AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHING-LEARNING INLABORATORY SCHOOL: CHALLENGES AND ISSUES

An action research project was initiated to facilitate Government Elementary School Teachers of Laboratory School. For this purpose, a series of workshops were organized with Laboratory (Lab) School teachers. The Lab School has been established at Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) Sindh Nawabshah as a practicing school. The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of challenges and issues that came across the researcher in developing the capacity of lab school teachers in understanding and implementing the process of action research in school. The study was qualitative in nature, within this paradigm, Kemmis Cyclic action research (AR) model (Plan-Act- Observe-Reflect) was used to facilitate teachers in learning and adapting AR in real classroom setting. The population of the study includes Laboratory (Lab) School teachers. Purposive sampling strategy was used while selecting teachers. As a facilitator, it was a unique experience to facilitate government school teachers. The researcher facedseveral challenges while facilitating teachers in learning the process of AR. These challenges include teachers' unwillingness to shift from rote memorization model to action oriented model of teaching, limited time for AR workshops, teachers' lack of lesson planning skills and reflection. In the light of the findings of the study suggestions were put forward for improving teaching-learning in Lab schools.