Action Research - the Heart of Continuous School Improvement

In every accredited school, continuous improvement is expected, but it only becomes meaningful when it moves out of documents and meetings and into real classrooms with real teachers and real students.

 Action research is the bridge that makes this happen. It gives teachers a structured way to understand their learners more deeply, to test new ideas, and to refine their own practice. In the PEN system, this process becomes even more powerful because it is deliberately two-pronged: teachers investigate what their students need, and at the same time they consciously focus on their own professional growth.

 The starting point is always the learners. A good action research question grows out of something the teacher notices: perhaps the students struggle to express themselves clearly, or their problem-solving is inconsistent, or they participate unevenly in group work. Sometimes the trigger is assessment data, standardized testing, perhaps a pattern observed across classes. Often it will be something that emerges from PLC conversations.

 In the PEN system, this is only half of the inquiry. The teacher also considers what they need to strengthen in their methodology to address these learner needs. This could be anything from modelling and questioning techniques to scaffolding, lesson structure, or the way feedback is given. Their understanding of the Framework for Teaching, along with peer observations, self-reflection, and feedback from a supervisor, helps the teacher identify which aspects of their own practice will become part of the research cycle.

 The teacher then designs a short set of lessons that allows them to test a promising strategy. This is where action meets inquiry. The lessons are carefully planned, not as isolated activities, but as deliberate steps that respond to the learners’ needs while also stretching the teacher’s skills. If a teacher is working on improving academic discussions, they may introduce sentence frames, adjust the questioning sequence, and model how to respond. If writing is the focus, they may try new approaches to modelling, conferencing, or using exemplars. In every case, the teacher is watching both sides of the story: how students respond, and how they adjust their methodology to support better learning.

 As the lessons unfold, evidence begins to appear. It doesn’t come from complicated spreadsheets or statistical analysis; it comes from the natural rhythm of classroom life. The teacher gathers exit tickets, listens to student talk, notices how learners engage with a task, compares early work with later work, and observes whether learning behaviours begin to shift.

 Alongside this, the teacher also reflects on their own practice: What did I change in my teaching? What surprised me? What worked more effectively than I expected? What should I adjust tomorrow? These reflections, supported by peer or supervisor feedback, form an essential part of the PEN process.

 Formative assessment becomes the guide that helps the teacher adjust in real time. It answers the quiet but essential question: “Is this working?” Sometimes the teacher realizes the students need more modelling, or a slower pace, or a clearer scaffold. At other times the strategy is effective, but a small modification will help it reach more students. For the teacher’s own growth, the formative moments are equally important. They begin to notice their habits, their instructional moves, the moments when they are clear and the moments when they are not. This is professional growth embedded in daily practice.

At the end of the cycle, a summative moment provides clarity. Students complete a final task—a piece of writing, a comprehension check, a speaking performance, or simply a new demonstration of understanding—and the teacher compares it to the starting point. The impact often becomes visible in subtle but meaningful ways: greater confidence, clearer thinking, stronger explanations, more engagement, or more accurate language.

 The teacher also looks at themselves: What did I learn about teaching? What have I improved? What should I carry forward to my next unit? This dual reflection is what gives the PEN system its strength.

 When teachers share their action research within their PLCs, the impact grows beyond one classroom. Their insights help colleagues facing similar challenges, and the collective learning begins to influence schoolwide practices. In accredited schools, this becomes invaluable. The evidence and reflections feed directly into the continuous school improvement cycle, shaping schoolwide learner outcomes, informing action plans, and strengthening the school’s culture of reflection and growth.

 In the end, action research is not a task to complete but a habit of mind. It shifts the focus from “What did I teach?” to “What did they learn, and how did I grow because of it?” In the PEN system, this habit becomes a way of life. Teachers improve because they understand their learners more deeply and because they continually refine their own methodology. Students improve because their teachers are intentional, reflective, and supported by a system that values professional growth.

This is the essence of continuous school improvement: a school becoming stronger each day through the thoughtful, informed actions of the people who work closest to the learners. And that is why action research sits at the centre of PEN. It honors the teacher as both learner and expert, and it ensures that every step forward is grounded in evidence, reflection, and shared purpose.

