ABSTRACT
This chapter explores why action research is an appropriate research method when studying how school-age childcare staff facilitate play. It furthermore argues that this is research from a playwork perspective. Action research is a practice-changing practice, balancing research, participation and action. The Playwork Principles argues that play is a process controlled by the players, and in a similar way action research argues that the issues explored must originate from practitioners. The process of change described in this chapter was negotiated and agreed between the practitioners and the researcher. The Playwork Principles equally argues that playworkers work to the child’s agenda which suggests a critical view of power and social position. The action research project explored was inspired by critical theory which also allowed for play as a concept to be more than, for example, learning. The research presented attempted to retain multiple perspectives and the complexity of both play and school-age childcare staff’s practice.
