Download or read book Action Research The Challenges Of Changing And Researching Practice written by Townsend, Andrew and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can practice be understood and developed? What part can action research play in that process? What principles lie at the heart of action research and how can they be adopted? How can action research bring about democratic and collaborative changes to practice? These and other questions are answered in this book which offers both a practical step-by-step guide to action research and an examination of the underlying principles and challenges. Action research as an approach aims to generate knowledge and achieve principled change. This book explores the overarching features and a variety of models of action research to provide advice, guidance, and support on its conduct and to identify challenges that may arise, with a focus on understanding and changing practice as a result. Throughout the book examples of action research illustrate each of the stages of action research so that you can see how action research has been conducted and applied in practice, and how this relates to the principles and practices of action research discussed in the book. Conducting action research can present a number of challenges. This book includes reflection points on the challenges posed, as well as advice on how these challenges may be addressed in order to achieve embedded and sustainable change. "The book to recommend to your students to help them understand how action research has developed as a form of inquiry and support them to plan their own studies. By clearly setting out the principles that underpin the process, and by linking to examples of how others have carried out research across a range of professions, it goes beyond being a basic introductory text and provides them with multiple routes into this complex and challenging area. Whether you are a novice or experienced researcher this book will provide you with new ways of thinking and challenge your conceptions about the theory and practice of action research. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical and practical resources it will help you position yourself amongst the various influences that have shaped the area. The clearly laid out chapters provide you with a step by step process to designing an action research project. At each stage it provides links to key constructs and examples that will help you clarify your thinking and support as you implement your study." Professor Mark Hadfield, Director, Centre for Developmental and Applied Research in Education, University of Wolverhampton, UK "This book fully embraces the 'glorious and challenging diversity of action research' and is essential reading for anyone interested in undertaking any form of educational research. Written by a passionate exponent of action research, this book provides an excellent introduction into the topic and develops a number of key issues about the nature and context of action research. The author provides a detailed discussion of the current debate and goes on to deal with the practical challenges involved in the development of action research projects. Well written, in a challenging and accessible style, Action Research makes a major contribution to the improvement of teaching and learning that lies at the heart of action research." Ian Abbott, Director, Institute of Education, University of Warwick, UK "This refreshing new book will prove invaluable to teachers embarking on Masters-level Action Research studies. By drawing widely on scholarship to illuminate the practical challenges and problematic issues arising for practitioner-researchers, this book operates as a guide, a resource and also as a stimulating companion through the research process; it encourages readers to design and to refine action research approaches that meet the needs of their learners and the wider community. It will help teachers to redefine their practices and to confidently establish themselves as principled andprofessional teacher-researchers." Dr Andy Convery, University of Sunderland, UK "This book is a rich and useful text both for those wanting to explore the practice of action research and the key ideas underpinning it as an approach. Andrew Townsend brings much experience as a researcher, thinker and developer of action research in educational settings to this book." Professor Colleen McLaughlin, University of Cambridge (moving to Sussex) "I have recommended this book for practitioners on the action research programme we carry out. It is much more than a how to guide; it raises the fundamental questions about the nature of action research. One of its key strengths is that it discusses the tensions within action research in a critical manner and invites readers to reach their own conclusions. It succeeds admirably in its aim of appealing to a broad readership, including those new to action research or those wanting to know more about it." Mick Hammond, University of Warwick, UK

Download or read book Action Research The Challenges of Understanding and Changing Practice written by Andrew Townsend and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2013-02-16 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can practice be understood and developed? What part can action research play in that process? What principles lie at the heart of action research and how can they be adopted? How can action research bring about democratic and collaborative changes to practice? These and other questions are answered in this book which offers both a practical step-by-step guide to action research and an examination of the underlying principles and challenges. Action research as an approach aims to generate knowledge and achieve principled change. This book explores the overarching features and a variety of models of action research to provide advice, guidance, and support on its conduct and to identify challenges that may arise, with a focus on understanding and changing practice as a result. Throughout the book examples of action research illustrate each of the stages of action research so that you can see how action research has been conducted and applied in practice, and how this relates to the principles and practices of action research discussed in the book. Conducting action research can present a number of challenges. This book includes reflection points on the challenges posed, as well as advice on how these challenges may be addressed in order to achieve embedded and sustainable change. “The book to recommend to your students to help them understand how action research has developed as a form of inquiry and support them to plan their own studies.” Professor Mark Hadfield, Director, Centre for Developmental and Applied Research in Education, University of Wolverhampton, UK “This book fully embraces the ‘glorious and challenging diversity of action research’ and is essential reading for anyone interested in undertaking any form of educational research.” Ian Abbott, Director, Institute of Education, University of Warwick, UK “This refreshing new book will prove invaluable to teachers embarking on Masters-level Action Research studies. It will help teachers to redefine their practices and to confidently establish themselves as principled andprofessional teacher-researchers.” Dr Andy Convery, University of Sunderland, UK “This book is a rich and useful text both for those wanting to explore the practice of action research and the key ideas underpinning it as an approach. Andrew Townsend brings much experience as a researcher, thinker and developer of action research in educational settings to this book.” Professor Colleen McLaughlin, University of Cambridge (moving to Sussex) “I have recommended this book for practitioners on the action research programme we carry out. It is much more than a how to guide; it raises the fundamental questions about the nature of action research” Mick Hammond, University of Warwick, UK

