A Practical Guide to Action Research for Literacy Educators

Introduction
learning outcomes for primary grade children,
especially in reading,” the focus of this Action
Research guide will be on educators of children in
the primary grades. USAID global education goals
are:
■ Goal One: Improved reading skills for 100
million children in primary grades by 2015;
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Goal Two: Improved ability of tertiary and
workforce development programs to produce a
workforce with relevant skills to support
country development goals by 2015; and
Goal Three: Increased equitable access to
education in crisis and conflict environments
for 15 million learners by 2015.
This correlates with the Global Partnership for
Education’s strategic direction to ensure that more
children enroll in school and receive a better
education. The Global Partnership for Education's
objectives are as follows:
1. Increase support for fragile states.
2. Improve learning outcomes and quality
education.
3. Support girls' education.
Action Research supports the results-oriented
approach endorsed by the Global Partnership for
Education by ensuring that all learners’ needs are
recognized and met through ongoing differentiated
instruction. Utilizing Action Research furthers the
USAID global education goals by enabling educators
to improve reading skills through improved
instruction that focuses on the diverse needs of the
students in any setting, including settings of crisis
and conflict.
This handbook has been written to assist school
personnel to understand what Action Research is,
why we should conduct Action Research, who
conducts Action Research, and the process of Action
Research. It is hoped that this will develop knowledge
and skills so that administrators, mentors, and
teachers can conduct school-based Action Research
projects that result in positive changes in their
schools. Specific goals of this handbook are to help
educators do the following:
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Define and explain Action Research.
Demonstrate an understanding of how to use
the recursive nature of Action Research to
improve their teaching of instructional
literacy.
Provide examples of the Action Research
process in action.
Identify action-researchable issues in their
own schools and classrooms.
Plan and implement Action Research projects
in their own schools and classrooms.
Assess and share the results of their own
Action Research with colleagues.
Learn to improve instructional decisionmaking
through a continuous reflection point
of view.
Real-life examples of Action Research projects
focused on literacy instruction in diverse classroom
settings, including those in crisis and conflict, along
with an easy to follow step-by-step process for
implementation will be presented.
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