The Action Research Mentor assists professional educators, as well as individuals in other professions, in designing action research studies for their particular settings. There are many important methodological decisions that must be made when designing and conducting action research studies. If these decisions are not made carefully and thoughtfully, there may be unexpected negative ramifications later in the study. What professional educators need is guidance to help them make sound decisions—before, during, and after conducting the action research study.

The Action Research Mentor provides guidance in making these decisions throughout various stages of conducting action research. Focused questions and prompts guide the user through this decision-making process. There are four stages of the action research process: the planning stage, the acting stage, the developing stage, and reflecting stage. Important decisions must be made during each of these four stages. Organized by these four stages, specific aspects of the action research process where the user can obtain direction and mentorship include:

The Planning Stage
* The 5 Why Process for Problem Identification
* Organizing Your Literature Review
* Developing a Research Plan

The Acting Stage
* Planning for Data Collection
* Planning for Data Analysis

The Developing Stage
* Action Planning

The Reflecting Stage
* Reflecting on the Action Research Process

Once the user has answered the questions and addressed each prompt, “pages” can be printed or emailed (for example, to a professor, advisor, supervisor, or administrator).

Download the Action Research Mentor today! Let it provide you the guidance you need to help you successfully conduct your action research studies!