Download or read book Promoting Change through Action Research written by Franz Rauch and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Bringing a different world into existence – Action Research as a trigger for innovations” was the overarching theme and vision of the international CARN Conference 2011 in Vienna. The chapters in this book are drawn mainly from conference contributions. The authors share practical knowledge which has arisen from their work, and reflect on development processes in schools, in teacher education and professional development, social work, social peda¬gogy, health care and community development. This book offers what some critics believe has been missing in recent action research literature, namely first person accounts of action researchers who endeavour to change working conditions and social relations in their environment through the conduct of action research. This book is also distinguished by assembling contributions from people who are linking action research to a broad diversity of differing contexts, and who are exploring topics or issues across various applications of action research.

Download or read book Teacher Action Research written by Gerald J. Pine and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2008-10-31 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is a wonderful book with deep insight into the relationship between teachers′ action and result of student learning. It discusses from different angles impact of action research on student learning in the classroom. Writing samples provided at the back are wonderful examples." —Kejing Liu, Shawnee State University Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies focuses on helping schools build knowledge democracies through a process of action research in which teachers, students, and parents collaborate in conducting participatory and caring inquiry in the classroom, school, and community. Author Gerald J. Pine examines historical origins, the rationale for practice-based research, related theoretical and philosophical perspectives, and action research as a paradigm rather than a method. Key Features Discusses how to build a school research culture through collaborative teacher research Delineates the role of the professional development school as a venue for constructing a knowledge democracy Focuses on how teacher action research can empower the active and ongoing inclusion of nontraditional voices (those of students and parents) in the research process Includes chapters addressing the concrete practices of observation, reflection, dialogue, writing, and the conduct of action research, as well as examples of teacher action research studies

Download or read book The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research written by David Coghlan and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2014-08-11 with total page 901 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Action research is a term used to describe a family of related approaches that integrate theory and action with a goal of addressing important organizational, community, and social issues together with those who experience them. It focuses on the creation of areas for collaborative learning and the design, enactment and evaluation of liberating actions through combining action and research, reflection and action in an ongoing cycle of cogenerative knowledge. While the roots of these methodologies go back to the 1940s, there has been a dramatic increase in research output and adoption in university curricula over the past decade. This is now an area of high popularity among academics and researchers from various fields—especially business and organization studies, education, health care, nursing, development studies, and social and community work. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research brings together the many strands of action research and addresses the interplay between these disciplines by presenting a state-of-the-art overview and comprehensive breakdown of the key tenets and methods of action research as well as detailing the work of key theorists and contributors to action research.

Download or read book Action Research Innovation and Change written by Thomas Stern and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-17 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Action research continues to see a growth in interest both internationally and across disciplines. This book demonstrates the diversity in settings and focus for action research and provides a guide to its core aspiration: to achieve principled change. Written by authors from a range of countries and range of disciplines (including education, health care, palliative care, social work and community development), this book answers these key questions: How can action research be used to achieve principled change? How has action research been applied in various disciplines and in different countries? What can be learnt about the conduct of action research from these diverse settings? By means of detailed case studies of successful projects and discussions that challenge and raise theoretical questions, this book explores some of the contemporary cutting edge applications and conceptualisations of action research. Action research paves the way for the empowerment of people involved in social action, and the examples of successful change processes that are the core of this book will prove inspirational and provide practical advice. Written by a range of leading international researchers in the field, this book will define the future for action research for years to come.

Download or read book Online Small Groups as Sites of Teaching written by Simon Hallonsten and published by BoD - Books on Demand. This book was released on 2024-04-25 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Centered around a reflective narrative recounting the experiences of a participatory action research project into leading online small groups for adults in the Church of Sweden Diocese of Stockholm during 2021 and 2022, the dissertation argues for the need to reconceptualize and reemphasize teaching as an important aspect in Christian religious education. Employing creative non-fiction methods, the dissertation aims to broaden the scope of the initial Online Small Groups project, by inviting readers to join into a "learning journey." The narrative account is complemented with more traditional forms of analysis that connect experiences from online small groups in the Church of Sweden to similar research from Anglo-Saxon countries, noting especially how notions of community diverge due to different ecclesiological understandings. Insights are then synthesized into eight teaching strategies aimed at communicating actionable knowledge to small group leaders, before noting how the study complements research on Christian religious education and, particularly, the current debate about learning and teaching in the Church of Sweden.

