A single case study on Tabor secondary school teachers’ engagement in action research activities in Hawassa City Administration

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to investigate the status of secondary school teachers’ engagement in action research. To achieve this objective, a single case study with an embedded design was employed. Hawassa Tabor secondary school was selected as the case study site due to its extensive history in secondary education and the considerable teaching experience of its staff. Data were collected through document analysis; focus group discussion, and semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed using qualitative methods and revealed that teachers’ engagement in action research is at a rudimentary level. While teachers held positive perception of action research, they were not conducting it in accordance with the accepted steps of the process. Several factors were identified as barriers to teachers’ engagement in action research, including a lack of recognition for research efforts, insufficient financial and technical support, limited time, and inadequate cooperation and coordination among colleagues. Based on these findings, implications were provided for Education Office, schools and teachers to address these challenges and enhance teachers’ participation inaction research.