Action Research as Educational Research

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Action Research as Educational Research

• Tamara Brooks
• t.brooks_at_worc.ac.uk

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The Research Question

• Developing a learning environment to
• support children with profound autism
• to engage as effective learners

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Overall Aim

• Employ evidence-based research to develop a
  classroom learning environment which supports
  children with profound autism to engage as
  effective learners.

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Specific Objectives

1. Identify elements of the classroom learning
   environment which require modification in order
   to improve engagement in students with ASDs.
2. Source modifications to improve engagement.
3. Trial modifications within the classroom.
4. Evaluate the influence of trialled modifications
   on student engagement.

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Using PAR to Meet the Objectives

• Participatory Action Research (PAR) (Lewin, 1946)
  was utilised to meet these objectives by
• studying 6 children learning within their normal
  working classroom environment,
• acting upon this environment,
• studying the effects of these actions (Anderson,
  Herr Nihlen, 2007).
• Each modification to the environment aimed to
  build upon and enhance prior modifications (Carr
  Kemmis, 1986).

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The PAR spiral the backbone of this research
IDENTIFY INITIAL AREA REQUIRING MODIFICATION
EVALUATION EVALUATE MODIFICATION TO DETERMINE IF
IT IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT
IDENTIFYING PROBLEM IDENTIFY ANOTHER AREA OF
THE CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHICH REQUIRES
MODIFICATION
PLANNING SOURCE SUITABLE MODIFICATION TO THE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
ACTION STEP INTRODUCE MODIFICATIONTO THE
CLASSROOM
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PAR Spirals

• As the project evolved, it became clear that
  numerous sub-spirals were developing within the
  overall framework.
• The following slides show in more detail, two of
  the sub-spirals which developed throughout the
  course of my research.

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School chairs cycle

• IDENTIFYING PROBLEM
• Classroom observations
• Students repeatedly
• rocking back on their chairs
• a distraction and a
• health and safety risk.

PLANNING Search for new chairs found a company
called Dlb who claimed to design a Max chair
which actively prevent students from rocking
back on their chairs. (Dlb website)
ACTION STEP Max chairs introduced to classroom.
EVALUATION Various problems with Max chairs
encountered, including manufacturing errors and
problems with flexibility of the materials the
chairs are made from.
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School Chairs Cycle Contd

• ACTION STEP
• Chair designer invited to Sunfield
• to discuss modifications to
• increase suitability for the
• students at Sunfield

FURTHER PLANNING Chairs modified following
discussions with designer.
ACTION STEP A few modified Max chairs
introduced to classroom
EVALUATION Modified chairs are an improvement,
however problems still experienced with
robustness and students rocking on the chair
backs. Students are still not rocking back on
chair legs.
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School Chairs Cycle Contd

• FURTHER PLANNING
• Problems discussed with
• designer and chairs further
• modified.

ACTION STEP Further modified chairs introduced
to the classroom
EVALUATION Students are still rocking on the
chair backs and chairs are getting bent out of
shape extremely quickly.
FURTHER PLANNING Chair designer contacted,
problems discussed with him. He stated that there
was an error and the latest chairs are not the
newest design. He will be changing manufacturers
in December and has suggested we start again in
January.
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School Chairs Cycle Contd
FURTHER PLANNING Chair designer has decided
not to send further samples. Since the chairs
have not been proven to be suitable, an
alternative has been sorced. An
alternative called the Titan Chair which claims
to be anti-tilt, robust and safe has been found.
ACTION STEP Titan chair introduced to the
classroom.
EVALUATION Although not as aesthetically
pleasing as the Max chair, the Titan chair is
extremely robust, and the students are not
rocking on either the chair legs or the chair
backs.
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School Chairs Cycle Contd
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Rocking Chair Cycle

• IDENTIFYING PROBLEM
• Classroom observations
• Students require a chair to
• obtain the rocking sensation
• they crave.

PLANNING Suitable rocking chair researched and
sourced.
ACTION STEP Rocking chair integrated into the
classroom
EVALUATION Students fighting over the rocking
chair and tipping dangerously back on the legs.
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Rocking Chair Cycle Contd

• FURTHER PLANNING
• Alternative chair for rocking
• sourced Balance Ball chair

ACTION STEP Balance Ball Chair introduced to the
classroom
EVALUATION Students throwing the ball within the
classroom. Ball chair removed but successfully
integrated into another class for use during
computer time.
FURTHER PLANNING Alternative chair for rocking
sourced called an Lchair
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Rocking Chair Cycle Contd
EVALUATION Lchair an excellent success. Absence
of legs eliminates health and safety risk from
students tipping dangerously back. Shape of chair
requires students to exercise in order to control
extent of rocking.
ACTION STEP Lchair introduced in to the
classroom.

• FURTHER PLANNING
• 4 more Lchairs ordered for other classes.
  Incontinence issues of students discussed with
  designer, who agreed to make bespoke covers to
  protect the chairs.

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Rocking Chair Cycle Contd
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Meeting the Objectives

• Thus, through PAR it was possible to successfully
  (if a little messily!) meet the objectives of
  this research

IDENTIFY PROBLEM 1. Identify elements of the
classroom learning environment which require
modification in order to improve engagement in
students with ASDs.
PLANNING 2. Source Modifications to improve
engagement.
EVALUATE 4. Evaluate the influence of trialled
modifications on student engagement
ACTION STEP 3. Trial modifications within the
classroom.