Practices and Challenges of Implementing Action Research in Sheka Zone Secondary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate Practices and the Implementation of Action Research in Sheka Zone Secondary Schools. To get effective data for each research questions both questionnaire and interviews were developed and applied in current study. Six secondary schools were involved in this study with 125 teachers and 6 school principals. Questionnaires were filled by 125 teachers and interviews were conducted with 6 principals. Data analyzed and presented along with teachers’ practice in conducting action research indicates that the teacher’s involvement in conducting action research is low and they were passive to undertake action research. In current study teachers were not engaged in implementation of action research. The computed grand mean values of the respondents regarding principals’ encouragement to undertake action research aggregate mean value is 2.15. This score implies that principal encouragement in facilitating condition to teachers is low. Regard to challenges hinders teachers’ engagement in undertaking action research, majority of the respondents were agreed on the heavy teaching loads and other co-curricular activities in the school. The finding is in line with Dame (2011), stated that time pressure due to teaching and administrative work load, lack of teacher professional development standards, inadequate support systems, lack of commitment on the teacher educators and lack of adequate resource. Based on the findings and conclusions arrived at the following recommendations were forwarded. Therefore, teachers should practice undertaking action research in their schools to improve teaching learning progress. In addition to facilitating short term trainings and experience sharing, teachers and school principals should update their action research knowledge and skill by further reading relevant research reading materials. Skills in doing action research can be developed through repeated practice. Ministry of Education and the Education department should create conducive institutional and academic environment in secondary schools by organizing annual conferences, seminars, experience sharing and trainings for teachers focusing on action research so as to initiate and promote teachers’ engagement in action research