A handbook for Exploratory Action Research

so far:
1. Has it thrown up new questions that you want to 
answer, or puzzles that you want to understand?
What are they?
2. Has the process of doing the research brought you 
into contact with potential collaborators? If so, what 
kind of project might interest both of you?
3. Is there anything from your original research 
questions that you still don’t understand?
Would you like to find out more?
Finally, the more experience you gain of doing Exploratory 
Action Research, the better you will become at it. 
Formulating research questions, selecting your methods, 
planning and doing your research, analysing data and 
reflecting on it will all become much easier with time, and 
this will increase the opportunities for you to share your 
research, publish more widely, and share the benefits of 
your experience with others.
1. Plan
(to change)
2. Act
3. 
Observe
4. Reflect
exploration
exploration
action
A. Plan
to explore
B. Explore
C. Analyse 
and reflect
A. Plan
to explore
B. Explore
C. Analyse 
and reflect

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Where do I go from here? | 
90
Some teacher-researchers even go on to become mentors, 
supporting other teachers embarking on research projects. 
This could be with other teachers in your school, within 
your local teachers’ association, or through workshops or 
conferences. The experience can be rewarding, and can 
provide new inspiration for your own classroom research.
Lorena, for example, whose story you came come across
in Chapters Two and Eight, and whose presentation you 
may have watched while reading section 9.1, has done all 
the following since then:
“I have worked as a mentor for action research, two 
cohorts in Chile (13 teachers) and now a third one with 
teachers from Perú (10 teachers). I am also mentoring
my colleagues on teacher evaluation this year. One of the 
elements of the portfolio should be a collaborative action 
done by teachers, so I have suggested to do it as action 
research since the idea of this product is how to solve a 
problem in the classroom collaboratively. The Physical 
Education department accepted the idea and they are 
doing it related to volleyball.”
Leyla, too, reports that she is ‘always speaking and
showing what I do to “improve” my teaching practices
in conferences, professional development events and 
talking to teachers who are struggling with issues in
their classrooms.’
As you can see, the journey you have been through with 
this handbook may be just the first of many!