PowerPoint-esitys

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Action Research and the Micropolitics of
School Tor-Vidar Eilertsen University of
Tromsoe, Norway Tor.Eilertsen_at_sv.uit.no Niklas
Gustafson Malmö University, Sweden
niklas.gustafson_at_lut.mah.se Petri Salo Åbo
Academy University, Finland psalo_at_abo.fi
CARN 2006
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Empowerment (Non) participation
Collaboration.. ..Action .. .Change
.Development .Re De liberation
Inclusion /Exclusion Emancipation
..Resistance . Critical friend /Uncritical
enemy
ACTION RESEARCH AS POLITICS
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Micropolitics in Schools
Power is a property of the system at rest
politics is the study of power in action
Pfeffer (1981) in Power in organizations
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Micropolitics in Schools
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Micropolitics in Schools
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(power) relationships in rest
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Micropolitics in Schools
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Iniative from inside
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Micropolitics in Schools
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TRUST AND POWER
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Action research is about
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CASE TOR VIDAR
Micropolitics in Schools
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Micropolitics in Schools
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Action research Belvedere (lighthouse)
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CASE NIKLAS
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I am a bit hesitant to the prospect of my team
leader participating, she has been behind many of
the initiatives that I have been questioning at
my school. But I dont think this necessarily
will create conflicts between us.
(Gustafson, forthcoming)
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It can be a hornets nest among us adults... We
have so much, and we must talk to each other. Our
team leader conveys important messages to us in
the morning. She says for example. Okay, now I
have a bomb. Then we become worried like hell,
and then it is only one and a half minute left to
half nine. And then we must go and put on the
teachers mask and go teaching, although we just
have got to know something really weird. All of
us become upset and babble
(Gustafson, forthcoming)
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At times I feel that I talk too much within the
project. I have a lot of things to say. But I
find it very improving to be here. I am able to
adopt new perspectives on different matters. My
work is a treadmill, it is full speed all the
time. One has to solve the everyday problems and
do it quickly, solutions has to be found
immediately. But during our discussions I am
allowed to think in a more general way. I am
somehow able to land. And then we just sit down
and begin to talk about some-thing. I feel that I
am able to dissociate myself from the ridiculous
sandpit I am playing in at my school. At school
we just discuss who should take care of the
different duties. But the really interesting and
rewarding to talk about the things we might be
able to change. But when you return to school you
are immediately and intensively drawn into your
duties .. But here one is able to peacefully
discuss all the really important things. It is
stressful to come here, because there is always
have something else to take care of. But when I
am here, I feel really good.
(Gustafson, forthcoming) Has this teacher
become micropolitically more literate?
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The Micropolitics of ACTION RESEARCH INITIATIVE
ENGAGEMENT AIMS (hidden agendas) RESEARCH
STRATEGIES TOOLS (language)
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The roles and dilemmas of an action researcher
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in a school
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IS THERE ANY ADDED VALUE IN USING THE CONCEPT OF
MICROPOLITICS FOR THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF
ACTION RESEARCH IN SCHOOLS?
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The private arena As a teacher one has an
immense amount of power, which is a little bit
frightening. We maintain that we have high degree
pupil participation and all kinds of pupils
councils, as it should be in a school of the day.
But at the end it is always the teacher who makes
the decisions. The good thing with the power is
that one can affect how the pupils relate to
certain things. In the case of fights between
pupils one is able dig deeply in to it and affect
how the children look upon it. The unfortunate
fact that a teacher has a lot of power ends up
with something positive, me using my power


(Gustafson, forthcoming). The arena of
interaction The tradition is vigorously
maintained by a handful of teachers in natural
sciences. They have been in the school for ages,
their teaching is highly instrumental, their
approach to knowledge is narrow-minded and they
expect the school to reproduce the pupils in a
disciplined matter. These teachers have a
powerful position amongst the school subject
teachers because of the fact of their seniority,
their knowledge in their own subject as well as
the overall rules and regulations
(Eilertsen
1989) The public arena All the important
decisions at our school for the moment are made
by the Supreme Soviet, an Olympic committee,
Mafia, call it whatever

(Salo 2002, 232).