BUS110 Workplace Learning: Financial Services |Action Research

Introduction

Action research is an intervention procedure utilized to enhancing learning and teaching, financial services education with the help of an active methodology in a classroom. Such action research can assist in investigating a relationship, social situation, problem, or context. In order to determine the effectiveness of action research, it must be understood how it compares to other types of research. The use of the quality control assessment has been made to find the loopholes present in the system which affect the teaching-learning process. The actions which are performed in order to correct the system like the introduction of a new and improved question diet for the students has helped them to attain independent thought process. Also, a deep study was to be conducted for finding the main areas where the students are facing problems. Also, it is believed that the financial services education system will have an improved and comprehensive setup which will help the students and the teachers to work in a much efficient manner. This will thus also tend to decrease their stress level. This intervention may also cause the system to become slow because of the regular delays caused because of the checking process. So the research will be carried out in the small classes and the data will be used to integrate the performance of the system

Moreover, such research primarily focuses upon both action through intervention processes and then reflection based on scientific research intervention. Overall, action research takes an interpretational strategy to explore and understand the personal experience of such intervention. Therefore, such research enables an in-depth understanding and welcomes the input of teacher practitioner in the process of actual research during the orchestration and designing of intervention. Further, the intention of action research is to improve practice based on planning, feedback, reflection, data analysis, etc. Hence, action research becomes effective when shared with other practitioners to stimulate further research and understanding. The information attained from the action research programme should not be restricted for the use by a single person, but the data should be analyzed by each and every practitioner so that he may improve the source of the system. The action research program also allows the students to mention any type of difficulties they are facing from the system and this data should be used wisely to maintain the sanctity of the system. The assessment of few systems and cases made it realizable that the action research programme is a very powerful tool that can be used by the systems. The main challenges which were faced by the system were being identified in the form of a large population of classes, improper understanding of the topic, the absence of commitments of the teachers and the higher authorities which may have helped to improve the quality of the system.

The main focus while the conduction of the process was to implement more of the Socratic questions. This will help the students to understand the resources and then also have proper questioning skills.

 

Moreover, in the current study, to make the intervention efficient, learners were required to collaborate and involve in the same for reflecting the new assessment method adopted in the classroom. Nevertheless, it is worth distinguishing action research from reflection-on-action and learning cycle methods.

Literature review

During the assessment of such intervention, it is relevant to portray a strong focus on real-life questions so that an understanding of specific student’s experiences of intervention that can be questioned. It may be dubious to what extent students can efficiently communicate nuances of specific and subconscious experiences incurring in a fast-paced classroom. Moreover, many researchers reflect the importance of enhancing internal reliability by concentrating upon transparency and rigor. The action research process consists of the conciliation of the tasks which may prove helpful in order to improve the financial education services. By the application of the action research process, the system is analyzed to investigate the social relation and relation which are present. The process has two main objectives of gaining better understanding and making improvements. The action research process is not only carried out in the form of intervention but it is also conducted by the teacher during the classes. This makes the results from the action research programmes more elaborate thus helping the practitioners to obtain an in-depth understanding of the working environment needed for him to conduct the teaching process. Also the results obtained from the research are used by the authorities to fulfil the main objective of the research which is improvement of the system.

 However, the procedure of explaining the experience can still shape the student's experience even though precautions have been taken implemented to enhance validity through a transparent and robust process. As interpretivism initiates by a person-in-context, an individual can never break free from expectations and constraints. Even though the teacher intended to distance herself from underlying beliefs during analysis and collection of information, there is nil certainty that the same has been adequately attained.

