North Carolina Action Research Network: Area of Focus

Questions for Discussion – Area of Focus
Questions to consider as you examine an area of focus / Explanation and Examples / Your answers/notes
Who are the participants? / As this project is about student learning it is strongly encouraged that you work with students directly.
What data will be collected and from whom will it be collected? / You should be able to define in broad terms the data that will be connected and should be planning to collect data only from/about the participants involved in the change/innovation.
Is this an area over which you control and can make changes? / This one seems obvious but it’s important for the researcher not to plan to collect data in areas over which he/she does not have control and cannot plan or deliver an innovation - i.e trying to make changes in other classrooms or across the school
Is the topic manageable - not too narrow and not too broad? (Topic needs to be manageable.) / Consider whether the project is too small/narrow and would not give you enough data to complete the project. On the other hand make sure your project is not so large/broad that you will struggle to finish it in the time allotted.
Are the outcomes measurable? How will the researcher measure them? / “An increase in learning” is a favorite - but much too vague. The researcher should be able to say how he/she will recognize when an increase in learning has occurred. The measure should be appropriate, for example, EOC scores may not be a reliable way to measure the effect of a math innovation regarding fractions.
What does the researcher need to do in preparation – are there any skills that the researcher or his/her participants need to have before this change or innovation? / If there are skills/knowledge needed, the researcher should be able to state how this will happen. For instance, technology skills, peer feedback skills, critical thinking skills etc.
What do you expect to happen? Have you considered other outcomes? / Have you identified any biases you might hold that will impact your interpretation of the results?