This book presents a collection of stories from action research projects in schools and a university. This collection is more than simply an illustration of the scope of action research in education - it shows how projects that differ on a variety of dimensions can raise similar themes, problems and issues. The book begins with theme chapters discussing action research, social justice and partnerships in research. The case study chapters cover topics such as: * school environment - how to make a school a healthier place to be * parents - how to involve them more in decision-making * students as action researchers * a state system - a collaborative effort between university staff and a state education department * gender - how to promote gender equity in schools * improving assessment in the social sciences * staff development planning * doing a PhD through action research * writing up action research projects.

The work of public service professionals all over the world has become more complex in recent years as they have had to manage new realities of the intensification of work, persistent demands to raise standards without the power to influence the nature, direction or pace of these, and associated increases in bureaucracy. By regularly and systematically reflecting upon their thinking and practice and the contexts in which these take place, many professionals have found 'room to manoeuvre' and have been able to rediscover, articulate and communicate a set of core values that promote the care and concern for welfare and the public good, which are essential components of work in the public service sector. This book contains 16 articles from across the professions and from different countries which explore and examine the nature, purposes, processes and outcomes of action research, its importance to professional growth and the challenges of collaboration and change. Written by practitioners from schools and universities, health and social services, it provides a comprehensive yet focused critical appraisal which the Editors believe is essential reading for all for whom lifelong learning is a key component of being and sustaining themselves as professionals.

Breaking Free is a practical guide to facilitating self-directing educational processes into participatory action research (PAR) enabling average people to contribute what they can as active participants in research projects. As such, it is designed primarily for these participants rather than the academic researcher in order to introduce participants to authentic contributions they can make as activists in knowledge-making processes. At the same time, Breaking Free guides academic researchers towards helpful practices enriching their often times lonely and isolated existence created by a false sense of "objectivity." A hands-on practical yet disciplined approach to facilitating PAR prepares readers to craft their own individual Guide as they prepare for the PAR life. This opens up the world of knowledge-making to people long silenced by forces intent on controlling knowledge for the educated elite. Breaking Free invites people to contribute as they can and be recognized for this contribution.

Order your digital inspection copy here. Sharp and focused, this book provides the need-to-know information on how to design and implement a good, high quality research project. Oriented around real-world application, it emphasizes the aspects of research most relevant to conducting practice-based research. Assuming no prior knowledge, but appropriate for experienced learners, it builds knowledge at a sustainable pace. It offers readers: - A no frills guide to methodology and the theory of conducting research - Strategies for communicating complex ideas - Insight into common impact-driven methods like action research, case study, and mixed methods - Ways to develop systematic research projects within the boundaries of everyday working life - Ample opportunities to test and apply newfound knowledge. With streamlined advice tailored specifically to support research in professional contexts, this book is the essential toolkit every researcher who is embarking on a practice-led project needs.

Information Systems Research: Relevant Theory and Informed Practice comprises the edited proceedings of the WG8.2 conference, "Relevant Theory and Informed Practice: Looking Forward from a 20-Year Perspective on IS Research," which was sponsored by IFIP and held in Manchester, England, in July 2004. The conference attracted a record number of high-quality manuscripts, all of which were subjected to a rigorous reviewing process in which four to eight track chairs, associate editors, and reviewers thoughtfully scrutinized papers by the highly regarded as well as the newcomers. No person or idea was considered sacrosanct and no paper made it through this process unscathed. All authors were asked to revise the accepted papers, some more than once; thus, good papers got better. With only 29 percent of the papers accepted, these proceedings are significantly more selective than is typical of many conference proceedings. This volume is organized in 7 sections, with 33 full research papers providing panoramic views and reflections on the Information Systems (IS) discipline followed by papers featuring critical interpretive studies, action research, theoretical perspectives on IS research, and the methods and politics of IS development. Also included are 6 panel descriptions and a new category of "bright idea" position papers, 11 in all, wherein main points are summarized in a pithy and provocative fashion.

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

Action Research is becoming more popular in nursing and healthcare. It is used by practitioners who want to better understand and improve the quality of their work, and by students who need to do a research project for their course. An Action Research approach enables evidence-based care and links research directly to practice, making it the ideal method for a researcher in these fields. This book introduces readers to Action Research by presenting its key concepts and backing these up with practical examples throughout, often drawn from the authors′ own extensive experience. Topics include: - Action research to advance patient care - Collaborative working - Ethics - Participatory Action Research - Writing up and disseminating projects Williamson, Bellman, and Webster - leading figures in the field - provide practical advice for using Action Research in healthcare settings, with patients and alongside other practitioners. Their book presents a flexible approach that can be adapted to researchers′ real needs.

Participatory Action Learning and Action Research offers a concise yet comprehensive explanation of the theory, practice and process of this emerging paradigm, methodology and theory of learning. PALAR is a transformative, collaborative and democratic process for resolving complex problems within the context of sustainable professional, organisational and community development. The book draws on real-life examples from socially and economically challenged contexts, and features critical reflections on the strengths and challenges of this evolving methodology in relation to the increased interest in community engagement and project-based learning among institutions of higher education. Analysing theory in the context of sustainable professional, organisational and community development, this book: Provides a comprehensive, research-based manual on the use of PALAR within actual research projects. Explains a means of engaging in research that promotes the mobilisation of human potential relevant in a rapidly changing society. Addresses the challenges of doing participatory research within institutions. Provides applied, specific examples of how PALAR can be adapted for use in socially and economically challenged contexts, typical of developing economies. Offers critical reflections by researchers and community participants on the challenges and uses of PALAR. Innovative, and offering clarity on ethics and research questions, Participatory Action Learning and Action Research will be of interest to both emerging and experienced researchers looking to bring about change at a personal, professional, organisational or community level.

Practical and down-to-earth, the second edition of Action Research in Teaching and Learning is an ideal introduction to the subject, offering a distinctive blend of the theoretical and the practical, grounded firmly in the global higher education landscape. Written in an accessible style to build confidence, it provides easily adaptable, practical frameworks, guidelines and advice on research practice within a higher education context. The reader is guided through each stage of the action research process, from engaging with the critical theory, to the practical applications with the ultimate goal of providing a research study which is publishable. Supplemented by useful pedagogical research tools and exemplars of both qualitative and quantitative action research studies, this new edition features chapters engaging with teaching excellence and analysing qualitative and quantitative research, additions to the resources section and a new preface focusing more explicitly on the ever-growing number of part-time academics. Action Research in Teaching and Learning combines a theoretical understanding of the scholarly literature with practical applications and is an essential, critical read for any individual teaching or undertaking action research.

Lost in Practice offers a further development of the notion of Nordic educational action research (as described in a earlier volume Nurturing praxis 2008), aiming to deepen and enrich understandings of the Nordic educational tradition and its various practices. It explores Nordic traditions and theories, such as bildung, practical knowledge regime and translation theory, with the aim of furthering a seminal conversation between practice theory and action research. Furthermore it illuminates the use of these theories in the context of Nordic countries by presenting a number of case studies on professional development practices, in which specific forms and arenas for enhancing dialogue and meaning making are in focus. The practices of study and research circles, peer group mentoring and dialogue conferences, as developed in the Nordic countries throughout the 20th century, are presented and discussed, both in terms of established traditions and of practices of collaborative development. The book also reflect on the “regional” traditions and educational practices in the Nordic countries are reflected on in the third part of the book. The volume addresses teachers at all levels in the educational system, particularly those who are interested in understanding educational action research and furthering collaborative forms of professional development, based on insights from different traditions for understanding and furthering the development of educational practices without getting lost.