Impact of action research in teachers' professional development training

Abstract

The research entitled Impact of Action Research in teachers' Professional Development Training has the main objective to find out the present situation and impact of action research in teachers' professional development training, along with the difficulties and problems with their solutions. The research is qualitative and quantitative in nature with descriptive method used to analyze the data. Seventeen respondents that were ten teachers and seven informants as four head teachers, two resource persons and a District Education Officer were the primary sources of data. Four sets of questionnaire, a set of focus group discussion, an observation form containing checklist, and an interview schedule were applied as the main tools in the research. The data from the field were analyzed using qualitative analysis techniques. Additionally means were calculated for questions containing a one through three and a one through five point Likert scale. The questions stated "explain your reason(s) for choosing that level", such reasons for their choice were qualitatively analyzed. The information from action research reports submitted by the teachers has been used as the secondary sources of the data. The study found that the Teachers' Professional Development Training was able to introduce action research to the teachers. This training alone is not sufficient enough to change their attitude, give proper action research skills and knowledge as expected. Inexperienced facilitators who have not gone through the process of action research themselves presented it in short sessions theoretically. However, their impacts were positive as teachers became more reflective practitioner in the learning of their students, their teaching, and career. They were motivated and confident in trying new methods with reflection. They found reviewing related research and analyzing data difficult in the action research process. Teachers with masters' degree qualification found these process components moderately difficult. The policy level has been recommended to manage separate workshop for action research with experienced action researcher as facilitators during holidays. Financial incentives, publication of teachers research, changing the teachers' attitude to research positively, use of diagnostic supervision followed by reward and punishment, minimizing strikes in the schools, action research studies 6

curriculum to be embedded in teachers' academic courses are strongly recommended to the policy level. The practice level has been suggested to enforce better training policy, focusing on action research process stages, supporting, nurturing, and sharing researches, easing needy female teachers' work pressure with an extra leisure period per week, interschool subject teachers' monthly meetings, publication of soft copy of action research in schools' face book pages or in the local newspapers are some suggestions for practice level. The future researches should be done on 'Benefit of action research in children', 'Teachers' motivation in action research'. A comparative study can be conducted between teachers who carry out action research and who do not.