An action research cycle requires action and research that in this case was views and practices of the staff and students upon feedback on evaluation. Nevertheless, in relation to action research set, a questionnaire was framed, and action was set. After attaining questionnaire data, the researcher offered an action research set a resume of outcomes that allowed action learning set to redefine segments in relation to feedback as a major part of second spiral action research. The researcher was permitted by the action research set with a duty to develop interview questions. The utilization of group interviews developed original questions for attaining additional knowledge and action but also reflected few triangulation of questionnaire information through the usage of another collection tool from an interpretative policy. While conducting the action research process, it must be kept in mind that all the data acquired is based on the real-life questions and thus can be used for the assessment of the students thought process. It is also used to analyze the nuisances of the students which may have taken place in the past few days of the classrooms. It is also seen to be efficient in the process of enhancing the validity and thus focus on the transparency and rigor. Even after the access to the transparent and robust experiences, it may be experienced that the students are not well shaped. With the increase in the interpretivism, it is made clear that no one can be kept away from the constraints and expectations. The teachers even after continuous trials may have failed to depict the data and use the measures considerably. But it was observed that even after all these prevailing issues and concerns, the information derived from the action research programme has proved to be helpful to the teachers for energizing, motivating and liberating all the processes.

The focus group interviews carried out with students and staff at each college that had filled in questionnaires. Moreover, developing the theme of e-feedback, various students were enquired about their feelings about e-feedback through email. They were also asked if they utilized feedback from prior assignments while undertaking new assignments. Furthermore, staffs were also interrogated about their perceptions of feedback using e-mail and whether they felt those students would like it. The Action Research Set also intended to know if staff had received or had feedback that was monitored by an awarding body. These were also concerned to know if companies had experimented with many cross curricula teams to assess feedback within their companies. Such action researchers set also intended to know if the organizations had processes in place to motivate feedback. The information from such focus groups was also fed to Action Research Set that was used by individual colleges as a means to signify action for change. The researchers were asked by the action management team to prepare a new and responsible question for the interview. The use of such question not only helped the people to have additional knowledge but it also helps the researchers to have a common understanding. The questions were asked form various different staff and students which helped the faculty to gain new factual knowledge about the system. The students were asked to provide their opinion on the online feedback which was taken with the help of the emails. They were asked about what were the influences that have been made with the help of the online feedback. The students were also told to provide a feedback on the previous assignments when they submitted the new ones. The staffs were also being asked to provide their views on how the feedback has helped the students and the system. The action research team was very obliged to know the outcomes of all these feedbacks as the information collected will be used to ascertain the various possibilities that will be helping the system to have a much proper framework for functioning. The focus group was also made active for finding out what was the reaction of the students when they were given the task of providing feedback. The action research also wanted to check if the organization is having proper skills and resources which can help it to use the information collected in a much meaningful manner. There was the appointment of the staff focus groups who were having the responsibility of checking whether the students have made any progress in their course.

Research strategies

Around evaluation techniques, extensive research was undertaken especially upon assertive questioning measures, taxonomy, etc. Researchers ask that the majority of teachers seek lower-order questions that are followed by a waiting time of lesser than one second for a student’s reaction. Such reaction is not followed through feedback or probes to enhance learning but is instead followed by any other low-level undecided question, or by teacher offering an answer themselves. There were detailed researches which were conducted, with the main focus on Socratic dialogue along with positive questioning strategies and blooms taxonomy. One of the researches have had a point of view that it was alright for students to take time before answering the questions, as per his theory, slowing down would help them speed up. I the research it was found that the teachers would wait for average second for the student to answer the question. These questions which were being followed up, did not contribute to learning, instead they were followed by other questions or the answers by the teachers themselves. One of the most interesting findings form research on meta-analysis found that, on examination of 37 different reports related to questioning, it was found that with higher order questions, there was a positive change in the performance of the students. Also, the use of Socratic questions was used to promote learning n the students. It was also seen that the teachers used questioning and discussion as a tool to access the effectiveness of the teachings and use it to promote learning in the students.

