Take action, do research, change yourself -- using Action Research in PE

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Facilitator(s)

• David Leasure, Research Director, Academy of Process Educators

Why?

Research within Process Education often involves change within an organization. An especially useful tool that is evidence-based is Action Research. It is a framework for managing and researching change: study the change that is needed, make the change, measure it, and repeat as needed. Along the way sort out what works, what doesn't, and why, as well as making changes within the change agents (researcher and participants).

Learning Outcomes

1. Initiate an action research project with the 3 preliminaries
2. Conduct one through each of the 4 phases
3. Ensure the results are trusted

Performance Criteria

Participants feel confident about getting started making a change and have produced a plan that includes...

• Ethics, logic, and purpose in the startup phase
• The phases (4 or 5): design, act, measure, analyze
• The data to collect, the audience to use
• The means of publishing and sharing back
• The personal improvement log and writeup

Resources

• A PowerPoint of the workshop and an AR Plan document template will be provided at the workshp.

Technology Requirements

• Webinar requires an internet connection, computer, microphone, and speakers; a camera is optional; the required software is Microsoft Word.

Plan

Before the workshop

• Read short article on action research, pp. 125-136 in the Good Research Guide by M. Denscome (2010) available through ResearchGate and locally HERE.
• Make a list of 2-3 problems you want to solve that require cooperation of a group of people, such as a group of learners or an organization and its employees or managers. For each problem, write a paragraph definition of what you want to solve and why you want to solve it; identify the potential cooperants, identify any known resources that apply, and a short plan of the actions needed.
• Apply the Action Research Checklist (Denscombe 2010, p136) to each of your ideas.
• Make a list of the things you want to know, but don’t, related to the workshop.

During the workshop

• Brief introductions: name & top problem
• Participant questions for the workshop
• Brief overview of AR
• Work through each step of the template with an example and on one’s own
• Review questions and answers

After the workshop

• Post your plan for assessment on the forum for this workshop
• Assess two other plans
• Assess the Workshop

Reference

• Denscombe, M. (2010). The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects (4th ed.). Maidenhead, England: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.