Action Research for Improving Educational Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide

"This will be a useful guide for a range of teacher-researchers, honours students and others interested in improving their practice."
- British Journal of Educational Technology

"A comprehensive guide to action research; it will be the equivalent of having an experienced tutor available twenty four hours a day to provide valuable advice and reassurance to the researcher, at all stages of the project."
- Carole Portman-Smith, Advanced Skills Teacher for the London borough of Richmond Upon Thames

Which topics are right for Action Research in an education context? How do you go about planning a project, collecting and analyzing your data? What′s the best way to present your research findings to parents, colleagues, or funding bodies?

Whether you are a busy teacher doing research in your classroom, an undergraduate starting your research project, or a graduate student writing up your dissertation, this step-by-step guide takes you through every stage involved in carrying out action research.

In this brand new edition, you will find additional guidance on:

• The challenges of being an insider researcher
• Searching and analyzing literature from the internet
• Children′s participation and children′s rights in action research projects in educational settings
• Validity and authenticity in action research
• A new chapter on writing for publication
• An action research planning sheet

This book draws on Valsa Koshy′s extensive experience of supervising researchers at all levels, and includes examples of action research carried out by practitioners across a range of topics and age groups. Case studies include UK and international examples, allowing you to reflect on multiple perspectives of action research in education.

Those new to action research, and those looking for a straightforward explanation of the methods involved, will find this book invaluable.