Using Appreciative Inquiry in Educational

Research

Dr Maha ShuaybUniversity of Oxford and National

Foundation for Educational Research

Flow of the Workshop

Appreciative Inquiry

What is it?

Where it can be applied?

How to apply it?

What is AI

AI as Way of Thinking

“AI is the cooperative search for the best in people and their organizations.”

AI as a Process

“AI involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system. It mobilizes Inquiry through an 'unconditional positive question’.”

Cooperrider , D.

History and Underpinning Rationale of AI

David Cooperrider: Organization

development

Change is usually faced with tension

Action research is often underpinned by a

problem solving theory

An increasing awareness of the limitations of

the problem solving approach

Identify problem

Conduct root cause analysis

Brainstorm solutions and analyse

Develop action plans/ intervention

Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved

Problem solving model of action research

Fragmented responses

Puts attention on yesterday’s causes

No new positive images of future

Visionless voice... fatigue

Weakened fabric of relationships &

defensiveness…negative culture

Unintended Consequences

Appreciative model of action research

Metaphor: Organizations are a solution/mystery to be embraced

Appreciate “What is” (What gives life?)

Imagine “What Might Be”

Determine “What Should Be”

Create “What Will Be”

Inquiry is change

Discover the ‘positive core’ of an organization

AffirmativeTopic Choice

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle

Discovery“What gives life?”

(the best of what is)

Appreciating

Destiny“How to empower,

learn, and improvise”Sustaining

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for)

Envisioning Impact

Design“What should be

the ideal?”Co-Constructing

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle

Discovery Dream Design Destiny

positive questions

peak times when people felt most effective.

unique factors that made the high points possible.

You organisation has specialist characteristics that differentiate it from other schools, what is the most distinct characteristic of your organisation?

Appreciate the Best of “What Is”

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle

Images of the future emerge out of grounded examples from the positive past

What are the most enlivening and exciting possibilities for our organisation?

Envisioning “What Might Be ?”

Discovery Dream Design Destiny

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle

A Time for Innovation

A time to create new forms, new practices and possibly new directions to live the positive core revealed in Discovery and imagined in the Dream.

What are the three wishes you would like to come true in your school?

Discovery Dream Design Destiny

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle

Deciding “What will be?”

Continuing the dialogue on

“How to empower, learn, and improvise?"

Discovery Dream Design Destiny

The Art of the Question

What’s the biggest problem here?

Why did things go wrong?

Why do we still have those problems?

What possibilities exist that we have not thought about yet?

What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact?

What makes my questions inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing?

Designing AI QuestionsAppreciative interviews involve three different types of question:

Initial questions (best of what is)

Follow-on questions (Why?)

Future questions which look for future solutions based on past experience

Activity I

Develop an interview protocol with an

opening statement and three or four

questions.

Topic: Choose an area you are interested in

developing

Interviewing

AI is an interactive process that positively encourages everyone to become involved.

Keep an open mind

Use positive questions

Present questions as an invitation.

Ask about direct personal experience

Open questions.

Ask additional questions to prompt further response.

Activity 2: AI InterviewsConduct a mini-interview with another colleague using the protocol you designed during the previous exercise.

After the mini-interview, discuss your questions with your partner such as:

What are the strengths of the questions? Did they generate a comprehensive & thought provoking response?

How could the questions be strengthened or enhanced?

Facilitating AI group workshops

Ground Rules

Everyone participates.

All ideas are valid.

Listen, ask and be curious.

Engage in relationship-enhancing

conversations.

Observe time frames.

Facilitating AI Focus GroupsIntroduce AI & the topic

Ice breaker exercise

Explain about AI Interviewing

Setting up small groups

Volunteers to lead and conduct interviews in

each group

Reporters (write key points or themes)

The role of the reportersEnsure that Relevant Information is captured

and returned to the Facilitator.

Draw all relevant Templates.

Record Provocative Propositions.

Capture memorable quotes.

Capture highlights of memorable stories.

Data Analysis Bushe (1995): “We're not trying to extract themes from the data or categorize responses and add them up. We're trying to generate new theory that will have high face value to members of the organization”.

Partially analysed by participants (Proforma)

Synthesised and used to facilitate change (focus

group)

Where to next

What exactly needs to be done by whom to

make it happen?

How easily could this be done within our

present structures?

What benefits will it bring and in what time

period?

State personal commitments and plan next

steps for acting on provocative propositions

Implementing AI

Institutionalizing change is easier when:

1) Stakeholders are on board

2) commitment to the mission;

3) change is seen as contributing to the

organisation’s targets

Challenges Motivation

Commitment

Keeping the focus on positives

Sustaining Change

Time

Financial costs

The researcher’s position

Tips

Involve the most active

Invite, influence and involve.

Design committees and set up targets

Focus attention on the positive image and on the big picture

Maha Shuayb maha.shuayb@sant.ox.ac.uk