A Practical Guide to Action Research for Literacy Educators

Act on the Evidence
Act on the evidence: modify the plan,
try it again, and study it again
A cycle of action and reflection is the heart of
Action Research. Once you have collected the data
and analyzed it, you will need to act on the
information. Did your plan achieve the desired
results? Do you need to modify the plan to make
another change and study that change? If so, be
sure to alter only one variable because if too many
changes are made at once, it will be hard to know
which action is responsible for your results. When
you modify the plan, you will continue to collect
and analyze data.
It is important to remember that Action Research
proceeds through moments of action and
reflection. It doesn’t end (as problem solving does)
with a single planning and acting cycle but
continues on a spiral of action and reflection.
The second and subsequent Action Research cycles
will be based on the reflection of the previous
cycle(s). What questions were raised by the data?
How can you plan for additional improvements?
Because Action Research is collaborative in nature,
consider how you would continue to involve others
in this Action Research process. How will you plan
for the second Action Research cycle? What will you
actually do? How you will observe the results of
your action and collect evidence?
Reflection
Why is Action Research cyclical (What are
the advantages)?
Would Action Research work if it weren’t
cyclical in nature? Why or why not?
Are some elements more cyclical than others?
If so, explain which ones and why.
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