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Action Research

         I have never understood, until now,  anyone that said they love to do research.  Perhaps, I just didn't understand that there was more than one kind of research. This exploration into action research has not only increased my understanding of why anyone would want to research, it has also made me realize that I can do research and even enjoy it.  The beauty of action research is you evaluate your own educational practices and using research techniques explore a specific problem and work to bring practical improvements. I think the practicality of the process is what won me over.  It requires active participation (action) and collaboration. It is context-specific which is incredibly relevant to someone like me that teaches in a very specific area of allied health. After reflection and analysis, you can revise your plan and scale down to an even narrower area or redirect completely based on your findings and then repeat the process. Mertler defined the process and I have combined some of the steps below (2019).

 

          Action research starts four basic steps which are typically repeated as the data redirects.  We refine the action and then continue to work toward understanding the problem. This course was dedicated to step one.  This steps of action research are as follows:

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  • Planning: Identifying the problem, formulating research questions, and developing an action plan.

  • Acting: Implementing the action plan.

  • Observing: Collecting the data using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods.

  • Reflecting: Analyzing the results, reflecting on the findings, speaking to the relevant stakeholders, and then planning the next cycle of action.

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           The first order of business was to design an action research outline based on our main research question. I have uncovered multiple areas that I would like to do an action research plan on but I am starting with the easiest to implement to fix the biggest problem that we have faced as a program since going to shortened semesters. Students are not moving into higher areas of application because they are struggling to have basic mastery of concepts. Adding blended elements that would compel students to think critically sooner is where I landed in the process.

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" If we knew what we were doing it wouldn't be research."                                                 --Albert Einstein

Once the research topic was decided, it was time to go to the literature to review what was available for the question that had arisen. Sometimes, it is a great relief to see that someone has previously had this same problem and done the work to explore the relevant data. In rare cases you can find strong literature to support the exact question. Other times, you realize that you are the person that has to make that leap. Since the entire premise of action research is identifying your own question within your narrow area of educational practice, it should not be a surprise when there is little or no specific literature to support your question. The goal is to derive what you can from similar studies, and then determine if your action research plan is valid but also if you will then have something to offer education as a whole because of the work you plan to do. It can be a daunting question.  Although my literature review did offer some crucial areas of insight to using blended learning in health sciences, overall I was missing some key elements on how best or more critically to analyze the qualitative data I would be using in my research plan. 

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The next step in the process is creating an actual research plan by combining the new understanding derived from the literature with the initial elements outlined.  I had to design ways to evaluate the data in this qualitative study.  Although I am proud of what I have put together, I am anticipating seeing how the metrics work, reflecting and refining my study. I also have the benefit of collaboration with my peers who are both highly-opinionated and knowledgeable in radiography. Since collaboration among my peers has been so valuable in my education, I have often wondered if the collaboration between different levels of students would impact critical thinking, student engagement, and student perceptions. It will be very interesting to see the results from this first round. 

References

 

Bratskeir, K. (2022a, February 17). 35 of the best innovation quotes to Inspire your work. Ideas.                                   https://www.wework.com/ideas/professional-development/creativity-culture/innovation-quotes

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Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators. SAGE Publications,                      Inc.

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