Fourth National Action Research Seminar featured 15 top educational research papers
The 4th National Action Research Seminar held over two days on May 30-31 in Paro presented 15 exceptional action research papers aimed at enhancing educational practices in schools across Bhutan. Initiated in 2016 under the Sherig Endowment Fund (SEF), the action research program seeks to foster a research-oriented culture within schools to improve teaching and learning quality.
Annually, the SEF rigorously reviews and selects at least 40 top proposals to receive grants. This year, 295 proposals were received and out of the 40 selected, the best 15 were presented at the seminar facilitating discussions for further improvement. These papers covered a range of educational strategies related to science, biology, English, phonics, sign language, technology and writing and reading instructions, all focused on improving student learning and performance across various subjects and grade levels.
A spokesperson highlighted that until last year, the seminar had been exclusively held in Thimphu with limited participation. By moving the event to Paro, school leaders had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of action research for supporting research teachers in enhancing students’ learning outcomes. In addition, the number of proposals presented this year increased from 10 to 15 offering more opportunities for educators to share their research practices.
Around sixty participants including action researchers, lecturers, principals, vice principals, DEOs and officials from the Ministry attended the event. Organized by the Teacher Development Division under the Department of School Education, the program concluded with the awarding of certificates to the moderators and researchers. The seminar not only promoted schools’ active engagement in action research and but also helped build a network of action research enthusiasts across Bhutanese schools.
According to the division, the action research papers will be published as proceedings for distribution to schools and made available on the Ministry’s website and other appropriate platforms as a repository of educational knowledge. With the objective to provide a platform to share critical findings and experiences, the first National Action Research was organized in 2019. Future seminars are expected to be held in other Dzongkhags to further the objectives and expand participation.