Deck 9: Action Research

Question 1

Which of the following is true of action researchers?

A) They conduct the study themselves.
B) They believe that the world is stabilized.
C) They create new data forms and combination styles.
D) They pay others to conduct the research.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Numerous methods or techniques can help provide evidence of ______ within the scope of educator-led action research studies.

A) semiotics
B) validity
C) rigor
D) timing

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Action research studies encompass any systematic inquiries ______.

A) by the author
B) by teachers, administrators, counselors, or others
C) investigating the quality of a given topic
D) investigating a topic from different perspectives

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The approaches to conducting action research are ______.

A) sequential and divergent
B) divergent and analytical
C) analytical and participatory
D) participatory and practical

Question 5

______ action research is intended to address a specific problem in a classroom, school, or other community,

A) Preemptive
B) Participatory
C) Positional
D) Practical

Question 6

Action research studies differ from quantitative studies and qualitative studies because ______.

A) they ensure a comprehensive set of approaches for examining topics
B) they are conducted by educators
C) action research offers more quantitative data
D) they are not under scrutiny

Question 7

Action research allows educators to study ______.

A) their own instructional methods
B) the world at large
C) the instructional methods of educators in a different state
D) the past

Question 8

How does fostering school improvement relate to action research?

A) Fostering school improvement will guide data collection.
B) It is a reason to conduct action research.
C) It will vary according to the population.
D) Fostering school improvement is harmful to action research.

Question 9

The stages of action research ______.

A) use various methodologies
B) include acting and developing
C) are experimental
D) are centralized

Question 10

An important aspect of action research includes ______.

A) two models of mixed-methods
B) no limited number of mixed-methods
C) four models of mixed-methods
D) the development of action plans

Question 11

What is action research?

A) A process that improves education, in general, by incorporating change.
B) A process that is determined by the IRB.
C) A process that is practiced by all teachers.
D) A process that is only practiced by quantitative researchers.

Question 12

How does promoting professional growth relate to action research?

A) Promoting professional growth will guide data collection.
B) It is a reason to conduct action research.
C) It is not a reason to conduct action research.
D) Promoting professional growth is harmful to action research.

Question 13

Which of the following describes action research?

A) planning time for systematic development stages
B) planning time to develop systematic sampling strategies
C) planning systematic approaches to understanding learning
D) planning to glean exploratory findings

Question 14

Action research results in ______utility and effectiveness for the educational practitioner.

A) perceived
B) decreased
C) increased
D) false

Question 15

Rigor is typically associated with the term ______ in quantitative studies.

A) credibility
B) accuracy
C) reliability
D) dependability

Question 16

What does action research include?

A) a directional design
B) a distinctive design
C) an action plan
D) a development plan

Question 17

A possible and common topic area for action research studies is ______.

A) identifying a problem
B) analyzing data independently
C) manipulating control conditions
D) replicating previous research

Question 18

Which of the following describes action research?

A) impractical
B) collaborative
C) suggestive
D) simple

Question 19

In action research, reconnaissance can take which of the following forms?

A) QUAL
B) convergent
C) experimental
D) self-reflective

Question 20

The process of action research is ______.

A) dual
B) inconsistent
C) cyclical
D) linear

Question 21

Reflective teaching is a process of developing lessons or assessing student learning with thoughtful consideration to ______.

A) educational theory
B) future research
C) impractical focus
D) data analysis

Question 22

Validity of action research is determined by establishing ______.

A) rigor
B) timeliness
C) function
D) need

Question 23

There are ______ substantial limitations or weaknesses of action research, provided it is used in a suitable context and with an appropriate purpose in mind.

A) limited
B) no
C) only five
D) only two

Question 24

______ is unique to action research and is the process of gathering preliminary background information.

A) Exploration
B) Reflection
C) Reconnaissance
D) Justification

Question 25

______ is the act of critically exploring what you are doing, why you decided to do it, and what its effects have been.

A) Exploration
B) Reflection
C) Reconnaissance
D) Justification

Question 26

Which of the following characteristics differentiate action research from other types of educational research?

A) the integration of surveys throughout the process
B) the integration of administrators throughout the process
C) the integration of reflection throughout the process
D) the integration of case studies throughout the process

Question 27

Which of the following is not a form of formal reconnaissance?

A) debriefing
B) explanation
C) description
D) self-reflection

Question 28

All of the following are techniques used to provide evidence of rigor in action research studies, except ______.

A) repetition of the cycle
B) triangulation of data
C) brief engagement and observation
D) member checking

Question 29

The analysis of action research data is, typically, ______ than for other, more formal types of research studies.

