Materials - Planning Tools

1. An area of focus statement.

2. The variables on which you will focus.

3. The research questions you will work to answer.

4. A description of the intervention or innovation that you will use.

5. The number and type of students who are the target for the project.

6. The planning steps and people other than students that will be involved.

7. A timeline.

8. A statement of resources that you will use to carry out the project.

9. The types of data you will collect to inform you about the success of the intervention or innovation.

Action Research Project Report Template

1.      Write an area of focus statement (embedded in an Introduction to your Action Research project) which explains your "story" about why you think the area you chose is important to study).

 2.      Write a brief Literature Review to establish the importance of your area of interest and to find out about other related research studies conducted.

 3.      Define the variables or the main people, places, events, strategies, etc., that you studied.  

4.      Develop research questions (problems) which guided your actual research.

5.      Describe the approach (treatment) that you studied.  

6.      Describe the negotiations undertaken (school level, other teachers, etc.) and the permission you secured to do your research.

7.      Develop a timeline to show how you conducted your research.

8.      Describe your data collection plan. 

9.      Describe your data analysis and interpretation; include appropriate charts, graphs, tables, etc.

10.  Discuss the Action Plan that has emerged from your research (your possible next action research cycle).

11.  Discuss your reaction to doing your Action Research project: What did you learn? What questions remain? Other considerations?

 12.  Describe your reaction to the networking tools and other opportunities that are available to you.

13.  Attach abstracts of articles used and other supporting documents (test instruments, interview protocols, pictures, etc.).

14.  Develop a title page with your name, position, and descriptive title of your Action Research project; use it as a cover sheet for your report.

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