Philippine E-Journals

Action Research and Reflective Approach to Teaching: Bases for Improvement of Instruction

Gina M. Alvarado

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

 This study deals with the action researches conducted by the faculty of the School of Education of Arellano University-Pasig and their use of the reflective approach to teaching as bases for improvement of instruction.  It specifically determined the topics on which the teachers have conducted action research, whether in instruction, facilities, administration, classroom management, or community development, and how they used such action research in their teaching. It also determined how action research and reflective approach to teaching improved/enhanced faculty instructional performance and students‘ learning.  The descriptive-correlation research design was used in this study with a validated survey questionnaire as the principal tool in data gathering. The researcher considered two entities or variables, reflective teaching and action research, as bases for the improvement of instruction. With Positivism as its research paradigm, this study emphasized an objectivist approach to studying a social phenomenon giving importance to action research focusing on a survey with twenty-five faculty members as respondents.  Majority of the faculty-respondents are female seasoned educators with more than ten years of experience in the academe. Most of the respondents attained the highest educational level of Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Master of Arts in Education Major in English, followed by those with units in Doctor of Education, PhD in Educational Management, PhD in Linguistics, while the rest have a degree in Master of Arts in Teaching-Filipino, MA in Math, MA in Special Education, and MA in Psychology.  Majority of the faculty-respondents conducted an action research on Instruction and Classroom Management primarily because they often experience problems in these areas. They strongly agree to using action research and reflecting on the outcomes for instructional improvement. They use action research for assessing students effectively, reflecting on current teaching strategies applied, focusing on a problem which needs to be explained, planning actions to research on the problem, thinking of all potential bi-ases and try to reduce them, and evaluating the entire process before taking action.  For the respondents, using action research and the reflective approach to teach-ing improves faculty instructional performance by innovating their teaching practices, helping their students to think on their own, motivating their students, getting control over their classroom, teaching with more passion, improving their confidence, helping them make informed decisions, learning new concepts of teaching, analyzing critical incidents in class, and reflecting on critical life incidents as educators. Using action re-search and the reflective approach to teaching improves students‘ learning by develop-ing their critical thinking and practice independent learning, motivating them to study and develop effective study habits, helping them understand concepts better, thus, im-prove their self-confidence.  The faculty-respondents have realized the importance of conducting action re-search and using the reflective approach to teaching for the improvement and enhance-ment of their instructional performance as well as their students‘ learning. The main purpose of reflection is to analyze and learn from experience, rather than just living the experience. It helps teachers refine their own understanding of themselves and their classroom practice, thus increasing their students‘learning.