Teachers need to be committed and possess initiative and high aspirations in implementing new approaches in the classroom in an effort to increase the quality of education. One of the efforts that can make the teacher profession oen that is praised by all is Classroom Action Research (CAR). However the main problem that exists is that many teachers argue that the process of conducting this classroom action research is burdensome as it increases their workload and thus affects their quality time in teaching (Veenman, 1984).This study focuses on efforts that can ensure a culture of implementing classroom action research to enhance the professional self-development of schoolteachers. It aims to show ways in which implementing this classroom action by school teachers can lead to better effectiveness in the teaching and learning process. The research questions of the study are: 1. How can we make classroom action research a culture among the teachers in a school 2. What is the basic mechanism that can be implemented 3. What are the responses of teachers towards the concept of classroom action research 4. What are the ways in which CAR can lead to professional self-development The research involved 200 primary school teachers district and questionnaires combined with observation, interviews and document analysis were utilized together with triangulation to gather the data needed. The major findings of the research will show as well its implications for teacher education and their professional self-development. It concludes that CAR can raise teacher’s awareness of important aspects in the teaching and learning process and that it can lead to a higher level of professional self-development. Teachers need to be committed and possess initiative and high aspirations in implementing new approaches in the classroom in an effort to increase the quality of education. One of the efforts that can make the teacher profession oen that is praised by all is Classroom Action Research (CAR). However the main problem that exists is that many teachers argue that the process of conducting this classroom action research is burdensome as it increases their workload and thus affects their quality time in teaching (Veenman, 1984).This study focuses on efforts that can ensure a culture of implementing classroom action research to enhance the professional self-development of schoolteachers. It aims to show ways in which implementing this classroom action by school teachers can lead to better effectiveness in the teaching and learning process. The research questions of the study are: 1. How can we make classroom action research a culture among the teachers in a school 2. What is the basic mechanism that can be implemented 3. What are the responses of teachers towards the concept of classroom action research 4. What are the ways in which CAR can lead to professional self-development

1. Understanding Culture of Implementing Classroom
Action Research for Professional Self-Development
Among School Teachers
Presented by:
Jen Renita binti Mappah
22nd MELTA International Conference 2013
28-30 May 2013. PERSADA, Johor Bahru

2. Introduction : Background & Problem
 Teachers need to understand, giving commitment
and has high aspiration in implementing the
initiative and new approach in an effort to
increase the quality of education. One of the
efforts that can make the teacher profession to be
praised by all is via the Classroom Action
Research (CAR) done by all teachers in their career
as teachers in classrooms.
 But the main problem existed when many of the
teachers argued that the process of doing this
classroom action research will only become a
burden or something that make their workloads
increased that affected their quality time of teaching
(Veenman, 1984).

3. Introduction : Background & Problem
 The effort made by the Johor Department of
Education that had stated the concept of “One
Teacher, One Action Research” as one of the
strategic planning management for all teachers in
Johor (Jabatan Pelajaran Johor, 2008-2009) had
became the major issue that lead the National
Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) in April,
2009, to speak out on behalf of the complaints made
by certain teachers, that there will be no force to all
teachers in implementing the action research in
classroom and all teachers are given time to
complete the simple Paper of Action Research in
one to two pages only (Kesatuan Perkhidmatan
Perguruan Kebangsaan Malaysia, 2009).

4. Research Rationale
 In this study, it is important to understand the effort
made to ensure the culture of implementing
classroom action research that being done as
one of the good ways to enhance the
professional self-development among school
teachers, because it will lead teachers to the aspect
of reflection (Risko, Roskos & Vukelich, 2002) where
it can became the foundation to value the
situation and made rational judgment and give
opportunity for teachers to create the relationship
between theory and practice, at the same time
enhance the teaching and learning process (Black,
2001).

5. Objective of the Study
 The study serves to demonstrate how the concept of
implementing this classroom action research among
school teachers can really absorb among them until it
become culture in an effort to enhance their effectiveness
in teaching and learning process at classroom together
with their self-professional development in teaching
career.
 The research questions are:
(1) to understand more about how the classroom action
research became culture among the teachers in school
(2) what is the basic mechanism that have been
implemented
(3) define group of teachers in terms of demographic
information and their level of agreement toward the
concept of classroom action research that can lead adult
through change toward their professional self-
development.

6. Literature Review
CLASSROOM
ACTION
RESEARCH
KNOWLEDGE
CULTURE
TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL
SELF-
DEVELOPMENT
Lewin, Elliot (1966)
Ebbut,Kemmis (1986) &
McKernan
Schoen (2007) Debbie &
Karen (2009)
Model of Creating Culture
by Peterson & Deal
(2002)
Huberman’s (1992) &
Wolfe (1998) Life Cycle of
Career Teacher Model
3 kinds of adult learning
by Mezirow (1985)

7. Operational Definition
CLASSROOM
ACTION
RESEARCH
KNOWLEDGE
CULTURE
TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL
SELF-
DEVELOPMENT
A daily reflection for
teaching and learning
activities that the teacher
does in writing to improve
their teaching skills and to
understand better the
effective methods of
teaching that can be done
to enhance the level of
understanding among the
pupils of certain topics for
the learning process in
the classroom.

