How teachers become action researchers in Pakistan: emerging patterns from a qualitative metasynthesis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how teachers become action researchers in the context of Pakistan in view of the attempts by the Ministry of Education to reconceptualize teachers as researchers. A metasynthesis of 20 action research theses by MEd students of a private university as part of their program requirements illustrates that teachers found action research to be both complex and messy. The dual role of the teacher and researcher was difficult to balance, and teachers carried the double burden of bringing about change and creating valid knowledge in schools where the prime concerns were syllabus completion and the passing of examinations. Supervision support to enhance skills of reflection and observation is required. The study shows that teachers can learn to undertake action research provided they are offered strong support. The way forward for these reform efforts is to educate the relatively small number of teacher educators in action research to enable them to offer support to pre‐service and in‐service teachers. An additional means to bring about this change is to encourage the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to enforce the curriculum guidelines that include action research in the teacher education curriculum.

Keywords:

• action research
• professional development
• practitioner research
• teacher education
• reflective practice
• qualitative metasynthesis