Abstract:

Action research is the process of systematic collection and analysis of data in order to make changes and improvement or solve problems (Wallace, 1998, p. 1 and Coles & Quirke, 2001, p. 14). There are several forms of action research, however Nunan (1992, p. 17) saw it as, “A form of research which is becoming increasingly significant in language education.” Warrican (2006, p. 2) saw the heart of action research as the promotion of collaboration between a researcher-innovator and his or her clients. This drive for collaboration is grounded in the epistemological assumptions that knowledge does not only exist objectively outside the ‘knower’, but that it is also subjectively created by experiences and that knowledge is generated and formalized through the sharing of different perspectives about experiences. People who want to bring about change therefore must learn about the situation that they wish to influence and then consult closely with the people most likely to be affected by the project who have first–hand knowledge of it. Action research is widely used in language teaching but also as an approach for external innovators who seek to effect educational change (Warrican, 2006, pp. 1-14). Nunan (1991, p. 62) said that the classroom could become a laboratory for experimenting with, contesting, and evaluating the materials and classroom tasks in a teacher’s own context and situation. Brown (2005, p. 397) suggested that teachers will learn most effectively and change behavior in circumstances where there is personal engagement in identifying a practical concern as the focus of the research, designing the study, taking action, collecting evidence, formulating conclusions and feeding these back to practice. This action could be an incentive for teachers to discover the literature of other research.

Keywords:

Action research, material evaluation, curriculum.