A handbook for Exploratory Action Research

Task 7.1
Where do you think Javier’s ideas for changing the situation 
might have come from? 
Commentary
Javier faced a big challenge that many teachers face: lack 
of motivation. There is no easy solution to this issue, but
his story shows that there are things that can be done. 
Javier explored the situation and then carried out small 
actions like:
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using ice-breakers
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telling jokes
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explaining the overall plan of each class
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correcting encouragingly
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using creative activities like sign-making
We don’t know exactly how the positive change in his class 
came about or where his ideas came from, but the change 
is likely to have resulted from a combination of: 
A. Change without extra action. Students’ change in 
attitude from Javier’s requesting their opinions and 
ideas. Just by talking to his students and giving them
a questionnaire about their attitudes towards English, 
Javier is likely to have helped them focus on the issue 
and recognise their own fears and concerns. 
B. Change due to new actions. Javier tried out a range
of ideas, some of which perhaps came from his training 
as a teacher (e.g. correcting encouragingly) or from 
colleagues, other teachers, or, for example, the internet. 
It also sounds like he came up with his own ideas, such 
as the sign creation activity. 
Thus, Javier drew upon a range of sources of new actions 
to help solve his problem. Interestingly, his action research 
did not involve just a single big change but involved several 
small changes, each of which contributed to the overall 
result.
1. Plan (to change)
2. Act [implement the change]
3. Observe [see what happens – with data]
4. Reflect [interpret what occurred]

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