Download or read book Action Research written by Jean McNiff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-01-22 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the first edition of this established text was published in 1988, action research has gained ground as a popular method amongst educational researchers, and in particular for practising teachers doing higher-level courses. In this new edition Jean McNiff provides updates on methodological discussions and includes new sections of case study material and information on supporting action research. The book raises issues about how action research is theorised, whether it is seen as a spectator discipline or as a real life practice, and how practitioners position themselves within the debate. It discusses the importance for educators of understanding their own work and showing how their educative influence can lead to the development of good orders in formal and informal learning settings and in the wider community. This second edition comes at a time when, after years of debate over what counts as action research, it is now considered an acceptable and useful part of mainstream research practice.

Download or read book Transferring Language Learning and Teaching From Face to Face to Online Settings written by Giannikas, Christina Nicole and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2022-02-18 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Language teaching programs have to respond to the need for distance education, with teachers working to transfer their material onto online platforms and/or learning management systems (LMS) even though their materials are not designed with distance learning in mind. COVID-19 has led to English language teaching programs extending their teaching online for the unforeseeable future and trying to adjust the material to deliver high-quality practice. The education emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that the world needs an education system that favors flexibility and resilience to equip educators to face unpredictable emergencies that may arise. Transferring Language Learning and Teaching From Face-to-Face to Online Settings examines the phenomenon of emergency language education further and provides an avenue for language teachers and researchers to share their experience, thoughts, and suggestions about transferring their material and teaching approaches from face-to-face (f2f) to an online setting. The edited volume offers a platform for exploring how the field of language teaching is adapting to changes that have derived from the pandemic, with a strong focus on the challenges faced and ways to move forward. Covering topics such as digital pedagogy and teacher education, it is ideal for instructors, faculty trainers, instructional designers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, teachers, teacher educators, and students.

Download or read book Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization written by David Coghlan and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2009-10-21 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization is the essential resource for anyone embarking on a research project in their own organization or as part of a work placement programme whether in business, healthcare, government, education, social work or third sector organizations. The authors provide an easy-to-follow, hands-on guide to every aspect of conducting an action research project and have added in the Third Edition: - more on politics and ethics to help researchers negotiate gaining access and permission, and building and maintaining support from peers and relevant subsystems within an organization - more on writing an action research dissertation, and treatment of sensitive issues such as: giving feedback to one’s superiors and peers, disseminating the research to the wider community, and handling interpretations or outcomes which may be perceived negatively by the organization involved. - more case examples and reflective exercises taken from a wide variety of organizational settings to aid students and researchers whatever their background discipline.

Download or read book Research Actionable Knowledge and Social Change written by Edward P. St. John and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A professional text written for social science researchers and practitioners, Research, Actionable Knowledge and Social Change provides strategies and frameworks for using social science research to engage in critical social and educational problem solving. Combining the best practices of critical analysis and traditional research methods, this professional text offers guidance for using the Action Inquiry Model (AIM), a transformative model that explains how to successfully conduct action-oriented research in a multitude of professional service organizations. The aim of the text is to encourage a new generation of research-based partnerships reforms that promote equity and access for underserved populations. Topics discussed include: The historical precedents for universities engaged in social change The limitations of current social science theory and methods The critical-empirical approach to social research The issues relating to social justice within the policy decision process The use of social research to integrate an emphasis of social justice into economic and policy decision making Research, Actionable Knowledge and Social Change does not propose different foundations for social research, but rather argues that it is necessary to reconsider how to work with theory and research methods to inform change. This text can also be used by students enrolled in graduate and Ed.D/Ph.D Higher Education Leadership programs and graduate programs across professional fields including K-12, public administration, sociology, health, cultural studies, organizational development and organizational theory. It further offers students guidance for research design and dissertation research.

Download or read book The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project written by Zina O′Leary and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2021-03-10 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This practical book sets out how to approach each stage of your research project, from choosing a research design and methodology to collecting and analysing data and communicating your results – and showcases best practice along the way. Packed with pragmatic guidance for tackling research in the real world, this fourth edition: Offers support for diving into a project using digital data, with how-to guidance on conducting online and social media research Empowers you to confidently disseminate your work and present with impact Helps you map out your research journey and put a plan in place with decision trees in every chapter Challenges you to be reflective and critical about the research you consume and undertake Zina O′Leary′s detailed and down-to-earth approach gives you the research skills and momentum you need to successfully complete your research project.

