ABSTRACT
Action research is an intervention in personal practice to encourage improvement for oneself and others. The action is not haphazard or routine, but driven by educational values that need to be explored and defended. It is a practical form of research which recognises that the world is not perfect and that professional values have to be negotiated. It also recognises that, while the focus may be the individual practitioner, individuals are always in company with others. So a central value that is accepted by most action researchers is the value of respect for other people, which means that those people’s views and values must be accommodated.
