The first topic was considered too general for an action research

What information will I need? Have I got the resources I require? A very useful question to consider here is whether it is possible to make any changes that you may wish to after the project has been completed. For example, one of my Master’s students was feeling uneasy about the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and wished to undertake a study, hoping to make recommendations as to whether they should continue to follow the strategy in his school. Soon he realised that very little could be done, if he wished, to persuade his school to abandon a National Literacy Strategy and that his time and efforts would be better employed to working on ways to make the strategy more effective in terms of children’s motivation and learning. Similarly, if it is LEA policy to set targets for all its schools, any effort spent on an action research project to resist it may be a waste of energy and valuable time. I am not discouraging readers from undertaking research in controversial areas, as long as the purpose is greater under- standing of issues relating to the topic or the identification of factors which could lead to fruitful discussions with others who may be inter- ested. In relation to the National Literacy Strategy, for example, any contribution in terms of an analysis of its purpose and the practical aspects of its delivery could be of immense value to both policy-makers and practitioners. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS In this section we will look at some other practical issues that an action researcher needs to consider. Experience and interest A topic for action research is often located within a researcher’s experi- ence and context. It needs to be grounded in the realities of the workplace. Ask yourself if you are sufficiently interested in the topic of investigation to devote a considerable amount of time and effort to it. In my experience, I find personal interest and passion for a topic to be important factors which motivate an action researcher. I have witnessed Action Research for Improving Practice 38