Using this result the six questions used in the Socratic dialogue were practically put forward, enhancing the concentration on the topics such as, questioning for clarification and probing assumptions, reasoning, evidence implication and consequences. In one research on questioning techniques, the professional stated that questions which request the student to analyse any data were seem to be more useful than low order questions, in which only recalling of information is relevant. Based on this, the student were asked questions which required elaborated answers using evidence, also providing waiting time and asking them on any disagreements were considered to be important and were continuously implemented. In order to achieve the best of the result and appropriate time and appropriate learner, the concept of blooms taxonomy related to learning assessing and teaching were practically applied. Based on this, various types of questions were used in Socratic dialogue that focused on questions probing assumptions, clarification questions, evidence and reasoning, and questions probing consequences. Moreover, questions that interrogated students to elaborate their answers, providing supporting evidence, permitting wait time, etc were regarded significant in the intervention process. In order to do this effectively, taxonomy was considered. Furthermore, the assertive questioning strategy was also used to facilitate a bigger discussion.

Methodology

The approach used was qualitative in nature and the objective of doing so was to gain an in-depth evaluation for attaining insider perspective. In relation to phenomenology, individuals are assumed capable of reflecting classroom experiences and to offer a coherent account of the same. Further, three epistemological roots of interpretivism namely symbolic interaction, phenomenology, and hermeneutics were concentrated. Moreover, the effort was also devoted to undertaking an inductive, idiographic, and interrogative position. Such inductive principle concentrates upon how meaning can be attained, and theory can be developed from students’ account. Further, interrogative principles concentrate on how teacher research can construct those meanings based upon interpretation and examination.

Apparatus/materials

The ideology for questions chosen for intervention relies upon extensive researches. The diagram for useful questioning approaches (Pope) was extremely important as a structure to choose right questions at the right time. The hierarchy of questions follow the given template:

 

1. Questions for clarification
2. Questions probing assumptions
3. Questions probing reasoning
4. Questions for perspectives
5. Questions challenging underlying thinking and probing implications

Moreover, a series of questions based on Pope’s diagram are also prepared:

1. Why must you think this?
2. What you mean by this?
3. Can you describe more?
4. Can you offer an example?
5. What others think?
6. What is your evidence?
7. Does any counter-evidence exist?
8. Why do you consider it true?
9. How do you know this?
10. What is an alternative?
11. Why is this relevant?
12. Does someone agree with this?
13. Has someone got anything different?

Procedure

The intervention was divided into two lessons of two hours. Students were taught that being a teacher is being one who keeps learning throughout. Two segments were necessary because the teacher thought so.

A formal introduction to the intervention was not offered and one the segment was over, questions were asked which required logical answers for the matters students thought have been changed.

Students were well informed of the intervention before the second segment which was not done in the first segment. Though there was no one who guessed it right. But it was seen that they were eager to find out the basic foundations, changes and delivered a unique set of answers than expected. As the segment ended, they were asked a question and told to write a brief summary as well which included the critical evaluation of the same, changes, their thoughts, personal outcomes and new ideas. All the notes were nameless so that the teacher could not be partial. After this, a discussion was taken in order to share all the points in which the students did way more than the thought of. No one was pressurized to enter the same by everybody gave their views.     

To see that the intervention was healthy, no survey was done. This would have not brought out the thought of the students and would limit them to a particular thinking which was based on the survey carrier’s own set of thinking. It is seen that if a set of question were set from the starting without knowing the views of the students then it would decrease the thinking skill of the students effectively and pressurize them to think in the same way as the officials holding the segment were thinking.  This is why no survey or opinion poll found place in the whole segment.

Results/analysis

All the notes submitted by the students were rechecked and major common points were listed down. Seven themes were taken upon which would cover the thinking of each student and then a common connection was found in this theme which appeared in four cases. All the seven themes which were selected from the point of view of the students were given a different name and were summarized separately and then the common points were listed down in to make a single defined copy which would cater to the expectations and thinking ideas of all the students.

A summary of all the selected points from the writing of the students is listed in table 1. The basic theme of the point appears on the left with explanations and student’s thinking in the middle and the area and the script from which this particular point is taken appears on the right side. This is obvious that the remarkable segment held for the students had a very positive impact on the areas of independent thinking, effective sharing of knowledge and much more student involvement. All this was proven by the response and the writing which the students displayed in the questioning segment. This has also helped each and every student to bring the best out of themselves and analyze their own thinking by sharing it with others. Also, there would have been an increase in knowledge gain by listening to viewpoints of the others present in the segment.  

