Educational Action Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa. Lima Peru. 2005

FIRST PHASE: IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF THE PROBLEM1

We understand here by problem a situation perceived as critical, a need.

felt or a limitation found in the educational practices that a group of teachers
to those who can add other educational actors, it is considered necessary to solve or overcome.
It is important that these problems are perceived as such by the members of
group, that are relevant to them, that their solution can be achieved in the short term
and that the expected results from that solution are directed towards changes and improvements.
It is also essential that the group members are willing to commit.
in the process.
For the identification and treatment of problems, it is necessary to take three steps: (i)
identification of a priority problem; (ii) treatment of the identified problem with the
problem tree technique to determine its causes and effects, and (iii) implementation of a
diagnosis to observe how that problem manifests.
1. Problem Identification
The process of identifying the problem must be developed within a group.
participatory that incorporates, as necessary, the set of actors
educational institutions directly and indirectly involved with the problem concerning which
thinking of intervening (teachers, students, parents, authorities, etc.). Its implementation in
practice requires working on identifying problems and assigning them a priority order,
until reaching a specific problem that is considered a priority, which will be addressed
intervene.
In general terms, the common problematic areas for intervention from
The IAE is located in the field of educational practices associated with the curriculum.

In that sense, the problems may correspond, among others, to some like the
next:
Deficiencies in the incorporation of cross-cutting content in the curriculum.

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1EducationalAction Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa.
Educational Action Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa

Shortcomings in teaching capacities for the adaptation of the curricular segment

at your disposal.
Training needs of teachers in specific didactics for teaching
of the sciences.
Needs for teacher training in methodologies and dynamics for work
with parents.
Problems and limitations for the implementation of evaluation mechanisms of the
teaching performance.
The implementation of conflict resolution proposals and improvement of
the learning environments.
The identification of problems with that level of specificity allows for focusing on the object.
from the research, focusing the effort on a determined problematic area and
avoiding, therefore, the atomization of proposals with the subsequent waste of time,
efforts and resources, especially considering that the process takes place in
participatory contexts, in which very diverse perspectives generally converge.
It is very common for the group involved in the research to be formed by the fact
to share the perception of a situation as a problem. In cases like this the
the problem has been identified and work can begin on it. But also
there are cases where groups do not have clarity about the problem or identify different ones
problems without reaching agreements on which are priorities. In cases like these
Finally, it is necessary to follow a procedure that allows identifying and prioritizing problems.
in a participatory and consensual manner.

There are various procedures that can be followed for identification of

problem to be intervened. Here we propose one that works on two
identification of problems and selection of a priority problem, so that
those who propose the use of brainstorming techniques and prioritization of
problems, respectively. These techniques allow various educational actors,
organized in participatory collectives and reflecting from their own practice, they do
play their own conceptions, perceptions, and interests, to identify priorities of
simple and fast way.
The first moment, of problem identification, consists of the GROUP OF
RESEARCH, in a participatory manner, express your perceptions using
brainstorming ideas to propose pressing issues that could potentially be
necessary to intervene. The process must lead to the creation of a list of problems
considered important.
The second moment, of the selection of a priority problem, consists of the fact that the
RESEARCH GROUP choose, from the group of previously identified problems,
those who are considered a priority, for which the use of the technique is proposed
of prioritizing problems. This technique allows for evaluation, based on

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Educational Action Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa. Lima Peru. 2005

of a matrix, dimensions of the problems identified as: their importance, the

feasibility of its solution and its potential in terms of improving practices
educational, to prioritize them.
Prioritizing a specific problem makes it possible to define an intervention strategy.
viable for its solution and properly manage the process of its execution. In other
terms, allows to 'reduce complexity' in the educational reality and simultaneously
increase the possibilities of effective control over the proposed intervention.
The problem identification process must follow these steps:

Identify the perceived problems, participatively and with brainstorming.

Write each problem on a card and place them on a board (whiteboard or poster) as a way of
a list.
Describe what each problem consists of and justify it as a real, felt problem.
Important. This must be done by the participant or participants who proposed the problem.
Prioritize the identified problems. To do this, it is necessary to evaluate each problem by its
importance, the viability of its solution and its potential in terms of improvement of the
educational practices.
Consider the best-evaluated problem as the priority.
Consider the importance of the other problems in relation to the obtained evaluation.

The following is an example of problem identification through direct proposal.

of the participants in the process.

LIST OF PROBLEMS BY BRAINSTORMING

The curriculum shows deficiencies in the incorporation of transversal contents.

