Program Timeline

Starting in February 2026, researchers actively engage in the program.

  • February 2026: Researchers are invited to participate in the online IBSC Action Research course delivered through Canvas and to submit a short biography and photo to the course site. Researchers attend an online orientation session to get familiar with the course site and online communication channels.
  • March – June 2026: Researchers engage with the online course resources and complete selected readings on the action research process and the research topic. Researchers complete short, online activities based on the resources and readings, which guide the development of their final research proposal. The recommended text for the program is Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher (6th Ed.) by Geoffrey E. Mills.
  • May 2026: Researchers get assigned to one of four teams and their team advisor contacts them.
  • June 2026: Attend the 2026 IBSC Annual Conference at St. Stithians College in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
    • Researchers attend a two-day orientation and training program. Training starts at 9:00 AM on June 27, and concludes at 2:00 PM on June 29.
    • Researchers attend the 2026 IBSC Annual Conference June 29 – July 2.
  • July/August 2026 – May 2027: Supported online through the stages of the project by a team advisor and fellow researchers, researchers undertake an action research project in their school. They actively participate in regular online discussions during the project period and meet the deadlines for completing the stages of research and presentation of findings. Researchers must submit a detailed research plan by late July 2026, so please factor this deadline into any post-conference plans.
  • April 2027: Researchers produce a short video highlighting their action research project for the IBSC website.
  • May 2027: Researchers submit their action research findings as a 3,000- to 5,000-word report. The researcher must ensure the report is formally edited and correctly referenced, using APA7 guidelines. IBSC reserves the right to further edit the final report to publish on its website. We encourage participants to publish or present their projects elsewhere with appropriate acknowledgment of IBSC as the sponsoring organization.
  • June 2027: Attend the IBSC Annual Conference at The Scots College in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
    • Researchers meet with their team advisor and fellow researchers on June 29, to practice and finalize their presentations.
    • Researchers attend the 2027 IBSC Annual Conference at The Scots College, June 30 – July 3, to present their research findings in workshop sessions.