Abstract
Research in education is essential for addressing curriculum and classroom challenges by providing evidence-based solutions that foster innovation, quality improvement, and continuous professional growth. Guided by Lewin’s Action Research Model, Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, and Knowles’ Andragogy. This study assessed the readiness of 106 Junior High School Physical Education teachers in Cluster II, Division of Negros Occidental, where the data was used to draft a Capability Building training program in conducting and writing school based action research. Using total enumeration, data were collected through a researcher-made, reliability-tested questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results showed that most respondents were younger, female, held lower plantilla positions, possessed bachelor’s degrees, and had fewer years of service. Overall, teachers demonstrated a high level of readiness in action research across the four components: Introduction (𝑥̄=3.63), Methodology (𝑥̄=3.56), Results (𝑥̄=3.54), and Discussion (𝑥̄=3.57), reflecting strong conceptual understanding and basic research competence. Strengths included understanding the research purpose, ethical considerations, and presenting findings, while lower scores were observed in literature synthesis, research question formulation, methodological design, and in-depth data interpretation. No significant differences in readiness were observed across age, educational attainment, years of service, or plantilla position, though sex was a significant factor. The study concludes that while teachers are generally prepared for action research, targeted support through mentoring, workshops, guided writing, and continuous coaching is needed to enhance research competence and outputs. To address these gaps, schools are encouraged to establish Research Learning Action Cells and divisions to implement sustained capability-building programs that provide resources, hands-on guidance, and equitable research opportunities to strengthen teachers’ confidence and effectiveness in conducting action research.
Keywords: Action research, physical education teachers, teacher readiness