8. Operational Definition
CLASSROOM
ACTION RESEARCH
KNOWLEDGE
CULTURE
TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL
SELF-
DEVELOPMENT
To know or realize the
things that being done as
part of the school
teacher’s activities or
routines in their daily life
that they share together
as a way of life, customs
and belief based on the
scope of how teachers
are implementing
classroom action
research in schools.

9. Operational Definition
CLASSROOM
ACTION RESEARCH
KNOWLEDGE
CULTURE
TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL
SELF-
DEVELOPMENT
The process by which a
person’s character and
abilities are developed
through certain things,
enhancing their level of
thinking for betterment
that connected with a job
that brings them to
improvement of
knowledge and skills to
their high level of
education
In-service teachers that
are teaching in primary
schools at Benut Zone
and Bandar Zone in
Pontian District, Johor.
They have been
implementing the
classroom action
research in school.

10. Definition
CLASSROOM
ACTION
RESEARCH
A KNOWLEDGE
CULTURE
TEACHERS
PROFESSIONAL
SELF-
DEVELOPMENT
•A daily reflection for
teaching and learning
activities that the teacher
records
• to improve their
teaching skills and to
understand better the
effective methods of
teaching that can be done
• to enhance the level of
understanding of certain
topics amongst the
pupils, for the teaching
and learning process in
the classroom.
•To know or realize the
things that are being
done as part of the school
teacher’s activities or
routines in their daily life
that they share together
as a way of life, customs
and belief
•based on the potential of
how teachers are
implementing classroom
action research in
schools.
•The process by which a
person’s character and
abilities are developed
through certain initiatives
•enhancing their level of
thinking for betterment
that is connected with the
teaching profession
• that helps them improve
their knowledge and skills
to a higher level of
education

11. The Process of Classroom Action Research
REFLECT
Self-reflection to evaluate the
strengths & weaknesses of T&L
OBSERVE
Gather and analyze data to evaluate
the effectiveness of plan
ACT
Implementation of action to
overcome main problem
PLAN
Plan action & intervention to
overcome the main problem
EARLY OBSERVATION
-Gathering data to
understand the real situation
-Focusing on the
main problem

12. Population & Samples
 The research involved 200 primary school teachers from two zones
in Pontian district and the questionnaire combine with observation,
interview and document analysis through method and theory
triangulation had been done to gather information needed.
 Source: Krejcie, R. V and Morgan D. W. Determining sample size for Research
POPULATION
BENUT ZONE
98
BANDAR ZONE
194
TOTAL =
292
SAMPLES
BENUT ZONE
80
BANDAR ZONE
120
TOTAL=
200

13. Methodology
 The questionnaire combine with observation, interview and
document analysis through method and theory triangulation
had been done to gather information needed.
 The research is in the form of generic qualitative research
that used the method of case study, simply to discover and
understand a phenomenon, a process or perspectives and
world-views of the people involved (Merriam, 1998)
 Yin (2003) stated that case study often used to provide
context of outcome data that offering a more complete picture
of what happened in the program and why
 Quantitative data are include in qualitative writing in the
form of descriptive statistics as an avenue to accurately
describe reality that concern with how enumeration is used by
subjects in constructing reality and how statistics support, or
contradict, subject’s commonsense understanding (Gepart,
1988)

14. Methodology: Reliability
 Questionnaire – increase the internal validity where
the subject effect matter taken into consideration
 Pilot-test among 30 in-service teachers to maximize
the response rate and minimize the confusion
among the respondents of the questionnaire
 High reliability of the value of Cronbach Alpha = 0.95
as mentioned by Nunnanly (1978), above 0.7 can be
accepted
 Questionnnaire adapted from Department for
Education & Employment (DfEE) & OECD Teaching
& Learning International Survey (TALIS) (2000) –
Renis Likert Scale (1932) via the SPSS 11.5 version

15. Methodology: Validity
 In qualitative research, data is plausible, credible &
reliable, Johnson (1997), Benz & Newman (1998)
TRIANGULATION
The process of
strengthening the
findings obtained
from a qualitative
inquiry via cross-
checking information
using the method
triangulation and
theory triangulation
Descriptive validity : accuracy of behavior,
events, objects setting & others reported by
researcher which is reported is actually what
happened or what was heard and observed
Interpretive validity :
researcher understand
exactly the opinions,
thinking, feelings, intentions
& experiences of subjects
Theoretical validity :
theoretical explanation
developed are in congruent
with data is reliable and can
be defended

