1 Clarify your purpose and question

Before you start your action research, you need to have a clear purpose and question that guide your inquiry. Your purpose should reflect your personal and professional goals, as well as the needs and interests of your students and context. Your question should be specific, relevant, and manageable. You can use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to refine your question and make it more focused.

2 Plan your action and data collection

Once you have your purpose and question, you need to plan your action and data collection. Your action is the intervention or change that you want to implement in your practice to address your problem. Your data collection is the method and tools that you will use to gather evidence of the effects of your action. You should consider the ethical, practical, and methodological aspects of your plan, and consult with relevant stakeholders, such as your students, colleagues, or mentors.

3 Implement your action and collect data

The next step is to implement your action and collect data. This is where you put your plan into practice and observe what happens. You should document your action and data collection process, and keep track of any challenges, surprises, or adjustments that you encounter. You should also be flexible and responsive to the feedback and data that you receive, and make changes to your action or data collection as needed.

4 Analyze your data and reflect on your action

After you have collected enough data, you need to analyze your data and reflect on your action. Your data analysis should help you answer your question and evaluate your action. You can use different techniques, such as coding, categorizing, comparing, or visualizing, to make sense of your data. Your reflection should help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your action, as well as the implications and lessons for your practice. You can use different models, such as the What, So What, Now What framework, to structure your reflection.

5 Share your findings and plan your next steps

The final step is to share your findings and plan your next steps. Sharing your findings means communicating your results and insights to others, such as your students, colleagues, or wider audience. You can use different formats, such as reports, presentations, or publications, to share your findings. Planning your next steps means deciding what to do next with your action research, such as revising your question, repeating your cycle, or extending your scope. You can use different tools, such as action plans, timelines, or checklists, to plan your next steps.

6 Seek support and collaboration

Throughout your action research process, you should seek support and collaboration from others who can help you with your inquiry. You can seek support from mentors, experts, or peers who can provide you with guidance, feedback, or resources. You can also collaborate with other action researchers who share your interests, goals, or challenges. You can join or form networks, communities, or groups that can offer you opportunities for learning, exchange, or cooperation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?