Introducing Action Research Muireann O'Keeffe
This presentation explores the following:
Research Paradigms
History of action research
Practitioner as researcher
Types of action research – collaborative, participatory
Design: cycles Data collection/analysis
Validity, rigour Role of reflection
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)
German social psychologist
Involved in combating of anti-Semitism
Joined Psychological Institute, University of Berlin
Moved to USA
Generally credited as the person who coined the term ‘action research’
Action research and its position within the research paradigms:
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH (Quantitative)
INTERPRETIVE RESEARCH (Qualitative)
CRITICAL THEORETICAL RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCHInterpretive approaches
Living theory approaches
Critical theoretic approaches
(McNiff & Whitehead 2002)
Action research is:
Not research ‘on’ people (Quantitative paradigm) Not research ‘for’ people (Qualitative paradigm)
BUT
Research ‘with’ people
(Critical Social theory paradigm)
Critical Research Paradigm
Emancipatory interest (Freire)
Advocates Change
Political, ideological factors, power and interests shaping behaviour
Feminism
Small scale research
Participant researchers
Understanding, interrogating, critiquing, transforming actions and interests
Critical theorists, action researchers, practitioner researchers
4 Defining Characteristics of Action Research
Practical nature – real world problems
Change – integral part of research
Cyclical process – feedback loop
Participation is active not passive
Action Research
It recognises that practitioners can and should
contribute to research - initiated, directed and
controlled by practitioner
Research in action rather than about action
It puts the ‘I’ at the centre of the research
process
Key Features of Action Research
It is research in action rather than about action
It is participative
Starts small
It has a sequence of events (cycle)
Compiles evidence – keeps records (logs, journals)
Aims to manage change and/or solve problems in an analytical, reflective series of actions, evaluations and further actions.
Key Features of Action Research CTD
It takes place in situ
It is self consciously analytical
It is generally grounded in a theoretical
framework and through its activities
generates emergent theory
It is informed by an overt ethical framework
Practitioner Action Research (in education/health)
Aims to improve education/health practices
by changing practice and learning from the
consequences of change
It is participatory and collaborative
Establishes self critical communities keen to
‘enlighten’ themselves and thus ‘emancipate’
themselves from rigid practices
Cycles of action research
Plan
Act
Observe
Reflect
(Lewin 1946)
Action Research Map2. Imagine a possible solution
1. Identify a problematic issue
3. Try it out
4. Evaluate it
5. Change your practice in the light of the evaluation
(McNiff 2002)
Simple 5 step process (ITDEM)
1• Identifying a problem/issue
2• Thinking of ways to solve the problem
3• Doing it
4• Evaluating it (research findings)
5• Modifying future practice
(Norton, 2009)
Criticisms of action research
Not valid research as seen from positivist/scientific perspective
Largely un-theorised descriptions of practice
Need to be aware of major criticisms, and have confidence in that approach to action research is well thought out and systematic
Findings not generalisable
How can we combat this?
Establishing reliability & validity
Critical friends (Whitehead,
McNiff)
Recording of events (journaling)
Validation of focus groups/interviews Triangulation
Reflection: Helps to acknowledge
individual bias
Role of reflection
What is reflective practice?
“The ability to reflect to learn from and make sense of experience”
Jackson (2006)
…the process of stepping back from experience to process what the experience means, with a view to planning further
(Kolb 1984)
“we might find ourselves driving somewhere we go every day when we actually intended going somewhere different”
(Somekh 2006)
Triangulation
Checking data from multiple sources for consistency
Member-checking, is the data consistent?
Redundancy, ask the question in various ways
Effort to assure that right information and interpretation obtained?
Does phenomenon remain the same at other times?
Action Research and Ethics
Action research is ‘insider research’
If our journals remain private and our videotapes aren’t played, we can inquire with equanimity……..however we rarely work in isolation
(Zeni, 1998)
What at first seemed a rather straightforward exercise in translation proved a formidable task…………informed consent can be sought but the journey of research often changes as action progresses
(Malone, 2010)
Checklist for action research
Cycle structure
Timescales
Ethical approval
How will you insure quality and validity
My Action Research Study Problem: students not engaging with
ePortfolio, lack of reflective practice
Question: How can I support postgraduate students developing ePortfolios?
Cycle of 2 years
Change of teaching practices, change design of curriculum implementation of new supports for students
Analysis: Currently investigating if the activities/strategies put in place during the academic year 2012-13 been effective in supporting the development of ePortfolios
Data Collection: Interviews, focus groups, student ePortfolios, my reflections.
What action research means for my practice as a teacher:
How do I improve what I am doing?
Applied research carried out on an identified need for
improvement
An enquiry carried out to
understand , evaluate and then change, in order to
improve some educational
practice
Process of systematic
reflection ..........
References & Resources
Costello, Patrick (2011) effective action research: developing reflective thinking and practice. London, New York: Continuum International Pub. Group.
Denscombe, M (2010) The Good research guide: for small-scale research projects (4th Ed) Open University Press
Farren & Crotty Educational action research http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg83f72_6Gw&feature=player_embedded
Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin
Malone(2010) Ethics at home: informed consent in your own backyard, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 16:6, 797-815
Mcniff, J., Lomax, P. Whitehead, J ( 2003) You and your research project (2nd ed)
Norton, L., (2009) Action research in teaching and learning: A practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities. Routledge
Whitehead, J (2011) All you need to know about action research. London: Sage Publications
Zeni (1998) A guide to ethical issues and action research, Educational Action Research, 6:1, 9-19
Action Research Journals
Action research http://arj.sagepub.com/
Educational journal of living theories EJOLTS http://ejolts.net/
Educational Action Research http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/reac20/current
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