Harkavy
et al
(2000) and Fleming (2000) pointed out the fact that action research has grown in popularity throughout the past two decades. It has become a research design accepted by practitioners in education, to assess their own practice strategies and reflect upon their effectiveness, as a form of self-evaluation. McNiff (1988, 1999, 2002) and McNiff and Whitehead (2006) stated that action research is a substitute to the idea that research has to be carried out by theorists, and is a tool for teachers to improve practice and as such it should be conducted by those directly concerned. In agreement Elliott (1991) stated that 'the fundamental aim of action research is to improve practice rather than to produce knowledge' (p 49).Cohen
et al
(2007, 2013) claimed that action research is a powerful design for personal change and improvement. Its integration of action and research contributed to my choice of this kind of study design, as my research focuses on a specific intervention in a specific setting. Somekh (1995) stated that action research is designed to bridge the gap between research and practice in order to improve the late. As in the case of my study where I, as a practitioner, wanted to find out what were the effects of my cognitive EFL reading intervention for 'dyslexic students', in an attempt to reflect and improve my practice.My research suits the definition of action research by Kemmis and McTaggar (1992) who said that action research is carried by teachers on
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their own practice so as to help them improve it. Waters-Adams (2006) supports this point and claims that in education teachers should use action research when they have a concern about their practice and are seeking for practical solutions, where those derive from the specific circumstances of their practice. Waters-Adams' (2006) claim qualifies my study as an action research due to the fact that the act of finding an optional solution made me understand the effects of my practice better. As in action research, discussed by MacNaughton and Hughes (2009), I had to evaluate the issue of the effects of my practice and to be ready to create a change as an optional solution. From the point of view of action research, practice means the way and the reasons for a teacher to carry their professional actions. Waters-Adams (2006) goes on to say that the aim of an action researcher is to develop their practice by analysing existing practice and identifying elements for change, by collecting evidence on which to make judgements and conclusions.
Even though action research did not originally arise in education, it was applied to the development of teaching when its potential was identified. Stenhouse (1975) advocated that 'it is not enough that teachers' work should be studied: they need to study it themselves' (p 143). Action research is about comprehending professional action from the inside, researched by practitioners on their own practice. This fact underpins my choice of action research design, as I wanted to understand the effects of my intervention on the 'dyslexic students' where I played the role of both, the teacher and the researcher as well. Both elements of action and research are equal important in the approach, in other words, 'research on action by using action as a tool for research' as defined by Waters-Adams (2006, p 4).
Sagor (2011) claimed that action research involves examining data on one's work so as to improve the performance. Although there is not an
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agreement on a single set of processes or steps that constitute action research design, it is a straightforward four-stage process. Both Jester (2010) and Sagor (2011) discussed that the four generic steps of an action research cycle include
• what we really want to accomplish, • how are we going to accomplish it? • what kind of data are needed, • what have we learned from it.
Following Sagor's (2011) discussion, the action research cycle of my study included planning, action, monitoring and self-reflection. Carr and Kemmis (1986) discuss the cycle as: plan, act, observe and reflect which is presented in diagram no. 3.1 below. The self-reflection is a key element within action research and allows researchers to plan what changes can be made, implement these changes, and then reflect once again in a further research. Planning meant what I wanted to accomplish, that is, the understanding of the effects of the research intervention. Action was the applying of the intervention by me. The monitoring was the qualitative tools for data collection used while applying the intervention. And the reflection was the understanding and conclusions of what I have learned through the process. This was allowed in my study due to the fact that I was both, the practitioner and the researcher as well. It allowed me to better understand the effects of the EFL reading intervention on the 'dyslexic students' and to draw conclusions for a change so as to improve the present situation. The study's action research allowed the opportunity to reach the conclusion that there was a need for a change in my practice. This could only be achieved by the person doing this specific research, that is, myself. As Elliot (1991) stated that 'action research is concerned with practical problem solving and improvement in practice' (p 49).
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Diagram 3.1: Carr and Kemmis self reflective spiral.
Kemmis (1993) claimed that action research design is eclectic in its choice of investigative techniques; however, the inductive case study approach is most often used. In agreement, Meyer (2000), Mettetal (2001) and Robson (2002) claimed that action research is often written up as a case study. Cohen
et al's
(2007, 2013) claim that when integrating action and research the case study approach is most suitable underpins my choice of case study approach for the action research present study.As mentioned above, and as Cohen
et al
(2007, 2013) have concluded, in integrating action and research a case study design is most suitable. In conclusion, my study is an action research using a case study design of a combined reading intervention programme in English as a foreign language (EFL) for 'dyslexic students', who are native speakers of Hebrew in Israel. This study includes only one self reflective spiral (Carr and Kemmis, 1986), however, over my teaching years I have, in effect, undertaken many reflective spirals whilst refining my combined reading intervention programme. A discussion of case study design is introduced hereafter.110