Action researcherA figureskater caught in her pirouettes

effective.leadershipdevelopment.edu.au/.../www.change-management-toolbook.com/mod/book/p..

The Heritage of Kurt Lewin

Plan

Act

Reflect

Observe

RECONSTRUTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE

DISCOURSEAmong participants

PRACTICEIn the social context

Dialectical relationship between retrospective explanation/understanding and prospective action

What has been done and what ought to be done otherwise?

Carr & Kemmis 1986, 185-187

interaction

MARX revolutionizing practiceHABERMAS conduct of political struggleFREIRE problematization – conscientization - praxis

Plan

Act

Reflect

Observe

Reflecting on history Preparing for future

Thinking

Social action

PragmaticEmpiric

Rationalistic

Heikkinen & Huttunen 2008

Steps in action research

Ferrance 2009, 9

Action design

Action research cycles Progressive problemsolving with action research

The textbookideal

Building the pictureUnderstanding what and how events/actions occurClarifying a detailed picture of the contextGetting insight into the phenomenon/issue

REFLECT

PLAN

Interpreting and analyzingactions, processes

and contexts in order to clarify the actors

understanding and for identifying priorities

ACTResolving the problems

Formulating practical solutions to the problems that have been prioritized

Engaging people and mobilizing resources

OBSERVE

Evaluating the outcomes of actions,the engagement of those

involved,

the effect of resources in useThe priorities and the ways of

formulating problems

Stringer 1999

Rich co-description of the Phenomenon, Situation and Context in which it occurs

Identification and definition of the problem or challengeHistorical accounts

REFLECT

PLANConceptualization of P, S, and C

on the basis of literature, researchand negotiations

ACT

OBSERVE

Systematic co-evaluationand reflection

of the actions, outcomes and effectsin the light of

the conceptualization of the challenge and the resources

An inventory of different/differing experiences and understandings

A co-formulation of an aim and an action plan

in relation to resources, actors and expected outcomes

A plan for documenting actions and outcomesImplementation of the plan

Observation and documentationaccording to the plans

Organization and preliminary analysisof the documented actions

Spontaneous discussions and orientating meetings

Action research in action

Ferrance 2009

Methods for gathering information

REFLECT

PLAN

Methods for organizing and analyzing information

ACTMethods for meaningmaking

and interpretation/cogeneration

OBSERVE

Methods for communication

Methods for gathering information

Methods for meaningmaking and interpretation/

cogeneration

Methods for gathering informationInstantly: 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 informationEveryday and scientific methods for analysis of information/dataTheoretical frameworks

Methods for meaningmaking and interpretation/cogenerationMind maps, conceptual maps, narratives/metaphors, dramas, role playsTheoretical frameworks

Methods for communication dialogues, work-conferences, dialogue-conferences, guidance/tutoring, Wikis

Methods for and in Action Research

Reporting Action ResearchReporting Systematic inquiry into human being and acting

Thick, rich descriptionsActors voices, experiences

NegotiationsAlternative plans

Continuous feedback(documentation)

Thick, rich descriptionsActors voices, experiences

NegotiationsAlternative plans

Continuous feedback(documentation)

Thick, rich descriptionsActors voices, experiencesNegoations

Alternative plansContinuous feedback

(documentation)

Thick, rich descriptionsActors voices, experiences

NegoationsAlternative plans

Continuous feedback(documentation)

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

Action research quality assuranceREFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

InsidersParticipants

Actors

CollaborativeRe Search

CollaborativeRe Search

CollaborativeRe Search

CollaborativeRe Search Outsiders

ResearchersCritical friends

Action

Action

Action

Action

ImprovedAction

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

ACTIONS CONSEQUENCESRESULTS

RULES, PROCESSES, STRATEGIES

EXPERIENCES, INSIGHTS, CONCEPTIONS

ASSUMPTIONS, VALUES, GOALS, PRINCIPLES

STREAMLINE

DEVELOP

CHANGE, RECONSTRUCT

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 conditionsThe philosophy towards teachers and their learningThe sponsors and stakeholdersThe incentives for doing action researchForms of inquiry Relationship to other kind of researchWays of representing action research to others

Types ofEducationalAction Research

Ferrance 2009

The Private arenaTeacher-as-researcher

In a classroom

SubjectCurriculumInstructionAssessment

Departmental policyCommunication – collaboration

LeadershipResponses to policy developmentCommunity development/action

The arena of interactionCollegial-Collaborative AROn formal – informal basis

The Public arenaSchool-wide AR

School districtLocal community

REFLECT

PLAN

ACT

OBSERVE

Wideningcircles

The Reality

The realityThe function and aim of VETBasic training <–> specialization

The autonomy and freedom of the teacherIncreased <–> always been ample

Leadership and administrationA 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 inaction research in a school in a middle of a transformation process

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.

The beauty of chaos

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.

Schoolsexist

in and by language

Researchis conducted

in and bylanguage

Our dependence on language

Vocabulary S Vocabulary D Domain S Domain D

ACTION RESEARCH asconversational research

co-operative inquiryco-creation of a local theory

INSIDERSIMPLICIT, INDIVIDUAL,

FRAGMENTED ACTION ”THEORY”

OUTSIDERSTHEORY BASED

ACTION ”THEORY

COMING TOGETHERDIALOGUE - MUTUALITY

LOCAL THEORYNEW SHARED FRAMEWORK

TESTING NEW THEORY

L A N G U A G E D E P E N D E N C Y

The Scandinavian model of participatory action researchElden and Levin (1991, 130)

ScientificTHEORY

Teachers experiential

action-relatedknowledge

Different rationalitiesDescriptive-analytical

vs.Normative-prescriptive

statements

Teachers actingbased on unrecognised

habits and coercion

METAPHORFigurative use of language

Analogy/comparison between two domains

Tenor Vehicle

Action researcher as a critical friend

LOOPS AND CYCLESTHE ROOTMETAPHORS IN ACTION RESEARCH