two or more variables by stating “the average score of one measure is significantly better than another
measure”.
15. What is the significance of the product of Classroom Action Research?
Significance in research
refers to the contribution of the research result to the improvement of the
related practice (practical contribution)
and or to the development of the related theory.(theoretical contribution). Research significance does not include
the importance of the research for the researcher. Since the product of Classroom Action Research is an innovative
instructional strategy, the practical significance depends on how many other
teachers teaching similar subjects get attracted in applying the strategy in
their classrooms. The more teachers
teaching similar subjects get interested in applying the strategy in their
classroom, the higher the significance of the Classroom Action Research result
is. The success of an instructional strategy in solving certain classroom
problems and in achieving certain instructional goals must also be explained by
the researcher. A success can never happen by accident. A success must always have some explanation.
It is this explanation that contributes to the development of theory
(theoretical significance).
16. Does Classroom Action Research belong to
qualitative or quantitative research?
Quantitative research is
differentiated from qualitative research
from the type of data collected. Quantitative research collects numerical
data while qualitative research collects verbal data. Data collected in Classroom Action Research depend on the criteria
of success used as the target of achievement. Usually the criteria of success
are related to both types of data, numerical data as well as verbal data.
Therefore, Classroom Action research can not be claimed as quantitative
research because verbal data are also collected.. It can not be claimed as
qualitative research either because numerical data are also collected. It is safer to claim that Classroom
Action Research belongs to both quantitative research and qualitative.
17. How to present the research method for
classroom Action research?
The presentation of the
research method for Classroom Action Research is different from the presentation
of research method for other research designs.
In quantitative research, the
research method is usually contains
1. research design,
2. sampling technique,
3. instruments to collect data
4. data collection, and
5. data analysis.
In qualitative research, the research
method is usually presented to contain
1. research design,
2. research setting,
3. research subjects,
4. data collection and data analysis, an
5. triangulation
In Classroom Action Research, the
research method is presented to contain
1. research design,
2. Planning,
3. Acting / Implementing,
4. Observing (contains data, instrument, and data
collection), and
5. reflecting (contains analysis)
CONCLUDING REMARK
Professional
classroom teachers always have classroom problems to be solved and try to find
alternative strategies to solve the problems. The development of the strategies to solve the classroom problems
can be done through Classroom Action Research.
Teachers who always conduct Classroom Action Research help maximize the
achievement of their students as well other teachers of the same field. So, it is important that teachers learn how
to conduct Classroom Action Research.
REFERENCES
Bogdan, R. C., Biklen, S.K. 1998 Qualitative
Research in Education, An Introduction to Theory and Method. Boston,
London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore; Allyn and Bacon
Borgia, Eileen T, Schuler, Dorothy. 2003 Action Research in
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Elliot,
John. 1991. Action Research for
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Bruce, W. 1999 Conducting Educational Research, Fifth Edition. Belmont
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