A practical guide to action research, with both theoretical underpinning and a focus on real issues for researchers. Part of our brand new series on Education Research published in association with BERA.
This chapter eXplores and illustrates some very real concerns that teachers may
have in undertaking an action research project. Attempts to demystify the
research process, and to make educational inquiry an integral part of
professional practice, have resulted to some eXtent in a dilution of meaning,
particularly in relation to the term 'action research'. Used as a catch—all phrase to
denote any form of reflective practice or practice— based enquiry, it has become
common parlance in ...
The SAGE Handbook of Action Research has been completely updated to bring chapters in line with the latest research approaches in this field of social inquiry.
Continuing the Journey: Articulating Dimensions of Feminist Participatory Action
Research (FPAR) Colleen Reid and Wendy Frisby The primary aim of this
chapter is to begin to articulate dimensions of feminist participatory action
research (FPAR). In developing the dimensions, we considered the following
questions: What are the advantages of integrating feminist research, participatory
action research, and action research into a FPAR framework? What
epistemological and ...
Becoming a Teacher through Action Research, Third Edition skillfully interweaves the stories of pre-service teaching with the process of action research. This engaging text focuses specifically on the needs of pre-service teachers by providing assistance for all stages of the research experience, including guidance on how to select an area of focus, design a culturally-proficient study, collect and interpret data, and communicate findings. With an updated introduction and two new chapters, this revised edition fully develops a convincing response to the framing question of the book, "Why pre-service teacher action research?" The new edition continues to focus on elements of trustworthy pre-service teacher action research, and provides a more robust overview of research methodology. Using additional activities, charts, and examples, this book offers support during the steps of writing a critical question, data collection, data analysis and the use of analytic memos. New Features in the Third Edition include: New chapters on ongoing data analysis and final data interpretation, which include practice scenarios and examples to give readers a deeper understanding of doing the work of action research processes; An expanded chapter on action research methodology, which includes scaffolds for making methodological decisions, additional practice scenarios, and a revised action research design template; New end-of-chapter Content and Process Questions to encourage deeper understanding; New examples throughout, expanded additional glossary terms, enhanced literature review guidance, and updated templates to support action research projects; An updated companion website with downloadable templates and additional instructor resources; A revised interior text design to increase the accessibility of the text. This one-of-a-kind guide continues to offer invaluable support for teacher-education students during a critical phase of their professional—and personal—lives.
Chapter 4guides you through the formal process of writingan action research
design. There are (at least) three ways to approach this chapter: Now thatyou
have determined the kind of research you wantto do (design research, curriculum
analysis, ethnography, or self-study) and refined your critical question, you
areready toapply principles ofdata collection as you developyour research
design. Alternatively, you may find ituseful to merely skim thischapter atthis
pointandcontinue with ...
The Second Edition of Introduction to Action Research: Social Research for Social Change makes social science matter! It focuses on how it is possible to combine practical problem solving with generating new theoretical insights. Authors Davydd J. Greenwood and Morten Levin combine a thorough discussion of the epistemological foundations of action research with a broad overview of major contemporary trends in the field.
Social Research for Social Change Davydd J. Greenwood, Morten Levin. token,
what works in context is not therefore fully understood. Put another way,
successful workability does not automatically create a credible understanding of
why something worked; it only shows that it did work. So when a successful a
solution (or an unsuccessful solution) has been reached regarding a problem,
there may well remain a set of interpretive puzzles to solve in order to make
sense of the ...
This handbook presents and critiques predominant and emergent traditions of Educational Action Research internationally. Now a prominent methodology, Educational Action Research is well suited to exploring, developing and sustaining change processes both in classrooms and whole organisations such as schools, Departments of Education, and many segments of universities. The handbook contains theoretical and practical based chapters by highly respected scholars whose work has been seminal in building knowledge and expertise in the field. It also contains chapters exemplifying the work of prominent practitioner and community groups working outside universities. The Editors provide an introduction and conclusion, as well as an opening chapter which charts the historical development of action research and provides an analysis of its underlying theories. The handbook is organized into four sections, each beginning with a short introduction: - Action research methodology: diversity of rationales and practices - Professional: Knowledge production, staff development, and the status of educators - Personal: Self-awareness, development and identity - Political: Popular knowledge, difference, and frameworks for change This is a key resource for scholars and graduate students at doctors and masters levels, as well as school leaders and administrators. Susan Noffke is Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign and co-editor with R.B. Stevenson of Educational Action Research (Teachers College Press, 1995). She taught at the primary school level for a decade, and has led masters and doctoral level courses in action research for the past 20 years. She continues to work with many collaborative projects with schools and school districts. Bridget Somekh is Professor of Educational Research at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She is a founder editor of the Educational Action Research journal and has been a co-ordinator of the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) for many years. She is co-editor of Research Methods in the Social Sciences (SAGE: 2005) and author of Action Research: a Methodology for Change and Development (Open University Press: 2006).
