A handbook for Exploratory Action Research

Research method 
Things to consider
Questionnaires
■
■
Keep questions simple to avoid confusion and misinterpretations. 
■
■
Use the type of questions that will give you the information you need. It might be useful
to vary between closed and open questions (see the example in Extra Material (no. 2)
at the back of the book, where spaces are provided for ‘other’ responses). 
■
■
Keep the questionnaire to the point and brief. Sometimes questionnaires have too many 
questions which are not relevant. Good questionnaires are not good because they are 
long but because they ask the right questions in the minimum time possible.
■
■
Ask a colleague to check the questionnaire and give you feedback and, if possible, ask
a student from a different class to answer it in order to make sure questions are clear. 
Interviews
■
■
Decide your questions before the interview. 
■
■
Plan additional questions in case the responses you get are too short and provide too 
little information
■
■
Try to ask ‘open’ questions and try to avoid ‘leading’ students to a particular answer
■
■
Plan a date and time for the interviews to take place ahead of time. 
Classroom observations
■
■
Decide areas to focus on before the observation. For this you can design an observation 
checklist (see the example in Extra Material (no. 2) at the back of the book). 
■
■
If you are planning to ask a colleague to observe your classes, make sure you agree the 
focus and procedure with your colleague ahead of time. 
■
■
If you are recording a lesson, advise your students they will be recorded.
■
■
Prepare the recording device properly as to avoid any technical difficulties. 
■
■
Consider carefully where to place the recording device, in advance.
■
■
Plan the date and time of the recoding ahead of time. 
Here are some tips:
Look at the twelve different kinds of data in 5.1 
above. First, cross off any that are not relevant 
because of your research focus. For example, if yo
u 
want to research some aspect of homework, it 
probably won’t be useful to video-record your les
sons!
Think about time and practicality. You’re 
probably busy, so don’t be too ambitious. If you 
collect a little data to start with, you can always go
back for more if you need it. Depending on where y
ou 
work, the resources you have, your learners, and 
timetabling in your school, some of the options wi
ll be 
more feasible than others. 
Keep your research questions in mind and if 
possible written in a place where you can see 
them easily. As soon as you have some ideas for y
our 
data collection methods, go back to your research
questions and check whether these methods will he
lp 
you to collect the information you need to answer t
he 
question. Imagine that you’ve collected some data
and 
you’re analysing it now: Is it helping you to answer y
our 
research questions? You could even try filling in a
questionnaire with expected answers, role-play an
interview with a friend, etc.

---