 If you would like to have additional information and a template for experimental lesson plans, write to us at: pen.info.edu@gmail.com

行動研究 —— 持續學校改進的核心

在每一所通過認證的學校中，持續改進是被期待的，但只有當它從文件與會議中走出，進入真實的教室、真實的教師與真實的學生之間時，才會變得有意義。

行動研究是促成這一切的橋樑。它為教師提供一個有結構的方式，更深入地理解學習者、測試新想法，並精進自己的教學實踐。在 PEN 系統中，這個過程變得更為強大，因為它是刻意的雙向設計：教師探究學生的需求，同時有意識地聚焦於自己的專業成長。

起點永遠是學習者。一個良好的行動研究問題源自教師的觀察：也許學生在清晰表達自己時有困難，或解決問題時不一致，或在小組合作中參與度不均。有時觸發點是評量數據、標準化測驗，或是在跨班級觀察中發現的某種模式。它常常也會在 PLC 的對話中浮現。

在 PEN 系統中，這只是探究的一半。教師也會思考自己在教學方法上需要加強的部分，以回應這些學習需求。這可能包括示範與提問技巧、鷹架、課程架構，或提供回饋的方式。他們對《教學框架》（Framework for Teaching）的理解，加上同儕觀課、自我反思與督導回饋，都能協助教師辨識出自身教學實踐中需要納入研究循環的面向。

接著，教師會設計一小組課程，使他們能測試一個有前景的策略。這就是行動與探究相遇的地方。這些課程經過細緻設計，不是孤立的活動，而是回應學習者需求的刻意步驟，同時也拓展教師的技巧。若教師致力於提升學術討論能力，他們可能會引入句型框架、調整提問順序，並示範如何回應。若焦點是寫作，他們可能會嘗試新的示範方式、寫作會談或範例文本的運用。在每一種情況中，教師都在觀察這一段故事的雙面向：學生如何回應，以及他們如何調整自己的方法以支持更好的學習。

隨著課程推進，證據開始浮現。這些證據不是來自複雜的試算表或統計分析，而是來自教室生活自然的節奏。教師收集離堂紙條（exit tickets）、聆聽學生的口語、注意學習者如何投入任務、比較早期與後期的作品，並觀察學習行為是否開始改變。

與此同時，教師也反思自己的實踐：我在教學中改變了什麼？什麼讓我感到意外？什麼比我預期的更有效？明天我應該調整什麼？這些反思，在同儕或督導回饋的支持下，構成 PEN 流程中不可或缺的一部分。

形成性評量成為指引，使教師能在實時中做出調整。它回答那個安靜卻重要的問題：「有效嗎？」有時教師意識到學生需要更多示範、更慢的步調或更清晰的鷹架。有時策略是有效的，但小幅度的調整能使其惠及更多學生。對教師自身的成長而言，形成性的片刻同樣重要。他們開始注意自己的習慣、教學行為、清晰的時刻與不清晰的時刻。這就是嵌入日常實踐的專業成長。

在循環結束時，總結性的時刻帶來清晰。學生完成一項最終任務──一篇寫作、一項理解測驗、一段口語表現，或只是新的理解展示──而教師將其與起點進行比較。影響往往以微妙但重要的方式變得可見：更大的自信、更清晰的思考、更強的解釋能力、更高的參與度，或更準確的語言。

教師也檢視自己：我對教學學到了什麼？我改善了什麼？下一個單元我應該延續什麼？這種雙重反思正是 PEN 系統的力量所在。

當教師在 PLC 中分享他們的行動研究時，影響力超越了一間教室。他們的洞見能幫助面臨相似挑戰的同事，而集體的學習開始影響全校層面的實踐。在通過認證的學校中，這具有無價的價值。這些證據與反思直接融入持續的學校改進循環，塑造校級學習者成果、提供行動計畫的資訊，並強化學校的反思與成長文化。

最終，行動研究不是一項待完成的任務，而是一種思維習慣。它將焦點從「我教了什麼？」轉向「他們學到了什麼？而我因此如何成長？」在 PEN 系統中，這種習慣成為生活方式。教師精進，是因為他們更深入地理解學習者，並持續改進自己的方法。學生進步，是因為他們的教師具有目標性、反思能力，並受到一個重視專業成長的系統支持。

這就是持續學校改進的真諦：透過那些最貼近學習者的教育工作者深思熟慮、資訊充分的行動，一所學校每天都在變得更強。而這正是行動研究位居 PEN 核心的原因。它尊崇教師同時是學習者與專家，並確保每一步都立基於證據、反思與共同的使命。

若您希望獲得更多資訊或實驗課程計畫的模板，請寫信至：pen.info.edu@gmail.com