1 Writing a Classroom-Based

Action Research Proposal

Prepares FS 2 Students for PPST:

Domain 5: Assessment and Reporting

Strand 5: Use of assessment data to enhance
teaching and learning practice and
Your Intended Learning Outcome
programs
Apply the mechanics of writing a proposal for
Domain 7: Personal Growth and Professional
classroom-based action research.
Development
Strand 3: Professional links with colleagues
Strand 4: Professional reflection and learning to
improve practice

Your Experiential Tasks Your Reflection Trigger

16.1 Exposure
Familiarizing Oneself with Examples of
Completed Classroom-Based Action
Research
16.2 Participation
Determining the Characteristics and Parts
of a Completed Classroom-Based Action
Research
16.3 Identification What processes should I observe to write an
Identifying what Important Content action research proposal?
Material Comprises an Action Research
Proposal
16.4 Internalization
Writing an Example of an Action Research
Proposal
16.5 Dissemination
Sharing and Presenting an Action-Research
Proposal

16.1 EXPOSURE
Familiarizing Oneself with Examples of Completed Classroom-Based Action Research

Go to the library or search the internet for three examples of classroom-based action research. Read
through each of these and be able to determine the important things that are contained in each action
research.
Try your best to come up with the parts of a completed action research based on the written report.

Parts of the Written Report of a Completed Classroom-Based Action Research

1.
2.
3.
...
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Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
16.2 PARTICIPATION
Determining the Characteristics and Parts of a Completed Classroom-Based Action Research

Together with your c-student teachers, describe in your own words, the classroom-based action
research which you have chosen (from among the three samples) for presentation. Focus on the steps
and processes that the author has done while doing the research. Describe in greater detail the steps
or processes the researcher or author has done in each part. Then discuss and get reactions from your
co-student teachers. Remember this is a completed action research

Following are parts/ steps and processes of a completed classroom-based action research as shown in
a written report. Arrange them in the order that they come by putting a number representing the first
step (1), second step (2) etc.
on the left column.

No.
Part of the Action-
Sequenc Corresponding Step or Process
Research
e
Results / Findings Analyzed the data, usually the charge caused by the action
or the effect of the action.
Statement of the Problem Defined or stated what the problem is all about.
Introduction Presented the context or background of the problem and
the need to conduct the action research.
Conceptual Framework Developed a holistic view of the problem supported by
principles of education and pedagogy, or if possible,
theories of learning.
Methodology Presented the tools or tests for gathering data; how the
data was gathered, and identified the participants of the
action research.
Conclusions Presented how the results of the action research will help
local practice, or education in general.

16.3 IDENTIFICATION
Identifying what Important Content Material Comprises an Action Research Proposal

Writing an action research proposal goes only as far as what will still be done; hence, in writing the
action research proposal, the future tense is used. There is no presentation of results or findings.
However, if one has written a well though-out proposal, a big part of the action research work would
have already been done which is the conceptualization of the research. Once the action research is
conceptualized well, the direction for implementation becomes clear.

Following are the parts of an action research proposal following the flow of conceptual framework of
action research presented in LE 14.

1. DIAGNOSING (Identifying / Defining a problem)

1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
1.1 Introduction: Present the context of the classroom problem as well as your intentions to
help address or solve that problem.
Write or mention the following information in this part:
a. Circumstances that made you decide to work on this problem.
b. Previous or existing information which was your motivation to help solve the problem.
For example, do you have information on the consistently low mathematics scores of
students/pupils in your school? And further, do you want to implement an action which
you believe will improve mathematics performance?
c. What the literature says about mathematics performance and its causes. What previous
researches reveal about mathematics performance of pupils/ students in the school,
district, division, or even in the country?
d. One’s analysis of the probable causes of the problem (low performance) and determining
the most probable cause among the many.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

First, state the problem as to what it is all about, and what you would want to do to provide a
solution. Second, state the questions that you want answered. They are called research
questions. The research questions are easier to answer, than a broad statement of the
problem.

2. ACTION PLANNING (Considering alternative courses of action)

After seeing the literature about the problem you have selected for study, you may have a list of
possible actions or strategies to consider implementing which should lead to the solution of the
problem. The question is: Which of these alternative courses of action will lead to improvement
of learning?

