ABSTRACT

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.

chapter |7 pages

Introduction

About CARN (Collaborative Action Research Network)

part II|63 pages

Action research for participation and empowerment

part III|71 pages

Evidence-based reflection as a key to reflective action

chapter 8|9 pages

Camera, action!

Teaching documentary video as a tool for empowering weak students

chapter 9|14 pages

Reflective processes in action research and in psychoanalytic observational studies

Two approaches for teaching professionals

chapter 10|13 pages

Learning to guide open inquiry

From self-experience to transfer into teaching

chapter 11|21 pages

Action research in science education

From general justifications to a specific model in practice

part IV|30 pages

Epistemological considerations

chapter 13|11 pages

Critical action research and the challenge of postmodernism

Perspectives and limitations

chapter 14|19 pages

What is good action research?

Reflections about quality criteria