Arab Educational Information Network

The study explores the extent to which research done by school-teachers conform to action-research criteria. The researchers designed an evaluation card for analyzing a sample of researches written by school teachers working in the Sultanate of Oman. Also, interviews were conducted with 12 research-teachers to study their acquaintance with the requirements of action research, and their opinions on how to help school-teachers become more qualified to do reliable school-based research. The study found out that the analyzed researches do not bear features of satisfying and acceptable research, despite teachers' claim of familiarity with action-research and adherence to its measures. Also, teachers' perceptions and understandings of research are influenced by a number of factors including university education, norms and regulations provided by the Ministry of Education and their supervisors' opinions. The study recommends setting up of criteria and standards for teacher-research different from academic research and university programs criteria but, should conform to action-research conventions. (Published abstract)