Action Research: Trends and Variations

Abstract

Action research continues to grow as a research tradition, yet misconceptions about what it is and is not remains, even among scholars. For example, some mistakenly believe action research is only about professional development and is not a scholarly research approach. Some assume action research must be accomplished through a collaborative process with representative stakeholders, and others believe it can be done alone as an independent process. Some believe action research is about problem solving while others avoid discourse about problems altogether and prefer to focus on the positive aspects of a setting. And, some begin the research process with defined assumptions about the core issues while others have no presuppositions and follow a discovery process. The goal of this article is to point to the various ways action research is defined and applied and position it as a growing research tradition.

The concept of historical time in early childhood education: theoretical, methodological approaches and practice

“…The educational patterns are presented below as case studies. They have been investigated using the 'action research' method (Cohen et al, 2017;Beaulieu, 2013;Whitehead, 2002, 2010), a methodological approach with qualitative features by which teachers can investigate and evaluate the educational process and reflect on their work. It is a research method applied to the 'field' of the work of teachers (educational institutions, schools, high schools, nursery schools and so on), and to social, cultural and health agencies, among others.…”

Consensus Is a Journey

“…Like some CPED colleagues, we pursue that equilibrium via action research (Buss, 2018), a version of practitioner research flexible enough to serve a diverse population of educators and historically employed for social justice aims (Neilsen, 2006). According to Beaulieu (2013), action researchers are "not necessarily scholars who are trained in research, or activists who understand political maneuvering," but rather, people "struggling with [local] power structures" and seeking collaborative solutions (p. 34). By meeting students in that middle ground, where PoPs surface, we can gradually encourage them to identify as scholars and activists.…”

The challenges of large-scale curriculum development: A case study of Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis

“…The ultimate aim was to study the system of teacher-led curriculum development such that the factors affecting a most facile and productive process could be defined to promote capacity building in the country in the future. To achieve this, the researchers we were reminded of Beaulieu (2013) who recommended that "Unlike other forms of interpretive research, action research is about seeking perspectives that are defined by the stakeholders, not by principal researchers, and it can involve exposing truths that are not guided by the myths of objectivity. For action researchers, seeking a singular truth or perspective is not necessarily a desirable goal instead (Lawrence et al, 2022), capturing the various stakeholders' perspectives can expose a broader view of the conditions that exist in a setting and offers opportunities for developing strategies that accommodate those different views.…”