Single-subject designs and action research in the K-12 setting

Inasmuch as educational research is concerned with individual student assessment and development, it is surprising that single-subject designs are not more readily utilized in classroom-based action research. The purpose of this article is to emphasize benefits of single-subject research in the K-12 setting, given that teachers teach and assess individual students, the availability of individual student data, the uniqueness of all students' needs, and the ease with which data can be summarized and analyzed. A basic framework for conducting single-subject research is provided with the use of examples and discussion.