Download or read book International Encyclopedia of Education written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-04-17 with total page 6964 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of education has experienced extraordinary technological, societal, and institutional change in recent years, making it one of the most fascinating yet complex fields of study in social science. Unequalled in its combination of authoritative scholarship and comprehensive coverage, International Encyclopedia of Education, Third Edition succeeds two highly successful previous editions (1985, 1994) in aiming to encapsulate research in this vibrant field for the twenty-first century reader. Under development for five years, this work encompasses over 1,000 articles across 24 individual areas of coverage, and is expected to become the dominant resource in the field. Education is a multidisciplinary and international field drawing on a wide range of social sciences and humanities disciplines, and this new edition comprehensively matches this diversity. The diverse background and multidisciplinary subject coverage of the Editorial Board ensure a balanced and objective academic framework, with 1,500 contributors representing over 100 countries, capturing a complete portrait of this evolving field. A totally new work, revamped with a wholly new editorial board, structure and brand-new list of meta-sections and articles Developed by an international panel of editors and authors drawn from senior academia Web-enhanced with supplementary multimedia audio and video files, hotlinked to relevant references and sources for further study Incorporates ca. 1,350 articles, with timely coverage of such topics as technology and learning, demography and social change, globalization, and adult learning, to name a few Offers two content delivery options - print and online - the latter of which provides anytime, anywhere access for multiple users and superior search functionality via ScienceDirect, as well as multimedia content, including audio and video files

Download or read book Teachers Investigate Their Work written by Allan Feldman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-02 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teachers Investigate Their Work introduces the methods and concepts of action research through examples drawn from studies carried out by teachers. The book is arranged as a handbook with numerous sub-headings for easy reference and fourty-one practical methods and strategies to put into action, some of them flagged as suitable `starters'. Throughout the book, the authors draw on their international practical experience of action research, working in close collaboration with teachers. It is an essential guide for teachers, senior staff and co-ordinators of teacher professional development who are interested in investigating their own practice in order to improve it.

Download or read book Action Research in Education written by Sara Efrat Efron and published by Guilford Publications. This book was released on 2019-11-18 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acclaimed as a text and professional development tool, this user-friendly resource has now been revised and updated, and offers expanded coverage of collaborative action research (CAR) and participatory action research (PAR). Preservice and inservice educators get crucial step-by-step guidance for conducting classroom- and school-based studies to improve their instructional practices. Organized to mirror the full cycle of action research, the book provides balanced coverage of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Vivid vignettes and examples illustrate research approaches for a range of teaching and learning situations, school subjects, and age groups (PreK–12). Readers learn how research approaches are driven by the research question, as well as how to develop data collection strategies; design and/or evaluate assessment tools; interpret, analyze, report, and implement study results; and design a new cycle of research that builds on the previous one. New to This Edition *In-depth descriptions of CAR and PAR--which enable groups of teachers to work together to solve problems in a classroom or school--plus examples of both throughout the book. *Expanded or new discussions (with examples) of such topics as how research approaches and methods are driven by the research question, how to assess different types of reliability and validity, the differences between analysis and interpretation, and how to use sequential cycles of research for continuous improvement and professional development. *Fully updated references and resources. Pedagogical Features *Both individual and group exercises and activities in every chapter. *New and updated checklists and guidelines that enable busy educators to self-assess the progress and quality of their studies. *Sample templates to assist in development of research instruments. *Example boxes illustrating the components of an action research report. *Summary tables highlighting key aspects of different research strategies. *Chapter summaries (now shorter for ease of use) and suggestions for further reading.

Download or read book Systemic Action Research written by Danny Burns and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2007-10-24 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Systemic Action Research explains how systemic thinking works and how it can be embedded into organisational structures and processes to catalyse sustainable change and critical local interventions.

Download or read book Action Research A Methodology For Change And Development written by Somekh, Bridget and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2005-12-01 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a fresh view of action research as a methodology uniquely suited to researching the processes of innovation and change. Drawing on twenty-five years’ experience of leading or facilitating action research projects, Bridget Somekh argues that action research can be a powerful systematic intervention, which goes beyond describing, analyzing and theorizing practices to reconstruct and transform those practices. The book examines action research into change in a range of educational settings, such as schools and classrooms, university departments, and a national evaluation of technology in schools. The opening chapter presents eight methodological principles and discusses key methodological issues. The focus then turns to action research in broader contexts such as ‘southern’ countries, health, business and management, and community development. Each chapter thereafter takes a specific research project as its starting point and critically reviews its design, relationships, knowledge outcomes, political engagement and impact. Action Researchis important reading for postgraduate students and practitioner researchers in education, health and management, as well as those in government agencies and charities who wish to research and evaluate change and development initiatives. It is also valuable for pre-service and in-service training of professionals such as teachers, nurses and managers.