Action researcher
A figureskater caught in her pirouettes
The Heritage of Kurt Lewin
effective.leadershipdevelopment.edu.au/
.../
www.change-management-toolbook.com/mod/book/p..
Dialectical relationship between retrospective
explanation/understanding and prospective action
What has been done and what ought to be done otherwise?
RECONSTRUTIVE
DISCOURSE
Among participants
PRACTICE
Reflect
CONSTRUCTIVE
Plan
interaction
Observe
Act
In the social context
Carr & Kemmis 1986, 185-187
MARX revolutionizing practice
HABERMAS conduct of political struggle
FREIRE problematization – conscientization - praxis
Reflecting on history
Preparing for future
Rationalistic
Thinking
Social
action
Reflect
Plan
Observe
Act
Empiric
Pragmatic
Heikkinen & Huttunen 2008
Steps in
action research
Ferrance 2009, 9
Action research cycles
Progressive problemsolving
with action research
The textbook
ideal
Action design
Building the picture
Understanding what and how events/actions occur
Clarifying a detailed picture of the context
Getting insight into the phenomenon/issue
Evaluating
REFLECT
the outcomes of actions,
the engagement of those
involved,
Interpreting and analyzing
OBSERVE PLAN
the effect of resources in use
The priorities and the ways of
formulating problems
ACT
actions, processes
and contexts in
order to clarify the actors
understanding and for
identifying priorities
Resolving the problems
Formulating practical solutions to the problems that
have been prioritized
Engaging people and mobilizing resources
Stringer 1999
Action research in action
Rich co-description of the Phenomenon, Situation
and Context in which it occurs
Identification and definition of the problem or challenge
Historical accounts
Systematic co-evaluation
and reflection
of the actions, outcomes and
effectsin the light of
the conceptualization of the
challenge and the resources
REFLECT
An inventory of different/differing
experiences and understandings
Conceptualization of P, S, and C
on the basis of literature, research
and negotiations
OBSERVE PLAN
Organization and preliminary analysis
of the documented actions
Spontaneous discussions and
orientating meetings
ACT
A co-formulation of an aim and an
action plan
in relation to resources, actors
and expected outcomes
A plan for documenting actions
and outcomes
Implementation of the plan
Observation and documentation
according to the plans
Ferrance 2009
Methods for gathering
information
Methods for meaningmaking
and interpretation/
cogeneration
REFLECT
Methods for organizing
and analyzing information
OBSERVE PLAN
Methods for
communication
ACT
Methods for meaningmaking
and interpretation/
cogeneration
Methods for gathering
information
Methods for and in Action Research
Methods for gathering information
Instantly: Observations, interviews/conversations, surveys, existing
documents, documenting everyday reality (photos, videos ..)
Long term: Diaries, (b)loggs, portfolios, memos, meeting loggs, Wikis
Methods for organizing and analyzing information
Everyday and scientific methods for analysis of information/data
Theoretical frameworks
Methods for meaningmaking and interpretation/cogeneration
Mind maps, conceptual maps, narratives/metaphors, dramas,
role plays
Theoretical frameworks
Methods for communication
dialogues, work-conferences, dialogue-conferences, guidance/tutoring,
Wikis
Reporting Action Research
Reporting Systematic inquiry into human being and acting
Thick, rich descriptions
Actors voices, experiences
Negoations
Alternative plans
Continuous feedback
(documentation)
Thick, rich descriptions
Actors voices,
experiences
Negoations
Alternative plans
Continuous feedback
(documentation)
Thick, rich descriptions
Actors voices, experiences
Negotiations
Alternative plans
Continuous feedback
(documentation)
Thick, rich descriptions
Actors voices, experiences
Negotiations
Alternative plans
Continuous feedback
(documentation)
Action research quality assurance
REFLECT
OBSERVE PLAN
REFLECT
REFLECT
ACT
OBSERVE PLAN
REFLECT
ACT
OBSERVE PLAN
ACT
REFLECT
OBSERVE PLAN
OBSERVE PLAN
ACT
REFLECT
OBSERVE PLAN
ACT
ACT
REFLECT
OBSERVE PLAN
ACT
REFLECT
OBSERVE PLAN
ACT
Improved
Action
Collaborative
Re Search
Action
Action
Insiders
Participants
Actors
Collaborative
Re Search
Action
Collaborative
Re Search Outsiders
Action
Collaborative
