Action Research in Education: A Primer for Teachers as Researchers Based on the SWOT Analysis of Their Reflections in Doing Action

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

It has been always the campaign of the Department of Education in the Philippines that teachers nowadays should engage in action research. In fact, on the Department of Education Order No. 16, series of 2017, published last March 20, 2017, it clearly shows the policy and guidelines on the Research Management System in Education. This simply implies the continuous campaign on the promotion and strengthening the culture of research in basic education. It is undeniable that action research plays a vital role in the lives of teachers in terms of developing not just teaching-learning processes but to the totality of the basic education's development. With allof these in mind, the researcher comes up with the study to design a primer for teachers as researchers based on the analysis of their considered strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in doing action research.

METHODS

This study used the quantitative and qualitative method of research design. Using the purposive sampling, this research involves eight (8) teachers in Kalbangan and Lamlangil Elementary School, Tamban, East Malungon District, Sarangani Province for S.Y. 2017-2018. The research instrument used in this study were the guide questions for the one-on-one interview. The other source of data was the documentary analysis on the results of the profiling and SWOT Analysis in doing action research for the development of primer for teachers as researchers

RESULTS

The results show as to the profiling of teachers that mostly were new in the service and has no experience at all in doing Action Research. In the SWOT Analysis on the teachers' reflection in doing action research, teachers' have the knowledge and at the same time somehow started embracing the culture of research. However, due to some different factors, they were not able to do or finish it. Lastly, teachers as researchers should always be guided in terms of the policies and management system of research in education.

DISCUSSIONS

This study implies that school heads should empower themselves to give appropriate technical assistance to their teachers in doing action research. They should motivate and at the same time bear in mind that research of their teachers will be a great help in improving school's access, quality and governance. This also implies that part of the monitoring and evaluation of teachers is their action research output every school year. This should be monitored not to require but to help them be motivated to start, finish and be guided about it. Lastly, teachers should be provided with a primer or a reference for research in education. Lastly, the use of primer hopes to help teachers start and finish their research output which will be a great help in providing quality education at school.