The What, Why and How of Classroom Action Research
The editors of JoSoTL have received many inquiries about classroom action research (CAR). What is it?
Why should you consider doing it? How do you do it? How does it differ from traditional research on
teaching and learning? This essay is an attempt to answer those questions. I will also discuss why CAR is
an excellent expression of the scholarship of teaching and learning, accessible to teachers in all disciplines.
What is Classroom Action Research?
Classroom Action Research is a method of finding out what works best in your own classroom so that you
can improve student learning. We know a great deal about good teaching in general (e.g. McKeachie, 1999;
Chickering and Gamson, 1987; Weimer, 1996), but every teaching situation is unique in terms of content,
level, student skills and learning styles, teacher skills and teaching styles, and many other factors. To
maximize student learning, a teacher must find out what works best in a particular situation.