Action Research Projects – how do we know we have a problem?

Earlier in the term, teachers worked in their action research teams to hone in on a ‘problem of practice’ by identifying some component of their professional practice that is not achieving the desired outcomes. From here, groups developed a research question to focus their investigation. 

With question topics ranging from reading engagement and imaginative writing practices to positive peer relationships and academic resilience, teachers have been busy gathering evidence, or baseline data, to help them identify the nature and scale of their chosen problem. Analysis of this data will help teachers understand the best strategies to put in place to address their problem as well as providing a benchmark against which to measure the impact of their change of practice.

While teachers are very familiar with the process of gathering and analysing assessment data, some of the most useful information can come from qualitative evidence where we attempt to get inside our students’ heads to understand how and why they think and act the way they do. Using a methodology passed on by our UTS action research partners, Professor Nick Hopwood and Dr Tracy-Ann Palmer, some of our groups have been applying the ‘Third Thing’ technique to their student interviews. Rather than asking students to talk directly about themselves, this technique is believed to encourage more honest, detailed and thoughtful responses by asking them questions related to a ‘third thing’ comprising physical objects or an abstract scenario. 

Using this technique to better understand the reasons why some of our students decide to withdraw from the instrumental program after Year 6, our music department recently posed this question to a group of Year 7s: ‘Imagine you were invited to be on a committee designed to develop strategies to encourage continuation in the instrumental program. What suggestions would you make?’ While some of the responses reinforced what the teachers already knew, there were some really creative suggestions that gave the research group some feasible ideas on how to change their practice. This technique was also used with a group of Year 12s students to understand strategies they use to maintain focus as they go into an exam. By asking ‘What advice would you give a friend on how to stay calm when going into an exam?’, they inadvertently discussed strategies that work for them without feeling like they would be judged on their answers. 

The next step in the action research process involves designing feasible and measurable changes of practice to address chosen problems. This will be the focus of our professional learning day at the start of Term 2. 

Kate Corcoran
Action Research Coordinator