16. Methodology
Questionnaire
Likert (1932) Nunnanly (1978)
Document Observation
Potter (1996)
-Age: 72%
among 26 to 45
years old
-Gender: 35%
males and 65%
females
-Experience of
teaching: 64% - 9
to 15 years of
teaching
-Education level
or background:
52% had first
degree in
education
-Post grade: 46%
DG41 group of
CAR agreement:
Mean=3.028
SD=0.6337
TPSD agreement:
Mean=3.18
SD=0.5487
LATC agreement:
Mean=3.33
SD=0.5338
-The importance
of process of
implementation
for creating
culture of CAR
-The
implementation
should be done as
yearly planning in
systematically and
continuously
-The concept of
“One Teacher,
One Action
Research” has
increased the
number of
teachers that
involved in doing
the classroom
action research

17. Methodology
Interview
Morgan (1997)
Observation
Potter (1996)
-The important of
accepting CAR as
one of component
in our daily-
reflection (PAOR)
-Accepting CAR
as refection for
student’s
changing behavior
towards positive
result
-Fully understand
the key concept of
what, why and
how CAR in T&L
-There will be
always problems
to be solved
-Doing CAR will
give space of
sharing new
knowledge, skills
and approaches
to solve problems
in daily T&L
-CAR can be
good guidance
and reference for
effective T&L
when teachers
embrace changes
with an open mind
& heart
-CAR lead to
academic writing
professionally-
creative and
critical thinking
-CAR as a
reference and
guide book or
written document
about the cyclical
& continuous
process of solving
problem in T&L by
doing plan, do
observation,
implementing
action & do
reflection
-The support from
all levels (school
level, zone level
and district level
are very important
- The financial
support,
knowledge from
expert, in-house
training, time
consumption,
opportunity and
enough space,
reward and
appreciation
another important
element

18. Major Data Findings
 The major findings showed that the moderate level of
agreement and acceptance. It is not an easy task to
fully understand why certain group of individual teachers
does not give higher level of acceptance to certain CAR
implementation. (RQ2: Level of agreement)
 The process of introducing the concept of CAR to school
teachers needs the systematic and effective type of
exposure and basic mechanism that can be easily
accepted and understand by all groups and levels of the
school teachers. (RQ1: How CAR can become culture)
 The concept of action research has brought about a
significant change in the arena of teaching and
learning.
 (RQ3: Basic mechanism – method & theory triangulation
– suggested model via Diagram 5.3)

19. 7. Professional
3. School 4. Professional 5. Professional 6. Professional Attitude &
2. Time ethos Support Adequacy Knowledge Interest
Involvement of : Teachers, Students, Principals or Headmaster, Parents
among school teachers for Teacher's Professional Self-Development
1. Understand
2. Change
3. Implementation
1. Instrumental
2. Dialogic
3. Self-reflective
1. Programme
Philosophy
2. Content
3. Pedagogy
4. Component of
the programme
Research
Teacher's Professional
Self-Development
Knowledge
Culture
Diagram 5.3
Suggested Model of Creating Culture of Classroom Action Research
1. Adequacy of
Resources
Seven Important Elements
Classroom Action

20. Benefits of the Study
 The benefits of this study will boost out the teachers’
awareness that by doing classroom action research will
help them to realize the important aspects that should be
seriously taken into considerations when it comes about
the effectiveness in teaching and learning process.
 And it is hope that at the same time, they will be directly
realized that classroom action research should be part
of their teaching process that will lead them to their
higher level of professional self-development.

21. Limitations of the Study
 The study was limited to primary schools in service-teachers in
two zones of Benut and Bandar zones
 The teacher involved in this study work in a school undergoing
multiple level of change
 Because the school’s change was likely to be different from
that in other schools, ability to replicate these findings may be
limited
 Their participation in the study was a result how they
facilitated their newly acquired knowledge and application of
CAR and professional development may be varied in terms of
perception and acceptance.
 They made personal change in how they facilitated and thought
about professional development with their current achievement

22. Directions for future research
 It is now the importance of professional development to
stimulate a constant demand for educational policy to
address classroom action research as one
component of daily teaching and learning process
especially in writing the daily reflection of lesson plan in
the record book in schools
 It is important this research will continue with the testing
of the suggested framework analysis and introduce
the basic foundation and exposure about what CAR is all
about and how it can be used together with the teaching
and learning record book as one of the reflective thinking
and process in classroom among school teachers in an
effort to enhance their professional self-development.

23. Closure
 3 secret of happiness,
Someone to love,
something to do,
something to look forward to
 To appreciate your significance, you need to understand
that you can make a difference
-Sharing is caring-
Thank you
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www.actionresearchnotes.blogspot.com.