Morwenna Griffiths This chapter examines and explores the potential of action
research to enhance social justice in education. It discusses different approaches
and practices within the field of education in relation to epistemologies and
principles underlying research for social justice. Implicit in many
characterizations of action research is the potential to work for justice – in small-
scale projects or for larger social and educational ends. At the same time,
disquiet has been expressed by ...
What is action research? Why do action research? When should you use action research? In the second edition of All You Need to Know about Action Research, expert practitioners Jean McNiff and Jack Whitehead guide you through everything you need to know to plan and carry out a successful action research project. The book provides: - A guide to the history and philosophy underpinning action research - Comprehensive coverage of the main theoretical debates in action research - A unique understanding of how action research can help your learning and your professional practice - Practical help in planning your project - Help with writing about your research and disseminating your findings. The second edition has been thoroughly updated throughout, and now includes new real-life case studies from Education, Health and Business. A new chapter on reviewing the literature has been added and the sections on data gathering and analysis have been updated to take into account the latest technological advances. This easy-to-follow overview of action research is essential reading for students, practitioners and seasoned researchers alike.
In the second edition of All You Need to Know about Action Research, expert practitioners Jean McNiff and Jack Whitehead guide you through everything you need to know to plan and carry out a successful action research project.
Governments all over the world are struggling with the question of how to adapt to climate change. They need information not only about the issue and its possible consequences, but also about feasible governance strategies and instruments to combat it. At the same time, scientists from different social disciplines are trying to understand the dynamics and peculiarities of the governance of climate change adaptation. This book demonstrates how action-oriented research methods can be used to satisfy the need for both policy-relevant information and scientific knowledge. Bringing together eight case studies that show inspiring practices of action research from around the world, including Australia, Denmark, Vietnam and the Netherlands, the book covers a rich variety of action-research applications, running from participatory observation to serious games and role-playing exercises. It explores many adaptation challenges, from flood-risk safety to heat stress and freshwater availability, and draws out valuable lessons about the conditions that make action research successful, demonstrating how scientific and academic knowledge can be used in a practical context to reach useful and applicable insights. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of climate change, environmental policy, politics and governance.
Introduction As described in Chapter 1, the core philosophy of our research
approach can be described as developing a powerful combination between
practice-driven research and theoretically informed scientific research. Practice-
driven research means that we take guidance from the stakeholders in our case
studies as the primary source of questions, dilemmas, and empirical data
regarding the governance of adaptation, but also collaborate with these
stakeholders in testing ...
Lecturers - request an e-inspection copy of this text or contact your local SAGE representative to discuss your course needs. In Writing and Doing Action Research, Jean McNiff provides a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the practical aspects of writing and doing action research. Written for practitioners involved in higher degree courses and professional development programmes, and students undertaking methods courses, this book includes guidance on how to: Carry out an action research project in your setting Present your findings in a dissertation, report or thesis Write up your research with an eye to informing policy Demonstrate the quality of your research and writing Be critical and write theoretically Write for journals and prepare thesis and book proposals The book contains excerpts taken from action research projects in a range of settings and presents exercises to help you develop successful written accounts of your research. Writing and Doing Action Research is an essential text for anyone working with action research, providing vital guidance on the preparation and production of texts, how this type of work is assessed and enabling you to get the best results from your research.
This book is about writing action research and doing action research. It is written
for practitioner researchers studying for masters and doctoral degrees, lecturers,
and early career and more advanced researchers who wish to do action research
and write books and journal articles from the experience. It may appeal also to
those working in research traditions other than action research who wish to use
some of its principles, practices and methods; and for students on, say, qualitative
...