Action hypothesis means your expectations of what the results of your action will be. You do not
have to wait until your action research is completed, to know the results. Putting together what
you have learned in your study of the principles of education and pedagogy, as well as theories
of learning will enable you to make educated “predictions” or “guesses” about the impact or
effects of the action you are going to implement. Do you expect that our action will effect a
positive change? Will the action help solve the problem you identified? Will the action, if
applied in the teaching-learning process contribute to improvement of learning and subsequently
to the improvement of learning outcomes?

2.1 Conceptual Framework

Come up with a framework using review of literature and earlier researches, principles of
education and pedagogy and theories of learning, to explain why you chose a particular
action to help solve the classroom problem. This can be integrated in your Introduction.

2.2 Hypothesis
Advance your expectations regarding the effects of your action. If at the outset, what do you
expect the action or the strategy to affect or impact on the classroom problem being
addressed?
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
3. Taking Action (Selecting a course of action)

3.1 Implementing the action or the strategy selected to solve the problem.
Describe the action/ strategy and how long you are going to implement it and to whom.
3.2 Data Collection Method
Describe the processes you will use to collect your data
What data will you collect for your variables? How are you going to collet your data? Are
your data quantitative or qualitative? What tool will you use for gathering the data you will
need to analyze? Are you going to use a data-gathering tool which is already existing? Or are
you going to develop the tool yourself?

Taking off from the same example on poor mathematics performance, are you going to
collect your data by administering a mathematics test that you have developed? Or are you
going to use or adapt an existing test of mathematics?

4. EVALUATING (Studying the consequences of the action)

4.1 Data Analysis

Describe the ways by which you are going to analyze your data or results. If you have
quantitative data, what descriptive statistics will you use? If you have qualitative data, what
classifications will you use to establish the themes revealed by the data?

Writing the research proposal stops at the plan for analysis of data. In the absence of data at
this point, one cannot plan for how the conclusions will be written. Nor one cannot plan for
any further actions to be take, just in case, the results do not come about as expected.

Developing the Timeline for the Action Research Activity

Planning Activities Mo. 1 Mo. 2 Mo. 3 Mo. 4

1. Diagnosing: Identifying / defining the problem

Scan the environment; read the literature, search the

internet.
Read up on theories of learning and principles of
X
education and pedagogy.

Expected Output: problem identified and defined;

conceptual framework developed; research questions
stated.
2. Action Planning: Considering which of the X
alternative courses of action to take

Read up on theories of learning, principles of

education and pedagogy. Review observation notes so
you could come up with many alternative courses of
action.
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
Draw up your expectations on the effects of the
alternative action. (This is called hypothesizing.)

Expected Output: a well-studied list of possible

alternative actions or strategies to implement; and
expectations on how effective these strategies are.
3. Taking Action: Selecting a course of action

a. Select which of the alternative actions will best

ensure a positive effect, using as bases for reading
on education theories and principles; as well as
X
data on observations in the classroom.
b. Implement the action selected

Expected Output: Action/ Strategy selected for

implementation
4. Evaluating: Studying the consequences of the
action

a. Analyze quantitatively or qualitatively the data

gathered.
b. Write up the results of the analysis.
c. Determine if the action had a positive effect
specifically on improving learning outcomes or if
a difference was observed after the action was X
implemented.

Expected Output:
a. Gathered data collated, organized and analyzed.
b. Write up of the analysis and meanings taken from
the data; as well as effect of the action/ strategy.
c. After analysis, determine if the expectation has
been confirmed or not.
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
5. Specifying learning: Identifying general findings

a. Determine in what ways the findings are important

for education.
b. Determine in what ways the findings of the action
research will contribute to the improvement of
learning outcomes or general improvement to
education
X
(Note: For No. 5, what you will do here and the content you
will write will depend on the findings, and as such, you
cannot plan for what you are going to do, and what you are
going to write.)

c. If the results did not come out as expected, rethink

of other strategies or actions for implementation.
16.4 INTERNALIZATION
Writing an Example of an Action Research Proposal
Following is an example of a classroom-based action research proposal. Note that it follows the same
flow as the conceptual framework of an action research presented earlier. After going through this
example, you should be able to write your own action research proposal.

