Action Research Proposal

Throughout this course, you will create an action research proposal. While not required, the action research proposal could be used to obtain permission from your school or organization to conduct your research. You must create a practical action research proposal using information and data that you collect from your own school or district or from a school or district with which you are familiar.

Note: Consider publicly available information from your school, district, or state.

You will develop your Action Research Proposal in four sections:

Section One: Problem Identification (Due Week 3)                                                         1

Section Two: Problem Documentation and Literature Review (Due Week 5)                    1

Section Three: Solution Strategy (Due Week 6)                                                             2

Section Four: Outcomes and Evaluation (Due Week 7)                                                  3

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following information:

Area of focus

Problem statement should:

begin with: “The problem is…”

be clear and focused

involve teaching and learning

address a problem you have the ability to personally influence

be something you feel passionate about

read as an “if/then” statement

Example:

The problem is accommodations and modifications of special education students are not being implemented effectively by the regular classroom teachers. Upon narrowing of the problem, an intervention will be implemented.

Problem description should:

describe the problem statement in greater detail

include possible difficulties you may encounter

include reasons why the problem has not been addressed

include a rationale for selecting action research to address the problem

Purpose of the project

Why you picked this topic and how you relate to it

How this topic influences or is influenced by your role in your current setting

What you expect to accomplish

 

 

 

 

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following information:

Problem Documentation

Obtain information to verify that a problem exists and to clarify the nature of the problem.

Create a sample 10-item survey with questions or information that would assist you with your research.

Indicate the group(s) that would be surveyed, a brief rationale for surveying each group, the major elements of the problem that you want to explore and verify, and your 10 questions.

Note: You are developing a survey, but are not expected to implement it. If you choose to implement your survey, be sure to check with your administrator about any permissions you may need to obtain first.

Literature Review

Conduct a literature review summarizing all important research relevant to the problem and demonstrating a current understanding of the topic.

You should include at least 7 sources for your literature review.

Consider peer-reviewed professional journal articles and sources dating no earlier 10 years from the current year

List your literature review in the following format:

Author(s) of the study	Title and year of the study	Purpose of the study	Pertinent findings that support your project

Research Questions (1–3 questions)

Question(s) should align to the purpose of the project

Question(s) should align to what your literature review reveals about the problem

Question(s) should be narrowly focused, researchable, and can be answered with data

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following information:

Action goal(s)

Provide the goal(s) for the action plan that you are proposing and include a brief overview of the action plan that you have selected.

Example:

The goal of the action plan is to increase effectiveness of regular classroom teachers in implementing accommodations and modifications for special education students. A three-prong intervention will be implemented to meet the goal, which includes teacher IEP training, teacher/paraprofessional training, and weekly collaboration time supported by the administration.

Selected solutions

This is a detailed description of the steps you would take if you were to implement your intervention plan to address or alleviate the problem in your current setting.

This section is analogous to a recipe. It should be specific and detailed so that another researcher can read this section and duplicate the method with few questions.

For example, do not say “Teachers or trainers will take courses on methods to modify instruction for diverse learners.” Rather, give the reader specific information and guidelines on how you will accomplish the goal of this plan, with step-by-step instructions to easily replicate the process.

Incorporate ethical guidelines you may need to consider for your research study.

Include copies of specific material needed in an Appendix, such as consent forms or other materials. Remember you cannot be too specific in this section.

Calendar plan

Include a week-by-week, operational calendar plan.

Include specific directions on how you would implement each component of your action research study.

Remember to give the reader the following information:

When the study would begin

Who would be involved

At what points specific aspects of your plan should occur

The duration of each component of your plan

How often and when you would evaluate results

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following information:

Expected outcomes

For each action goal you presented in Section Three, provide specific outcomes you hope to see if you were to implement this action research project.

Each goal may have several outcomes; therefore, number each outcome and present it in list form.

The outcomes should be stated in observable, measurable terms.

The outcomes should relate specifically to the documentation you provide.

Measurement of outcomes

Describe how you plan to measure each projected outcome.

Be specific about particular instruments and methods you would use.

This information is intended to aid another researcher interested in replicating your study.

Where possible, include copies of tests, questionnaires, or other instruments as an Appendix.

Analysis of results

Describe how you plan to analyze your results.

Explain how you would determine if your solution strategy was effective.

Explain how you would present your findings and to whom you will would present them.

References

List all sources you used to complete and support your action research proposal. These could be websites, articles, books, or other, but you should have a minimum of 7 peer-reviewed sources listed from your literature review.

Ensure your sou

 

rces are cited according to APA guidelines throughout, including a reference page.