Mertler Book Reflection

I found Mertler’s book, Action Research: Teacher as Researches in the Classroom, to be an easy read.  I feel it was personally relevant since I am as well conducting an action research project.  The book modeled expectations well.  It explained what all the different components of action research are.  For example, a portion that kept refereeing back to was chapter six: Analyzing Data.  Mertler went into great detail about the differences between qualitative and quantitative data.  This section was easy to follow once the form of data collection was decided.  Mertler explicitly went over the how and when to analyze the data, as well as the forms in which it could be displayed.  The section before the latter was also extremely helpful, chapter five: Collecting Data.  This is where I got all of my ideas on which methods I was going to use to collect my data.  This section really helped me weigh the positives and limitations to both types of data collection. 

Another positive to Mertler’s book is that it is very well laid out.  Since it is organized in the steps in which you follow to conduct action research, it is easy to look back and reference the book.  I recently just referenced the data analysis section.  I am currently in the data collection / data analysis portion of my own action research so I reread the data analysis section to refresh myself on how I was planning on interpreting my data.

The supplemental reading material was useful, but seemed to be more involved.  I feel that by reading Mertler’s book first laid a good foundation base of knowledge, and the outside articles built off that base well.  With a solid foundation, one can go beyond that text and start to apply the knowledge.  All these readings assisted me in doing this because they provided such good examples and detailed steps to follow.  On the other hand, all the supplemental materials that came with the text I found to be redundant.   However, I think it is all based on how you learn.  Some students can pick up the meaning of the text, others need interact with it.  I think that it is good, as a teacher, to provide students with both methods of leaning and allow them to choose which works best for them.

I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in conducting action research.  I would preface by saying that I found it helpful to go through the book slightly before you are at the stage in your action research.  I think if someone read it all at once then tried to conduct the research they would be overwhelmed.  By following it closely to one’s own action research it becomes personally relevant and what is read can be readily applied.