 The performance of the students in the segment has proved that a healthy mixture of questions from all the areas without and partial nature is always essential and also makes a positive impact on the students. It is also necessary to know that where to use such mixed badg questioning system to get the maximum outcome and positive response.

 All the areas listed in the above which had been positively affected by the holding of the questioning part in the segment are because of the healthy mixture of the questions used and in the right place and at the right time which made the impact even more concentrated.     

Main cluster 1: Promotes independent thinking
Demands ‘learner maturity'	Getting views of the present students is more positive rather than selective opinions and methods like “raising the hand” which in 99% seem to be of partial nature. It would also see that the mature students are treated with respect and positively.	Student 1, lines 4–8
Prevents ‘spoon-feeding’	Gives the students an opportunity to gain knowledge themselves rather than copying it from the teacher. Questions to be answered by the students without any type of help leads to increase in their personal knowledge boundary.	Student 1, lines 8–10

Main cluster 2: Promotes sharing of knowledge
Promotes interesting discussions	Brings out the best in all students as all of them share their views rather than being selective and limiting the knowledge which can be more detailed and interesting. The segment was exactly of this nature and. It was seen that the students not just listed the crucial points but also provided explanations for those which were later discussed as a whole which provided more ideas and views on the same points. This increased the knowledge.	Student 5, lines 3–6
	The presented question carried a speculation with all the students eager to find the answers and address the same. The questions asked were tricky which required the thinking skills to be used in an effective way.	Student 1, lines 2–3
Promotes scaffolding	Psychology studying students’ were also present which played a key role in discussing that why a certain person thinks the way he thinks and this helped in reanalysis of ideas. This also led to the discussion about particular topics and collection of maximum information from different views and ideas.	Student 6, lines 9–13
	Knowledge increased by taking the ideas of other and coming out with a firm decision. Also correctness of an idea was discussed in detail and additions to those were done in the segment. This lead to increment in personal knowledge.	Student 7, lines 5–8

 

Main cluster 3: Increases engagement
Promotes elaboration	Elaboration and expansion were on the verge so that everyone could explain what they were trying to say exactly and this will increase confidence in the examinations as well. Everybody was asking for brief explanation of points which was nice to see. This would possibly help the students to explain themselves and their answers in the exam also.	Student 3, lines 1–3
Increases learning by sharing	The points noted by different students were shared amongst all and this increased the knowledge. Also the points shared between the students were to be checked upon its validity and consistency which was also very effective.	Student 1, lines 3–9

Main cluster 4: Increases learning
Promotes real-life application	Asking question helps to implement the answers in practical and to think that why every minute detail about the fact is important.
Increases shared in-depth thinking	Sharing of the ideas promotes to think much more and brings the best out of students and thus they do well in the exams also.	Student 2, lines 1.3
	Use of new techniques and ideas by Pepita in the learning segments helped the students pretty much to engage the students’ in collaborative thinking.	Student 7, lines 1–5

Discussion

The strategy of putting many-sided question planning has proved to be beneficial for the purpose of innovative ideas. This type of questioning system has brought up the uniqueness of all the students which offer their own set of skills. The traditional approach has been overtaken by the higher-level thinking which is very relatable. It was also seen that more response came from questions which had to be self-answered and the students lay more pressure on their thinking skills to bring out the best in them to increase the standard of the discussion.   

Extension of thinking time provided for more positive answers from the students with the elaborated discussion. The teacher also got answers which were partially incorrect and firstly the teacher decided to reduce and cut out those answers but stopped because it would limit the thinking of the students and they would stop sharing their ideas freely. This also maintained a free atmosphere in the classroom with no boundaries for discussions and sharing of knowledge.   

Most of the students noted the explanation time, movement of teacher around the class and tried to make a pattern out of it, body language of the teacher to see if it changes, expressions and many other changes but none of the students had figured out that which was expected but these were also to be appreciated by the teachers on the part of the students as they did pretty well. The students also paid attention to the time period that was taken by the teacher to explain a particular topic and tried to make a pattern out of the timing to see if it increased or decreased or was fluctuating according to a pattern. This shows that teaching strategy can change the way students think.