A) much more complex
B) much less complex
C) more time-consuming
D) less time-consuming

Question 30

Which of the following statements about action plans is true?

A) There are specific requirements as to what or should be included in an action plan.
B) There are no real requirements as to what or should be included in an action plan.
C) Action plans may not consist of brief statements or simple descriptions.
D) Action plans should consist of very detailed and thorough descriptions.

Question 31

Which of the following is a possible and common outcome of an action research study?

A) A publication is necessary.
B) An old problem is discovered.
C) A new problem is discovered.
D) No new understanding of the situation or problem is developed.

Question 32

Broader dissemination of action research needs to be concerned with ______, meaning that the results of the study will extend beyond its scope to other settings and people.

A) perceptibility
B) functionality
C) mobility
D) generalizability

Question 33

The level of quality in action research can be referred to as its ______.

A) rigor
B) statistical significance
C) justification
D) none of these

Question 34

Action plans may be developed at all of the following levels, except that of ______.

A) an individual teacher or classroom level
B) a collaborative group of teachers level
C) a schoolwide or districtwide basis
D) research publication level

Question 35

______ are usually the target audience for individual action plans.

A) An individual's colleagues
B) Individual educators
C) An individual's students
D) Administrators

Question 36

Which of the following is true regarding action research?

A) It should be evaluated on a different set of criteria than the criteria used to evaluate more traditional forms of research.
B) It should not be evaluated on a different set of criteria than the criteria used to evaluate more traditional forms of research.
C) It is not effective in many professional education settings.
D) It is the most effective approach to any study.

Question 37

A(n) ______ is a proposed strategy for implementing the results of an action research project.

A) research summary
B) action technique
C) action plan
D) literature review

Question 38

The focus of ______ research is more on the "how-to" approach to the process of conducting action research.

A) participatory
B) theoretical
C) practical
D) hands-on

Question 39

In ______ cases, action researchers may discover from their results that everything is fine and nothing needs to change.

A) intervention-related
B) practice-related
C) most
D) rare

Question 40

According to the text, the author's general model of action research includes all of the following, except ______.

A) the planning stage
B) the acting stage
C) the dissemination stage
D) the reflecting stage

Question 41

What are the four stages of the model of action research?

Question 42

Action research provides immediate results.

Question 43

Action research conducted by an educator can significantly enhance student learning in the classroom.

Question 44

Action research offers a process by which current educational practice can be changed to better practice.

Question 45

The determination of rigor is often contingent on the intended audience of action research results.

Question 46

The purpose of action research is to generalize solutions to larger populations.

Question 47

Johnson (2008) states that action research is a systematic inquiry into one's own practice.

Question 48

The purpose of practical action research is to improve the quality of organizations, communities, and family lives.

Question 49

Developing an action plan in action research is optional.

Question 50

Participatory action research involves communities seeking to address a specific problem.

Question 51

The extent to which action research reaches a standard of quality is directly related to the usefulness of the research findings for the intended audience.

Question 52

As you begin to design an action research study, the development of a research plan is critical.

Question 53

Describe self-reflection in the process of action research.

Question 54

A component unique to action research is the integration of reflection throughout the process.

Question 55

Action research may be cyclical or linear.

Question 56

Since action plans require a great deal of time to plan and implement, they should only be developed for whole organizations where the most impact will be garnered.

Question 57

Reconnaissance involves reflecting on your own beliefs as an educator and gaining a deeper understanding of the research problem.

Question 58

A critical aspect of action research is that it focuses on the unique characteristics of the population with whom a practice is being employed.

Question 59

Action research is not directly aligned with qualitative or quantitative research.

Question 60

Reflection is sometimes recommended for action research.

Question 61

List the techniques that can be used to enhance rigor in action research studies.

Question 62

Discuss one weakness of action research.

Question 63

The text provides five possible and common outcomes of action research studies. Provide at least three of these outcomes.

Question 64

Describe how action research can empower teachers and other educators.

Question 65

How do action researchers manage validity?

Question 66

Discuss one strength of action research.

Question 67

Briefly discuss the purpose of the two types of action research.

Question 68

Describe how action research can improve educational practices.

Question 69

Why is it important to understand what action research is not?

Question 70

Explain how action research differs from the types we studied in previous chapters.

Question 71

List the five important reasons for using action research in educational settings noted in the text.

Question 72

Identify and describe the three forms of formal reconnaissance.

Question 73

What is reflective teaching?

Question 74

The text provides five important reasons for the use of action research in educational settings. Provide at least three of these reasons.

Question 75

Identify and describe the three levels of action plans.