The four chapter objectives listed in this module are the same as those found on the opening page of Chapter 9 in the textbook. In addition, several learning objectives are listed here to help you focus on specific material that is critical to your being able to demonstrate proficiency on the broader chapter objectives. Multiple choice and essay/activity self-assessment items have been written for most of the learning objectives to help assess your knowledge of this material. You can access these items through the Practice Quiz and Applying What You Know modules, or directly by clicking on the corresponding links here.

1. Describe the purposes of action research.

   1.1	Identify the two major purposes of action research.
   1.2	Describe the defining characteristics of action research.
   1.3	Explain why action research usually takes place in a single school.
   1.4	Discuss the advantages of action research conducted by small groups of teachers rather than an individual teacher.
   1.5	Identify six assumptions under which an action researcher operates.

   multiple choice questions for Objective 1
   
   essay/activity questions for Objective 1
   
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2. Describe the benefits of action research.

   2.1	Describe how action research assists teachers in improving their own practice.
   2.2	Explain how action research is congruent with the tenets of site-based management and shared decision making.
   2.3	Explain how action research can be “socially responsive.”
   2.4	Discuss the limitations of action research in terms of the applicability of findings.

   multiple choice questions for Objective 2
   
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3. Identify the four basic steps in conducting action research.

   3.1	List the four steps in conducting action research.
   3.2	Identify two qualities of good action research topics.
   3.3	Define data as it relates to action research and explain what kinds of data are of value in action research.
   3.4	Describe two ways of recording data using observation as the data collection method.
   3.5	Give two reasons why opinion data should be collected anonymously.
   3.6	Explain why teachers should predict the results of action research involving attitudes or opinions before administering questionnaires.
   3.7	Explain why multiple sources of data should be used in action research.
   3.8	Discuss the advantages of using focusing criteria to analyze audio- or videotapes.
   3.9	Define the concept of redundancy as it relates to data analysis in action research.
   3.10	Draw, label, and describe the action research spiral.
   3.11	List the steps involved in analyzing action research data.

   multiple choice questions for Objective 3
   
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4. Identify common data collection sources and strategies used to carry out action research in schools.

   4.1	List and explain the “5 C’s” as components of action research.
   4.2	List at least four data collection sources for teachers to use in action research intended to help them evaluate their own performance.
   4.3	List at least four data collection sources for teachers to use in action research intended to help them improve student performance.

   multiple choice questions for Objective 4
   
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