It is also to be seen that no negative impact was made by this method of teaching the theories on to the students. The students were well entertained by the discussion and actively took part in it. The teachers did not want to set up a negative thinking in the student’s mind which he/she was not able to introduce or write down from the fear that it would be read by the teacher. This is a risk that often prevails and the teachers have to very careful while undertaking such segments.  

 The partial nature of the teaching staff can be eliminated if the notes are analyzed by other teachers of the same field which can check the nameless notes. It is like it can be passed on to a second teacher while one has analyzed it and after the second analysis, it can probably pass to the third so it is sure that no partiality is done and each and every note is evaluated on the same judgmental scale.       

Conclusion and recommendation

It was seen that most of the students thought that the segment was beneficial with 75% getting exactly getting what they needed and the other 25% making something out of it and so it can be seen that the segment was a huge success. It was recorded that there were 75% students who felt the positivity of the segment and confirmed that they will refer this to their friends. Students were somewhat confused about the paths they had to take to reach their objectives but 72% of them confirmed that the segment was much help to show them the right path and mark the steps they have to take to do the same. The data collected after the segment also show that 36% of them thought that the segment had fully covered their whole course and the 53% thought that some of the main subjects of their course were covered.   

It was seen that the questioning segment was a success which more space for still some development and this can be done by taking the views of the students present in the segment. The techniques used in the segment thus enhanced the effective sharing of knowledge and student engagement with the learning part.   

All the data accumulated from the segmented was collected by the officials holding the segment. But the main question that raised now was that “will the data be used by the management to make any changes?” and the same question was from the management that “will students provide any beneficial data which can be used by the management?”  It was seen that the provided was quality in nature and the management was keen to work through the same to make any beneficial changes necessary.  

It was seen that on the basis of the work done and presented by the students, the officials gave them marks however only 4 students got that happening while the others had just received grades. This can be said that a new marking system would make the students realize the loopholes and the mistakes in their assignments so they can improve their category of work.  

There also matters of concern as the students are looking into getting more marks and not focusing on the utter quality of the materials which they produce in different fields. This is all because of the excessive competition that has been increasing continuously. It is natural that the students compare themselves to the upper-class knowledge keepers and it is also seen that they want to reach the same heights which are very natural and is also very much appreciated. But the analyst has also said that in some cases this behavior can be fearful and also of very unhealthy nature.   

The final summary depicted that 55% of the students thought that the question being asked in the segment was of valuable nature and was catering to the subjects and their particular courses. It was also seen that 26% were confident that their ideas were thought to be of valuable nature by the management and were acted on effectively but there were also 45% students who thought that the management was unable to provide the actual quality data that would enhance the supplements of their courses in any way and also the data was following the nature of quantity over quality with excessive knowledge but nothing catered to their specific courses. So it is important to increase the formal interaction between the management and the students and it is necessary to increase the number of segments taking place.

Recommendations

The researcher was told to advise something that is to give recommendations. It is to be noted that these are the thinking of the researcher and not all the ones present in the segment. These were taken as in to improve the study and to make a much stronger thesis. Putting technological services in the report is also a valid point that will enhance the structure of both the teaching staff and also the students. It is seen that technology is always demarcated far from teaching concerns but attention must also be paid to the fact that the till the dated technology is not able to find its place in the field of teaching and education, the ILT courses will keep getting disrupted at times.   

There are some bodies like the EDEXCEL who carry out some informative techniques to show what guidelines should be followed in the process of ending a segment for getting the feedback correctly and see that the professionalism of the teaching staff is not at all compromised. It is also advised that the colleges and other institutions to accumulate all the data and innovative ideas from the students and then summon up to see that how they can be implemented to benefit the management. The researcher found that all this stuff was present and there were innovative ideas present which were good for the institutions. Finally, the matter is that the researcher should also take the views of the support staff and the other formal departments to see that what could benefit the foundations of the management.