The following are questions that have been used in various action research planning sessions to begin the process of selecting a meaningful focus area. Many times the area of focus cannot become clear until the researcher has actually done some preliminary research and data collection. Once an area of focus is selected, researchers need to narrow the area into a question or topic where the action research study will begin. Calhoun reported in the winter 1999 Journal of Staff Development that one of the most critical and challenging steps in the school improvement process is establishing clear, specific goals for the high achievement for all students. It is the challenge of the teachers to knead the selected focus area until there is a clear picture of where the study will begin.
Action research is an unfolding dynamic process.
The cyclic process of planning, data gathering, data analysis, taking action, assessing those actions and making changes create an exciting framework of inquiry in which ideas and questions continually evolve throughout the study. Selecting a powerful student focus area, one that is important to teachers and students, provide a strong basis for beginning an action research study. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. How to use action research in the self-renewing school . How to conduct collaborative action research .