An Action Research Proposal on Improving Reading Comprehension

Mrs. Peralta is a Grade 3 teacher in reading. She noticed that about 50% of her pupils have
low levels of comprehension. In many of her quizzes and questions, only a number are able to
respond correctly. Mrs. Peralta knows the expected learning outcomes in reading for this grade.
She felt apprehensive, her pupils may not be able to develop reading comprehension skills
required at that grade. She thought she had to do something to increase or improve the current
levels of reading comprehension among her pupils. She thought she had to have a plan of the
action she wanted to implement.

First, she read books in the library about reading comprehension. She also read theories in
reading, and even theories of intellect. She felt the need to do that so that she will have a sound
basis for deciding which of the possible actions would be the most appropriate or the best to
implement. She would also have a good basis for advancing an “educated” guess or “prediction”
as to what will happen, particularly, if the action will improve reading comprehension of the
pupils.

I. Statement of the Problem

This action research aims to determine how Grade 3 pupils could improve their
levels of reading comprehension.

It hopes to answer the following questions:

1. Will implementing a special computer program with content in vocabulary and

1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
comprehension improve reading comprehension levels of Grade 3 pupils?
2. Is there a difference in the reading comprehension scores of the Grade 3 pupils
before and after using the special computer program?

II. Conceptual Framework

Special Computer Program Improved Reading Comprehension Improved

Learning
Outcomes

III. Hypothesis (Expected effect of the action)

1. The implementation of the special computer program will improve the reading
comprehension levels of the Grade 3 pupils.
2. After going through the special computer program, the pupils will have higher
reading comprehension skills than before going through it.

IV. Description of the Action/ Solution

The special computer program consists of lessons which present concepts

(words) followed by animated images or pictures. The program has vocabulary
lessons, starting from the easiest to the most difficult words. The second set consists
of sentences, followed by questions, where the answers are also animated.

V. General Methodology

a. Participation
The participants will be Grade 3 pupils with lowest grades in Reading.

b. Data-Gathering Tools
A 30-item test to measure reading comprehension will be administered
before and after going through the special computer program in reading. The test
is existing. An observation tool will also be developed. This will be used to
observe the behavior of the pupils while they are dealing with the special
computer reading program.

c. Procedures and Data Gathering

Before the start of the study, the reading comprehension test will be
administered. The scored of the pupils will be computed for statistics that will
help describe the scores as a whole. Thereafter, the pupils will go through the
special computer program in reading, 20 minutes during break time, every other
day for two months. Observations will also be done using the observation tool, to
observe facial expressions and how the pupils deal with the material. At the end
of two months, the reading test will again be administered, and the test papers
scored.

d. Analysis
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
1. The scores of the pupils on the test administered before and after going
through the computer program will be compared.
2. The results on the observation tools will also be analyzed to determine
whether the pupils enjoyed the material or not; or of they found the material
easy or difficult to deal with.

e. Post Analysis
Determine if the hypothesis (expectation) has been confirmed or not, on the
basis of the analysis of data. The implications of the findings to education and
the improvement of education practice will also be advanced.

Growth Portfolio Entry No. 16-A

My Sample Action Research Proposal

1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal

16.5 DISSEMINATION
Sharing and Presenting an Action Research Proposal

Together with your CT and co-student teachers, present your sample action pf research proposal.
Compare your action research proposal with your co-student teachers and share your insights on your
finished output.

Growth Portfolio Entry No. 16-

B
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal

ASSESSMENT
For Use of the FS Program Coordinator
Criterion: Developing the skill of applying the principles and requirements of writing an action
research proposal.
Rubric

Score Description
1 Writing a Classroom-Based
Action Research Proposal
The student teacher demonstrates a high level of skill in applying the principles and
91 – 100
requirements of writing an action research proposal.

The student teacher demonstrates more than average level of skill in applying the
81 – 90
principles and requirements of writing an action research proposal.

The student teacher demonstrates an average level of skill in applying the principles and
71 – 80
requirements of writing an action research proposal.

The student teacher demonstrates less than average level of skill in applying the
61 – 70
principles and requirements of writing an action research proposal.

The student teacher demonstrates less than average level of skill in applying the
51 - 60
principles and requirements of writing an action research proposal

Rating for LE 16: ____________________

__________________________________
Signature of FS Program Coordinator