Action research classroom improvement – UGC NET Question

Action research is conducted by practitioners such as teachers or administrators to improve their own practice in a specific context. It involves planning an intervention, acting, observing the results and reflecting on them. The goal is both to solve an immediate problem and to learn from the process. Thus, practitioner-led problem solving in one’s own setting is best described as action research.

Option A:
Basic research aims to extend theoretical knowledge without an immediate focus on solving day-to-day practical problems. It is more concerned with general principles and laws. Therefore, it does not capture the local, improvement-oriented nature described in the stem.

Option B:
Action research is cyclical, involving repeated planning, acting, observing and reflecting in the practitioner’s own context. It directly links research to practice and produces context-specific solutions. This matches the description of research conducted to solve an immediate problem by the practitioner, making this option correct.

Option C:
Evaluation research focuses on judging the effectiveness or value of a programme or policy, often for decision-making by external stakeholders. Although it may suggest improvements, it is not necessarily conducted by practitioners about their own practice. So this term does not fully match the stem.

Option D:
Ex post facto research investigates relationships after the events have occurred without manipulating the independent variable. It is usually analytical and retrospective rather than an ongoing cycle of problem solving by practitioners. Hence, it is not the right term here.