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Improving Teachers’ Engagement in Action Research: A Baseline Study in Primary Schools of Bahir Dar City

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of teachers’ engagement in action research and identify their challenges and opportunities to undertake such projects in primary schools of Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia. The study was conducted as part of a collaborative action research project that aimed at improving practice. For this purpose, a mixed-methods research approach was employed. Data were collected from 251 primary school teachers and six educational experts of the city administration through questionnaire and focus group discussion respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that teachers’ engagement in action research in the primary schools of the city was low. It was also engulfed by many challenges. However, some opportunities which reinforce the practice were identified. Based on the findings, areas of intervention that could help to increase teachers’ engagement in action research in the primary schools of the city were suggested.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Worku, M.Y., Getahun, D.A. & Agonafir, A.M. Improving Teachers’ Engagement in Action Research: A Baseline Study in Primary Schools of Bahir Dar City. Syst Pract Action Res 35, 635–653 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-021-09586-5

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