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EDU 7501: Advanced Educational Research Applications: Action Research

The Actiona Research Process

Action Research is conducted to "improve the knowledge base for educational theory; as a means of personal fulfillment, empowerment, and the professionalization of teaching; and to improve and refine teaching practice specific to a teacher-researcher's context."

(Definition from O'Brien, N.P. & J.W. Collins III, The Greenwood Dictionary of Education.  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.)

Keyword Examples

Note: The following either directly address action research or are related concepts!  There is much overlap between keywords and subject headings. 

Keywords/Key Phrases

  • Classroom Research
  • Teacher inquiry
  • Theory of action
  • learning communities/communities of practice
  • Culture of inquiry
  • School culture
  • High efficacy culture
  • Instructional improvement
  • Instructional innovation
  • Teacher Researcher
  • Teacher as leader
  • Empowered schools
  • qualitative/quantitative data
  • participant observation
  • survey research
  • Reflective interview
  • Team reflection
  • Trend analysis
  • Universal student success
  • Performance targets
  • Validity
  • Causation
  • Descriptive research
  • Educated hypothesis
  • Achievement target
  • Context
  • Adequate yearly progress
  • Assessment of Student Learning
  • Participatory Action Research
  • Action inquiry
  • Practitioner Researcher
  • Praxis (critically informed, committed action)
  • Systematic learning process
  • collaborative research
  • Field Research
  • Change Agent

Subject Headings From ERIC Thesaurus

Subject Headings (from ERIC thesaurus or other authoritative term lists)

  • Evaluation Methods
  • Methods Research
  • Participatory Research
  • Program Improvement
  • Social action
  • Teacher Researchers
  • Theory Practice Relationship
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Education -- Research
  • Educational Sociology
  • Action research
  • Action research -- Handbooks, manuals, etc
  • Action research in education
  • Action research in education -- Case studies
  • Action research in education -- United States – Evaluation
  • Action research in education -- United States -- Methodology
  • Action research -- United States -- Problems, exercises, etc

Journals of Interest

This is a limited and select list of titles.  To access a current and comprehensive list of education journals access the MC Library A to Z Journal List.