Action research a Handbook for Students
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ActionResearchaHandbookforStudents
w działaniu [in:] H. Červinková, B.D. Gołębniak (eds.), Badania w działaniu.
Pedagogika i antropologia zaangażowane, R. Ligus (trans.), Wydawnictwo Nau- kowe Dolnośląskiej Szkoły Wyższej, Wrocław, pp. 45– 88; Kemmis S., McTag- gart R., Nixon R. (2014), The Action Research Planner. Doing Critical Participatory Action Research, Springer, Singapore. 2.5 Action science Action science is a form of action research aiming at producing knowledge which can be used by people to improve individual, group, organisational and other prac- tices [Friedman, Putnam 2014]. Action science relies on the concept of generating useful knowledge which aims not only at explaining the world, but also showing how it can be changed [Chrostowski, Jemielniak 2011]. Action science is also defined as a form of social practice which integrates both production and the use of knowledge for the promotion of learning with and among individual people and systems [Friedman, Rogers, 2013]. It is assumed that in this approach people cre- ate theories to test them later [Chrostowski, Jemielniak 2011]. Key features of this approach include creating a community of researchers in communities of practi- tioners, building individual and collective theories of action, combining interpre- tation with rigorous theory testing, creating alternatives for the existing status quo and providing inspiration to change [Friedman, Rogers 2013]. Action science is used in many different professions and areas, e.g. manage- ment, human resources management, organisational learning, improving action strategy, conflict management, or supporting negotiators in learning based on their experiences through testing negotiation theories in their own practice, etc. [Friedman, Putnam 2014]. For more see: Argyris C. (1995), Action Science and Organizational Learn- ing, “Journal of Managerial Psychology”, no. 10(6), pp. 20–26; Friedman V.J., Putnam R.W. (2014), Action Science [in:] D. Coghlan, M. Brydon-Miller (eds.), A ction R eseARch A h Andbook foR s tudents 52 The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research, vol. 1, SAGE Publications Ltd., Lon- don, pp. 15–18. 2.6 Collaborative action research Collaborative Action Research is a type of action research in which the main principle is ensuring the possibility of joint work of people representing var- ious roles and with various responsibilities, in order to achieve a shared goal [Townsend 2014, p.116‒119]. Establishing cooperation to conduct the research between people who are connected in some way means that this type of ac- tion research may be influenced by previously existing connections. For instance, there could be issues concerning power relations arising from the fact that the group is composed of members of the same organisation who occupy different posts in its structure [Townsend 2014, p. 116‒119]. At the same time, CAR can be an opportunity to change power relations in the organisation (e.g. through greater empowerment of lower-level employees). Sometimes, however, the emancipatory objective will not be achieved, and inequalities can become rein- forced and sanctioned. Collaborative action research assumes that groups which take on this type of research benefit the most when they are diverse. This entails involving people with very different views on the studied phenomenon, which should enrich participants’ understanding of various aspects of actions taken as a result of the conducted action research [Townsend 2014]. As Richard Sagor [1992] states, in collaborative action research , the goal of the research is always formulated by practitioners, and learning must be the motivation to take up the research while researchers conducting both research and taking action must be able to have real impact on the research subject. Collaborative Action Research in not a monolithic approach. Within Col- laborative Action Research ,it is possible to distinguish other forms where formalised cooperation constitutes the core of action research. For instance, one of the forms it may take is collaborative management research which aims at expanding scientific knowledge in order to introduce organisational change [Shani 2014]. A form close to collaborative action research is cooperative in- quiry understood as a way in which people who share similar concerns and interests take intentional and joint action to understand their situation and find a way to change things for the better [Heron 2014, p. 187]. According to the main premise of cooperative inquiry all participants of the process are fully involved in making research decisions. For more see: Sagor R. (1992), How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Virginia, USA; 53 c hAPteR 2: The variety of approaches within action research: multiple roads leading to change for the better Heron J. (1996), Co-operative Inquiry: Research into the Human Condition, SAGE Publications Ltd., London.; Townsend A. (2014), Collaborative Action Research [w:] D. Coghlan, M. Brydon-Miller (red.), The e SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research, vol. 1, SAGE Publications Ltd., London, pp. 116‒119. 2.7 Educational action research Action research in the area of education has been carried out since the 1950s and it began in the USA [Noffke, Brennan 2014]. It is often understood as teach- ers’ reflection on their practice and as a tool of education [Hardy, Rönnerman, Edwards-Groves 2018]. Newton and Burgess [2008] distinguish three types of educational action research: emancipatory, practical and knowledge gener- ating. At the same time, they claim that most EAR is not primarily emanci- patory. Quoting Japie Heydenrych [2001] they remark that educational action research should not assume a simple reflection on the practice and finding ways to improve productivity. It should concentrate on studying educational practices which are often taken for granted and unthinkingly accepted, and then prob- lematise them [Newton, Burgess 2008]. The project, which culminated in this book, is one of the examples of edu- cational action research. The project was conducted by a group of 12 Jagiellonian University researchers, and its objective was to improve practice within one of the didactic activities, namely organising master’s thesis seminars. For two years, the group of researchers has been conducting a new type of seminar in which theses were not written in a standard mode but based on action research carried out by the students. The group of researchers did their research, reflected on its findings, introduced changes and evaluated them. As a result of this project, real change was implemented into the system of MA seminars in two institutes of Jagiellonian University’s. For more see: Newton P., Burgess D. (2008), Exploring Types of Educational Action Research: Implications for Research Validity, “International Journal of Qual- itative Methods”, no. 7(4), pp. 18–30. 2.8 Appreciative inquiry Appreciative inquiry enables building changes based on best practices and dis- covering assets of a given organisation or community. It means that contrary to the dominant approach in which action research focuses on solving problems A ction R eseARch A h Andbook foR s tudents 54 and difficulties occurring within the organisation, appreciative inquiry relies on what is good within the organisation. This approach assumes that the best solu- tions already exist inside organisations, people, teams, or communities, and it is possible to discover them, provided we are sufficiently attentive [McKeown, Fortune, Dupuis 2016]. In appreciative inquiry the researcher is not an objective, external observer, but someone actively involved in the organisation or community studied. Re- search participants engage in a dialogue during which they discover positive aspects of the organisation and use them as a foundation for planning future changes [Zandee 2014]. For more see: Zandee D. P., (2014), Appreciative Inquiry and Research Meth- odology. [In:] Coghlan D., Brydon-Miller M. (eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research [Vol. 1, SAGE Publications Ltd., London, pp. 48–51. 2.9 Participatory rural appraisal Download 0.96 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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