Advice for implementing your change 1. Consider the extra workload It’s likely that implementing the change will increase
your workload temporarily. This may include planning
the action, implementing it and observing its effects.
If possible, then, try to do it at a time of your academic
year when your workload is not too high or make sure
the actions don’t deviate too much from your everyday
teaching.
2. Let those around you know what you’re doing For obvious reasons, it’s a good idea to inform your
school principal, and other teachers of the same
learners what you are doing and why. Most importantly,
think carefully about how you will introduce the change
to the learners. It will probably be a good idea to
explain to the learners about the change before you
begin implementing it.
3. Plan ahead of time It’s important that you plan your action considering
the time this will take and also keeping some time
aside for contingencies. For example, make sure you
consider holidays and assessment periods since
these may interrupt your implementation.
What happens if my action has a negative impact or I come across an unanticipated problem? Mistakes and challenges are all part of the learning process.
Often we learn just as much from them as from our
successes. So, first and foremost, don’t be afraid of these;
observing them can be part of the action research cycle.
If you find it necessary to stop your action before its
planned completion, reflect on what you observed that
caused you to make this decision, and, if appropriate
collect further data (e.g. interview your learners) to help
you understand the problem in more detail, and whether
stopping was the right decision. The data you collect at this
stage could help you to modify your intended action and
try again.
