UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Action research is conducted by practitioners such as teachers or administrators who systematically inquire into their own practice to bring about improvement. It typically involves repeated cycles of planning an intervention, acting by implementing it, observing the outcomes and reflecting on the results before planning the next cycle. This close link between inquiry and action makes the research highly context-specific and directly relevant to practice. Because the stem describes a cyclic process of plan, act, observe and reflect to improve practice, action research is the correct term.

Option A:
Basic research aims to develop or refine theory without a specific focus on immediate practical change in a local setting. It is usually carried out by researchers rather than by front-line practitioners, so it does not match the cyclic, practitioner-centred process described in the stem.

Option B:
Action research empowers practitioners to become researchers of their own contexts, fostering reflective practice and ongoing professional development. Each cycle generates insights that can be quickly applied and tested again, which aligns perfectly with the stem’s emphasis on continuous improvement.

Option C:
Survey research collects data from samples using questionnaires or interviews to describe trends, attitudes or relationships at a broader level. It does not inherently involve cycles of action and reflection aimed at improving the researcher’s own practice, so survey research is not suitable here.

Option D:
Historical research analyses past events and trends using documents and records to understand how current conditions developed. It is not organised as a cyclical intervention process in the present, so historical research cannot complete the stem correctly.

Statements A, B, C and E capture the practical, cyclical and developmental nature of action research. It is carried out in the teacher’s own setting to solve immediate problems, uses a cycle of planning, action, observation and reflection, and supports professional growth and sharing of insights with colleagues. Statement D is false because action research is usually context-specific and does not necessarily seek grand universal theories. Therefore, the combination that includes A, B, C and E and excludes D is the only completely correct set.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it omits statement E, which rightly points out that sharing action research findings can improve institutional practices. Leaving out E underestimates the collaborative and school-improvement potential of action research. Although A, B and C are true, the set is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it includes all four true statements A, B, C and E while excluding D, which wrongly claims that action research must pursue universal theory. This option reflects the local, problem-focused and reflective character of teacher action research.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it includes statement D, which misrepresents the aims of action research, and excludes A, which correctly notes the focus on immediate contextual problems. Mixing a false statement with some true ones means this option cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it again incorporates D, the false statement about universal theories, and also omits B, which is important for describing the cyclic nature of action research. As a result, the combination is both conceptually and descriptively flawed.

NEP 2020 emphasises that teachers must be reflective practitioners who can analyse their classrooms and adapt. It suggests integrating research methods and small studies or action research projects into B.Ed. programmes. This builds inquiry skills and links theory with practice.

Option A:
Removing research entirely would limit teachers’ ability to evaluate and improve their own teaching. NEP does not support such a view.

Option B:
This option correctly shows that research is part of professional teacher education, not separate from it. It reflects NEP’s call for reflective, research aware teachers and is therefore correct.

Option C:
Focusing only on physics lab experiments misunderstands the broader notion of educational research, which includes qualitative and classroom based studies.

Option D:
Waiting until retirement to engage in research would mean lost opportunities for improvement during active teaching years. NEP promotes research involvement much earlier.

In this question statements A, B and C accurately describe basic, applied and action research. Statement A is true because basic research is aimed at theory building and generating general principles. Statement B is correct as applied research seeks solutions to specific practical problems, and statement C rightly highlights that action research is conducted by practitioners to improve their own practice. Statements D and E are wrong: D wrongly claims that action research is only about theory without concern for practice, and E incorrectly suggests that basic research is always less rigorous than action research, so the set of wrong statements is precisely D and E.

Option A:
Option A identifies only statement D as wrong and ignores statement E. While it is correct that statement D misrepresents the practice-oriented nature of action research, statement E is also incorrect because basic research can be highly rigorous in its methodology. Since Option A does not include all the wrong statements, it cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B selects only statement E as wrong and therefore overlooks statement D. It is true that E is incorrect because methodological rigour does not depend on whether research is basic or action oriented. However, because D is also a wrong statement, treating E as the sole incorrect statement makes this option invalid.

Option C:
Option C wrongly includes statement C in the list of incorrect statements. Statement C is actually true, as action research is typically undertaken by practitioners to improve their own practice. By treating a correct statement as wrong, this combination misclassifies the statements and therefore cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D correctly identifies D and E as the only wrong statements in the list. It omits statements A, B and C, all of which accurately characterise basic, applied and action research. Because it includes all and only the incorrect statements, this combination best answers the demand of the question to select the wrong statements.

Statements A, B, C and F correctly reflect the ideas of reflective practice and action research. A is true because reflective teachers critically examine their planning and interactions. B is true since action research is a practitioner enquiry to improve practice. C is true as feedback, observation and journals are common reflective tools, and F is true because sustained reflection leads to professional growth. D is false because reflection is useful after both successful and unsuccessful lessons, and E is false because classroom-based action research can be small-scale and qualitative; therefore A, B, C and F only is the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A includes A, B and C but omits F, overlooking the professional development dimension. Thus A, B and C only is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B groups A, C and F but leaves out B, ignoring the specific contribution of action research. Consequently A, C and F only does not fully capture the concept set.

Option C:
Option C brings together A, B, C and F, covering examination of practice, inquiry, tools and growth, while excluding D and E, which limit reflection and exaggerate methodological demands. Hence this is the correct option.

Option D:
Option D includes D, which restricts reflection to failure situations, making B, C, D and F only inconsistent with reflective practice.

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.