Action Research Presentation

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Action Research Presentation

Margaret Farren Bernie Tobin Dublin City
University November 2005
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Purpose of presentation
Action research approach is presented as a
rigorous and valid form of research.
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Research
Research is systematic, critical and
self-critical enquiry which aims to contribute to
the advancement of knowledge.
(Bassey, 1995)
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Choice of research

• The choice of research practice depends on the
  questions that are asked and the questions asked
  depend on their context.
• (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998)

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Forms of Research
Search for generalisations requires the
investigation of large populations, usually
studied by appropriate sampling, and by intention
leads to statements which can be used to predict
what will occur in other situations. Study of
Singularity can be investigation of something
quite small. It cannot be used to predict
probabilities, but it can be related to other
situations, it may be valuable. (Bassey,
1995).
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Research on Education or Research in Education
Research in educational settings is only
educational research if it is concerned with
attempts to improve educational judgement and
decisions. Research in educational settings
which aims to develop sociological theory,
psychological theory, philosophical constructs or
historical ideas is not educational research, but
sociological, psychological, philosophical or
historical research in educational settings.
(Bassey. M., 1995)
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New scholarship requires new epistemology
Epistemology of practice
We should think about practice as a setting not
only for the application of knowledge but for its
generation. We should ask not only how
practitioners can better apply the results of
academic research, but what kinds of knowing are
already embedded in competent practice.
Schon, D. (1995)
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Other Ways of Knowing
Sparkes (2002) discusses how attempts to impose
inappropriate criteria on work that is different
from ones ownbuilds in failure from the start
so that the legitimacy of other research forms is
systematically denied. The research community is
in a no win situation in which researchers
offer blind allegiance to their own particular
paradigmatic positions and refuse to acknowledge
the contribution that other ways of knowing can
make to our understanding.
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Theorising from the standpoint of action

• The need to challenge the assumptions that the
  term theory exclusively refers to generalisable
  representations of events, which can only be
  produced under conditions that are dissociated
  from the intentions of agents to effect change in
  practical situations.
• Elliott, J. (2004)

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Action research as an epistemology of practice

• Action research is a form of research in which
  practitioners reflect systematically on their
  practice, implementing informed action to bring
  about improvement in practice and add to a body
  of knowledge.
• Action (that is, change)
• Research (that is, understanding)
• Bob Dick (1999)

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M.Sc. Education and Training Management

• Context Primary school.
• Role Coordinator of curriculum in junior infants
  -2nd class.
• Action research design - Elliot model/Whitehead.
• Values the enquiry is guided by the values
  inherent in the context of the research question.
• Whitehead (1998) defines values as those
  qualities which give meaning and purpose to our
  personal and professional lives

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Elliotts model
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Action Research cycle one

• Cycle 1
• Identify initial idea
• Implementation of new curriculum.
• Curriculum Audit.
• Reconnaissance
• Current practice in terms of writing.
• Groups perceived needs.
• Visit to St. Patricks College.
• General plan
• Action steps
• Action step 1 On-site training.
• Action step 2 Initial activities.
• Action step 3 Childrens perceptions of writing.

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Action Research

• Cycle 1 (continued)
• Monitor implementation and effects
• Supportive-work-in-progress discussions.
• Childrens perception of writing.
• Understand the writing process.
• Implementation in the classroom.
• Reconaissance
• Moved our understanding of the writing process.
• Role of modelling.
• Classroom practicalities.
• Teachers concerns.
• Personal side to change.
• Cycle two.

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Research method way of gathering evidence

• Keeping a Research Diary.
• Group Interviews.
• Audio tapes.
• Video tapes.
• Portfolios of pupils work.

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Legitimation of action research within Academy
Are the descriptions and explanations of
teacher-researchers educational development
presented within a form and content that can be
publicly tested for validity?
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The meaning of validity?
Does the research do the things it claims to do,
and can the reader believe the results?
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Criteria

• Habermas social validation.
• Winters six criteria of rigour.
• Living educational standards of judgement
  developed by teacher in the course of the
  educational enquiry.

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Habermas social validation

• Habermas (1976) states that the criteria required
  to judge the legitimacy of knowledge claims are
  that
• what is being said is meaningful
• that the prepositional content of what is being
  said is true
• that the speaker is justified in saying what he
  or she is saying
• that the speaker is speaking sincerely.

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Validation meeting

• Are the descriptions and explanations of the
  practitioner-researchers learning
  comprehensible?
• Is there sufficient evidence to justify the
  claims being made?
• Are the values that justify the enquiry as
  educational clearly revealed and justified?
• Is there evidence of the practitioner-researchers
  influence in the learning of others?

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Purpose of Validation meetings

• To test the knowledge claims within a validation
  group meeting. These claims are challenged in
  order to strengthen claims.
• To check out the data and the way it is analysed
  and presented.
• To enhance claims to knowledge and make sure that
  evidence is presented that supports the claims. .
• To contribute to an epistemology of practice
  (knowledge base).

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Validation meetings
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What is rigour

• the methodology which best allows the researcher
  to conduct systematic inquiry in order to present
  a warranted assertion that is the methodology
  is fit for a given function.
• Swepson (2000)

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How to ensure rigour in action research

• Selection and use of multiple research methods.
• Cyclical nature of action research.
• Focus on participation.

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Winters Six Criteria of rigour

• Reflexive critique
• Dialectical critique
• Collaborative Resource
• Risk
• Plural Structure
• Theory, Practice, Transformation.
• (Winter, R., 1989)

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Winters criteria of rigour

• Dialectical critique/Risk Disturbance
• Educational values not lived out in practice.
• Childrens perceptions concern with orthodoxy.
• Living contradictions.
• Collaborative Resource/Plural structure
• Collaboration was central to research process.
• Participants viewpoints were considered.
• Questioning of statements and actions allowed us
  to gain insights into practice.

