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“If you are teaching a research class to novice researchers, especially those in education, I would highly recommend this book for its practical approach, and the emphasis on writing and the use of assessment data. Teachers are often overwhelmed with available data in their classrooms and schools—understanding as well as the data. This book provides much needed practical instructions for both issues.”

—Inquiry in Education (on the first edition)


“A solid overview of the essential components of action research, presented in a scholarly yet reader-friendly way. This text is excellent for our Master of Literacy program. It clearly depicts the six cyclical steps of action research, showing how research can continuously build our understanding of what works and what needs to be changed or adjusted. Unlike other action research texts that align only with qualitative research, the book discusses fundamentals of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The authors' emphasis on using the research questions to determine the research method(s) acknowledges the complexity of practitioner-based research. Practical and empowering, this book describes not only how to identify problems in educational settings, but also how to seek solutions through the cycle of research.”

—Cheryl A. Kreutter, PhD, School of Education, State University of New York at Geneseo


“I used this book for several years as the primary text for an online graduate course, Action Research, which serves as a capstone for master's of education students. From the opening pages, the authors set the stage for understanding action research as an important approach to making classroom decisions based on systematically collected data. The pedagogical features such as vignettes and exercises are a strength of the book. There is a clear attempt to access textual, visual, and hands-on channels of learning. Self-quizzes allow for guided review.”

—John H. Yoder, PhD, Core Faculty in Education (retired), Concordia University–Portland


“I have reviewed a number of action research texts, and, time and again, I return to Efron and Ravid’s book. It is simply the best available. With excellent content and depth, the text guides educators to conduct cycles of inquiry in their schools. It includes rich examples, tables, and figures to illustrate key concepts, as well as checklists to support action researchers.”

—Kimberly Kappler Hewitt, PhD, Division of Research, Discovery, and Innovation, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro


“This is an excellent introductory text for the novice action researcher. The authors cover both qualitative and quantitative methods and offer advice on using already existing assessment data in action research studies. The text is practical and applicable to a wide variety of educational contexts.”

—Linnea Rademaker, PhD, School of Educational Leadership, Abilene Christian University


“The book contains everything that I need in terms of content—it is a great introduction to action research. The writing style is its biggest strength. Many students are nervous about beginning to do research, and this book helps by presenting a step-by-step approach.”

—Eugene Geist, PhD, Department of Teacher Education, Ohio University

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Choosing and Learning about Your Research Topic

3. Approaches to Action Research

4. Developing a Plan of Action

5. Data Collection Tools

6. Using Assessment Data in Action Research

7. Data Analysis and Interpretation

8. Writing, Implementing, and Sharing the Research Findings

References

Author Index

Subject Index

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About the Authors

Sara Efrat Efron, EdD, is Professor of Education and Director of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum, Advocacy, and Policy at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include teacher research, mentoring, and moral and democratic education in times of crisis. Dr. Efron is coauthor, with Ruth Ravid, of Writing the Literature Review and Action Research in Education, Second Edition. She has published numerous book chapters and journal articles and presents widely at national and international conferences. She has also written several foreign-language instruction books for middle and high school students.

• All titles by Sara Efrat Efron

Ruth Ravid, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Education at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include educational research, action research, assessment, and school–university collaboration. Dr. Ravid has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and books, including Writing the Literature Review and Action Research in Education, Second Edition, both coauthored with Sara Efrat Efron.

• All titles by Ruth Ravid

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Audience

Graduate students in teacher education and educational administration programs; practicing teachers, administrators, and other PreK–12 school practitioners.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in such courses as Action Research, Teacher Research, Practitioner Research, Educational Research for Administrators, and School Research Methods.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2013
ISBN: 9781462509614

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New to this edition:

• In-depth descriptions of CAR and PAR—which enable groups of teachers to work together to solve problems in a classroom or school—plus examples of both throughout the book.
• Expanded or new discussions (with examples) of such topics as how research approaches and methods are driven by the research question, how to assess different types of reliability and validity, the differences between analysis and interpretation, and how to use sequential cycles of research for continuous improvement and professional development.
• Fully updated references and resources.