How is action research done?
Action research is commonly but incompletely described as a sequence of steps, typically represented as a spiral (See Figure 1 below). The spiral involves self-reflective cycles of
- planning a change,
- acting and observing the process and consequences of the change,
- reflecting on these processes and consequences, then
- re-planning,
- acting and observing,
- reflecting and so on ...
Figure 1: Action research process
In reality, the process may not be as neat as this spiral suggests. The different cycles of activity usually overlap, and initial plans quickly become obsolete in the light of learning from experience. The cycles of planning, doing and reviewing can, in theory, go on indefinitely but the practitioner has to decide on the limits of the study. Usually a minimum of two cycles is considered necessary.
This material on this page is adapted from Kemmis, S., and McTaggart, R. (2000). Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research (2nd Ed.)(pp. 567-605). Thousand Oaks CA: Sage, by kind permission of Professor Robin McTaggart.
Professor Robin McTaggart is Pro-Vice-Chancellor Staff Development and Student Affairs, James Cook University, Australia.
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