Teachers show a lack of ability to adapt the curricular segment of
free disposal.
The teaching and learning processes of science are limited to conceptualization.
Teachers show deficiencies in handling techniques for working with parents.

As we already pointed out in the steps for identifying problems, each proposal
The problem must be adequately justified. Below we present an example.
of justification.
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Educational Action Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa. Lima Peru. 2005

PROBLEM: The processes of teaching and learning science are limited to conceptualization.

JUSTIFICATION: the attendance of one of the teachers from the area of science, technology, and environment to a
science didactics course allowed him to establish that the way it had been taught in the
C.E. Experimental in science courses was far from being the most suitable. Conversations
successive discussions with their colleagues in the area allowed for a more complete understanding of the situation: the
teachers use very traditional, expository, and limited teaching and learning processes
theory, basically focused on the transmission and internalization of concepts and definitions, without
greater contextualization and historical analysis, and even less with the accompaniment of practices of
demonstration and experimentation.

It has also been observed that these teaching methods generate a passive attitude in students.
and little interest in science, in addition to slow and rigid learning. It is also estimated that the
level of acquisition of fundamental skills such as information comprehension,
Inquiry, experimentation, and problem-solving is very poor.

In the face of a situation like this, there is a collective awareness of the need to introduce changes.
radicals in teaching attitudes, pedagogical approaches, didactics, in programming
from the learning sessions and the materials used, which lead to creating conditions for
Students begin to develop a true scientific attitude.

A quick literature review on science education points in the same direction. Díaz and
Martins (1982) indicates that the development of a scientific attitude in students is related
directly with the experiences they have in the learning sessions, which in turn
will largely depend on the methods used in those sessions. Harlen (1994), on his part,
it maintains that the development of scientific attitudes in all cases depends on opportunities
provided such as, for example, the creation of motivating and stimulating learning.

And of course, the introduction of changes in the courses in the area is extremely important and
priority. It is also clear that these changes are viable and manageable by the teachers in the area,
from their own practice. In that sense, there is the commitment to materialize these changes and the
willingness to get involved in the process.

Next, the example corresponding to the choice of a problem is presented.

priority, based on an evaluation of its main dimensions.
PRIORITIZATION OF PROBLEMS
DIMENSIONS

PROBLEMS

The curriculum expresses deficiencies in the incorporation of content. 3 4 3 10

transversals
Teachers show a lack of abilities for adaptation of 5 3 4 12
curricular segment for free disposition.
The teaching and learning processes of science are limited to 5 the 4 5 14
conceptualization.
Teachers show deficiencies in the handling of techniques for work. 3 5 3 11
with parents.
Educational Action Research: What is it? How is it done?

Jorge Rodríguez Sosa

Give a score (from 1 to 5 based on relevance) for each dimension and consider the problem with the highest score as the
priority. (Page 53)

2. Treatment of the problem

After having identified a specific problem and having prioritized it as the most
important and urgent, the RESEARCH GROUP must focus on the task of formulating
adequately said problem, making use of technical arguments that must
to be managed by the FACILITATOR.
If we continue with the example of the identified problem we have worked on
the previous point ("the teaching and learning processes of science are limited to the
conceptualization"), and the necessary technical arguments are incorporated for its
adequate formulation, would be stated as follows:

FINAL PROBLEM

The teaching-learning processes of science in the science area courses,

Technology and environment of the C.E: Experimental, are limited to conceptualization.

Up to this point, a problem has been correctly formulated. It is important to have

consider some requirements to achieve a technically sound problem statement
adequate.

Conciseness. The statement of the problem should be concise, not exceeding two or three
lines.
Precision and clarity in the use of language. This implies that if the statement of the problem
it is read by different people, all must understand exactly the same. For this, it is
It is necessary to avoid the use of technical terms and value judgments, in order not to leave
place to the excessive complexity in language or to the possibility of interpretations
subjective.
Address issues related to educational practices associated with the curriculum. Questions
such as the lack, scarcity, or obsolescence of infrastructure or equipment and the
procedures and means necessary to overcome them belong to the field of management
institutional and the execution of the institutional educational project.
To encompass manageable problems from educational practices. It is necessary to avoid working on
issues that cannot be modified in the short term and from educational practices.
To give an example, issues such as 'the relationship between social marginality and'
"school performance" cannot be addressed by the IAE, because variables such as

on educational practices in general, and even on education as a system.

After having a defined and correctly formulated problem, it must be analyzed.

in its context to establish the causes that produce it and the effects that arise from it
He. This is carried out in order to define effective intervention strategies for
the solution to it.
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