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Addressing Winters criteria

• Theory, Practice, Transformation
• Engaged with theories in literature.
• Own learning emerged through enquiry.
• Created own theory through practice.
• Reflexive critique
• Action research as situational
• Specific context.
• Insights on modest claims.
• Validation through collaboration with peers.
• Others taking their own context into account, may
  be able to use the findings and recommendations.

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Action Research Models/Processes
East Anglia School of Action Research John
Elliot The 'Deakin' School of Action Research
Wilfred Carr and Stephen Kemmis Community
Action Research Australia Ernie
Stringer Higher Education Zubber-Skerrit Univers
ity of Bath School of Action Research Jack
Whitehead
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John Elliotts model
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Kemmis model
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Stringer Community Action Research

• Look - building a picture and gathering
  information.
• When evaluating we define and describe the
  problem to be investigated and the context in
  which it is set. We also describe what all the
  participants (educators, group members, managers
  etc.) have been doing.
• Think - interpreting and explaining.
• When evaluating we analyse and interpret the
  situation.
• We reflect on what participants have been
  doing.
• We look at areas of success and any
  deficiencies, issues or problems.
• Act - resolving issues and problems. In
  evaluation we judge the worth, effectiveness,
  appropriateness, and outcomes of those
  activities. We act to formulate solutions to any
  problems.

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Ortrun Zubber-Skerrit Higher Education

• Web site http//www.ortrun.com
• Action Research in higher education

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Living Educational Theory (Whitehead)

• What am I concerned about/what do I want to
  improve
• What am I going to do about it
• What data will I need to collect to enable me to
  make a judgement on my effectiveness
• Act and gather data Evaluation of effectiveness
  
• Modification of concerns, ideas and actions in
  the light of evaluations
• Submission of descriptions and explanation of my
  learning in the educational enquiry, How do I
  improve my practice? to a
• validation group. (Whitehead, J.1989)

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Living Educational Theory

• That one should include I as a living
  contradiction in educational enquiries of the
  kind, How do I improve my practice?
• That one should seek to create and test living
  educational theories as explanations for learning
  in educational enquiries of the kind, How do I
  improve my practice?
• That one should devise a process for clarifying
  the meanings of embodied values in the course of
  their emergence in practice and for transforming
  embodied values into living and communicable
  standards of educational judgement.

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Epistemological and Ontological.

• The question.
• How does one conduct action research? is
  replaced with the question.
• How does one conduct a life that includes the
  practice of action research?
• .. With this question, epistemological
  concerns are linked with ontological ones.
• .. Who one is becomes linked with what one
  knows and does.

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Epistemology

• An epistemology is a theory of knowledge.
• It answers questions about who can be a
  knower,
• What tests beliefs must pass in order to be
  legitimated as knowledge.

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Action research readings

• Bassey, M. (1995). Creating Education Through
  Research A Global Perspective of Educational
  Research for the 21st Century. Kirklington Moore
  Press.
• Bassey, M. (1999) Case Study Research in
  Educational Settings. Open University Press.
• Carr,W, Kemmis, S. (1993) Action Research in
  Education. In Hammesley, M, Controversies in
  Classroom Research, Buckingham Open University
  Press
• Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2000)
  Research Methods in Education. London Routledge
  Falmer
• Dadds, M. (2001) Doing Practitioner Research
  Differently. Routledge London and New York
• Elliott, J. (1991) Action Research for
  Educational Change, London Open University
  Press.
• Farren, M. (2005) Creating a pedagogy of the
  unique through a web of betweenness.
  Education-Line. http//leeds.ac.uk/educol/document
  s/149806.htm

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Action research readings

• Ghaye, A. (1998). Teaching and Learning through
  Critical Reflective Practice. David Fulton
  Publishers.
• Hamilton, M. L. (Editor) (1998).
  Reconceptualising Teaching Practice. Falmer
  Press.
• Loughran, J. (1996). Developing Reflective
  Practice Learning about Teaching and Learning
  through Modelling. Falmer Press.
• McNiff, J. (2000). Action Research in Ireland.
  Rougledge.
• McNiff, J. (1995) Action Research for Educational
  Development, London Hyde
• Publications.
• McNiff, J. (1988) Action Research, Principles and
  Practice, London Macmillan Education Ltd.
• Maykut, P, Morehouse, P. (1994) Beginning
  Qualitative Research A Philosophical and
  Practical Guide . London Falmer

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Action research readings

• Schön, D. (1995). Knowing-in-action The New
  Scholarship requires a New Epistemology, Change,
  November/December, 1995. pp. 27-34.
• Stringer, E. (1999). Action Research, Sage
  Publications 2nd edition
• Winter. R.(1989). Learning from Experience.
  RoutledgeFalmer
• Whitehead, J, (1989) Creating a Living
  Educational Theory From Questions of the Kind,
  How do I Improve my Practice? online. Available
  from http/www.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/writing/livtheo
  ry.html
• Whitehead, J. (1998) Educational Action
  Researchers Creating Their Own Living Educational
  Theories. A paper for presentation to the Action
  Research SIG, AERA, San Diego.
• Zubber-Skerritt, O. (1998). Developing as
  researchers (co-edited with Linda Conrad.
  Brisbane Griffith Institute for Higher Education
• Zubber-Skerritt, O. (1996). New directions in
  action research. London Falmer Press.
• Zubber-Skerritt, O. (1992). Action Research in
  Higher Education. London Kogan Press.

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Action Research web resources
Action research resources