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ActionResearch[0]="<br><br><br><br><center><h2>ACTION RESEARCH</h2>A concept review</center>";
ActionResearch[1]="<h2>What is Action Research?</h2>Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research.";
ActionResearch[2]="<h2>What assumptions form the basis of Action Research?</h2><ul><li>Teachers and principals work best on problems they have identified for themselves.</li><li>Teachers and principals become more effective when encouraged to examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working differently.</li><li>Teachers and principals help each other by working collaboratively.</li><li>Working with colleagues helps teachers and principals in their professional development.<br><br>(Watts, 1985, p. 118)</li></ul>";
ActionResearch[3]="<h2>What is <em>Not</em> Action Research?</h2>Action Research is <em><u>not:</u></em><ul><li>Not a library project where we learn more about a topic that interests us.</li><li>Not problem-solving in the sense of trying to find out what is wrong. Rather it is a quest for knowledge about how to improve.</li><li>Not about doing research on our about people.</li><li>Not about finding all available information on a topic looking for the correct answers.</li></ul>";
ActionResearch[4]="<h2>Types of Action Research</h2>There are different types of action research depending on the participants involved. A plan of research can involve a single teacher investigating an issue in his or her classroom, a group of teachers working on a common problem, or a team of teachers and others focusing on a school- or district-wide issue.";
ActionResearch[5]="<h2>Themes of Action Research</h2>Within all the definitions of action research, there are four basic themes: empowerment of participants, collaboration through participation, acquisition of knowledge, and social change.";
ActionResearch[6]="<h2>Steps in Action Research</h2>In conducting action research, we structure routines for continuous confrontation with data on the health of a school community. These routines are loosely guided by movement through five phases of inquiry:<ol><li>Identification of a problem area</li><li>Collection and organization of data</li><li>Interpretation of data</li><li>Action based on data</li><li>Reflection</li></ol>";
ActionResearch[7]="<h2>Identify a Problem Area</h2>There are several criteria to consider before investing the time and effort in 'researching' a problem. The question should<ul><li>be a higher-order question - not a yes/no</li><li>be stated in common language, avoid jargon</li><li>be concise</li><li>be meaningful</li><li>not already have an answer</li></ul>";
ActionResearch[8]="<h2>Gather Data</h2>Multiple sources of data are used to better understand the scope of happenings in the classroom or school. There are many vehicles for collection of data:<br><br><table><tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>interviews<br>portfolios<br>diaries<br>field notes<br>audio tapes<br>photos<br>memos<br></td><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>questionnaires<br>focus groups<br>anecdotal records<br>checklists<br>journals<br>individual files<br>logs of meetings<br></td><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>videotapes<br>case studies<br>surveys<br>records - tests, report cards, attendance<br>self-assessment<br>samples of student work, projects, performances<br></td></tr></table>";
ActionResearch[9]="<h2>Benefits of Action Research</h2>Action research can be a worthwhile pursuit for educators for a number of reasons.<ul><li>Focus on school issue, problem, or area of collective interest</li><li>Form of teacher professional development</li><li>Improved physical condition</li><li>Collegial interactions</li><li>Potential to impact school change</li><li>Reflect on own practice</li><li>Improved communications</li></ul>";
ActionResearch[10]="<h2>Reasons that Action Research might have been included in the CaMSP grant?</h2>Action research is used for various purposes, including:<ul><li>School-based curriculum development</li><li>Professional development</li><li>Systems planning</li><li>School restructuring</li><li>Evaluation Purposes</li></ul>";
ActionResearch[11]="<h2>How can I use action research in my classroom?</h2>You can use it to chart the effects of implementation of a curriculum or strategy, to study the student learning and responses, or to profile individual students.";
ActionResearch[12]="<h2>Why should schools engage in action research?</h2>Reasons for performing action research fall into three categories: to promote personal and professional growth, to improve practice to enhance student learning, and to advance the teaching profession. (Johnson, 1995)";