Group Learning
In classrooms, students have to cooperate and work in groups from time to time. It is not always possible for a teacher to check if all students succeed in group learning. Lakey (2010) admits that students can learn in a variety way: they can listen, observe, participate, analyse, etc. A research can develop a project in a class with the students of the fifth grade. A teacher has to divide students into several groups. Each group consists of four-five students. The aim of the project is to clarify the conditions under which students should work, evaluate the conditions students create independently (a choice of a leader, division of the activities, etc.), observe how different students can work in groups, and introduce new approaches to how it is better to promote cooperative learning.
Action research plays an important role in an education program. It helps to identify the problem, choose the most effective ways to collect and analyse data, and use the real-life examples to give the answers to the posed questions (Cohen et al., 2011). With the help of such kind of research, it is also possible to improve the situation. As soon as the researcher observes students’ behaviour in the classroom and makes conclusions, effective activities take place.
Academic Cheating
The culture of cheating is not always easy to comprehend. Sometimes, students are eager to cheat because they are not able to learn the required material. Some students are too lazy to get ready for tests. And some students are eager to cheat just to check their possibility of doing so. In fact, people like the idea of cheating in different spheres, and education is not an exception (Jowanna, 2012). It is very important to think about some strategies that can prevent cheating in classrooms, and action research can help to give the answer to the question concerning the effectiveness of cheating measurements in the classroom.
Teachers have to observe the conditions under which students can cheat, analyse their decisions, pose questions, and think about the preventions that do not hit some personal or professional aspects. Of course, students will not answer how they like to cheat; still, it is possible to clarify the reasons they want to do it.
Action research is the best option for such kind of project because it helps to involve students and teachers to solve the current problem (Cohen et al., 2011). Besides, action research can help to change individuals and observe the effects of their actions from different points of view. It is not enough to observe and analyse. It is more effective to involve students and discuss the problems aloud.
References
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education. New York, NY: Routledge.
Jowanna, C.B. (2012). Academic integrity: Preventing cheating with the implementation of an honor code. I.E.: Inquiry in Education, 3(1), 1-30.
Lakey, G. (2010). Facilitating group learning: Strategies for success with adult learners. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.