Re Search
Researchers
Critical friends
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
CHANGE, RECONSTRUCT
DEVELOP
ACTIONS
STREAMLINE
CONSEQUENCES
RESULTS
RULES, PROCESSES, STRATEGIES
EXPERIENCES, INSIGHTS, CONCEPTIONS
ASSUMPTIONS, VALUES, GOALS, PRINCIPLES
Single loop – double loop – deutero learning
A framework for analyzing AR practices
Zeicher and Somekh 2009 , 10-11
The purposes for conducting
(understanding, improving, knowledge-production)
The contextual conditions
The philosophy towards teachers and their learning
The sponsors and stakeholders
The incentives for doing action research
Forms of inquiry
Relationship to other kind of research
Ways of representing action research to others
Types of
Educational
Action Research
Ferrance 2009
Widening
circles
The Public arena
School district
Local community
School-wide AR
The arena of interaction
ACT
Collegial-Collaborative AR
On formal – informal basis
The Private arena
REFLECT
Teacher-as-researcher
In a classroom
OBSERVE
Subject
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
Departmental policy
Communication – collaboration
Leadership
Responses to policy development
Community development/action
PLAN
The Reality
The reality
The function and aim of VET
Basic training <–> specialization
The autonomy and freedom of the teacher
Increased <–> always been ample
Leadership and administration
A need of explicit rules and directions, and a strong leadership
<–> teachers and the departments has to have the possibility of acting
freely and with a flexibility
The planning and execution of the renewal
Too abstract and general <–> too detailed and precise
The new organization(al model)
Functioning well <–> a mess
Teachers view on didactics
Interested in <–> useless
If you want to get confused and loose the nights´ rest get involved in
action research in a school in a middle of a transformation process
The beauty of chaos
Russell Ackoff’s (1999) term ‘messes’ sums up one of the ways a great
many action researchers differ from their conventional social science
colleagues. Messes are complex, multi-dimensional, intractable,
dynamic problems that can only be partially addressed and partially
resolved. Yet most action researchers have disciplined themselves to
believe that messes can be attractive and even exciting.
We try not to avoid messy situations despite knowing that we do not
have the ‘magic bullet’ because we believe that, together with
legitimate community stakeholders, we can do something to improve
the situation.
Pain, joy, fear, bravery, love, rage – all are present in our action research
lives.
Brydon-Miller, Greenwood & Maguire 2003, 21-22
The action researcher Raimo on school in school
(Kuula 1999, 69-70)
What is a certain teachers problem about teaching lessons
longer than 45 minutes about? It is hardly just about the
inability of this teacher to implement the renewal in question.
The reasons might be found in the teaching cultures, the
historical development or the hassles between the teachers.
The problem does not just appear as a single technical problem,
rather managing of it requires paying attention of the school
(education) as a whole. If I am not, as a action researcher,
capable of grasping the totality, I will get in trouble. And
consequently, I can give up or I can seclude myself into a
majestic desolation and become a martyr.
Our dependence on language
Schools
exist
in and by
language
Vocabulary S
Domain S
Research
is conducted
in and by
language
Vocabulary D
Domain D
ACTION RESEARCH as
conversational research
co-operative inquiry
co-creation of a local theory
The Scandinavian model of participatory action research
Elden and Levin (1991, 130)
INSIDERS
IMPLICIT, INDIVIDUAL,
FRAGMENTED ACTION ”THEORY”
OUTSIDERS
THEORY BASED
ACTION ”THEORY
COMING TOGETHER
DIALOGUE - MUTUALITY
LANGUAGE
DEPENDENCY
LOCAL THEORY
NEW SHARED FRAMEWORK
TESTING
NEW THEORY
Teachers
experiential
action-related
knowledge
Teachers acting
based on unrecognised
habits and coercion
Scientific
THEORY
Different rationalities
Descriptive-analytical
vs.
Normative-prescriptive
statements
METAPHOR
Figurative use of language
Analogy/comparison between two domains
Tenor
Vehicle
Action researcher as a critical friend
LOOPS AND CYCLES
THE ROOTMETAPHORS
IN ACTION RESEARCH