Action research for professional development

Concise advice for new action researchers

JeanMcNiff

FirstandSecondEditionsJeanMcNiff1995,1997
ThirdeditionJeanMcNiff2002

Contents

Introductiontothethirdedition
Introductiontothefirstedition
Whatisactionresearch?
Whodoesactionresearch?
Wheredidactionresearchcomefrom?
Actionresearchandprofessionallearning

HowdoIdoactionresearch?
Whatisthefocusofactionresearch?
Actionplanning

Theactionplanindetail

Criteria

Criticalfriendsandvalidationgroups

Actionresearchandprofessionaldevelopment
Whydoactionresearch?

Actionresearchforagoodsocialorder

Wholeorganisationdevelopment

Supportingprofessionaldevelopment

Accreditation

Introduction to the third edition

Thetextpresentedhereoriginallytooktheformofasmallbooklet.TheFirstEditionwas
publishedin1995,andsincethenthebooklethastravelledfar,appearinginprofessional
educationcoursesinuniversities,schoolsandworkplacesaroundtheworld.
Iamplacingtheworkhereincelebrationoftwospecialevents.ThefirsteventisthatI
have(finally!)succeededinestablishingawebsite.Thesecondeventisthatthisyear
marksthetwentyfirstanniversaryofmylearningpartnershipwithJackWhitehead.
ThistextisasmuchJacksasmine.Forthelast21years,Jackhasbeenamajorinfluence
inmylifeofeducation.Duringthattimeourideashavedevelopedthroughourown
caring,creativelycriticalconversations.Whilesomespecificideasthatappearinthistext
belongtooneorotherofus(forexample,Jacksactionplans,hisideasabouttheliving
I,aboutexperiencingoneselfasalivingcontradiction,andaboutthenatureofliving
educationaltheories;andJeansideasaboutthegenerativetransformationalnatureofthe
evolutionaryprocessesofhumanenquiry),manyoftheideashavebeendeveloped
collaboratively.Itisaremarkablepartnership,especiallyinlightofthefactthatwedont
seeeachotherthatoften,giventhatJacklivesandworksinBath,andJeancommutes
fromherhomeinDorsettoworkinIreland.Whenwedoseeeachother,therefore,itis
anallthemoreintenselyrichexperience,forwehavemuchtocatchuponandnewideas
totalkthrough.
BothJackandIarepassionatelyinterestedinissuesconcerningknowledge,especially
theformsofknowledgeandknowledgecreationthatactionresearchembodies.Ihave
learntfromJackthepowerofsharingideastogeneratenewones,andhowweneedto
useourtechnologiestomakethoseideasfreelyaccessibletoall.Becauseofthis
commitmenttosharingideas,thistextisnolongeravailableasacommercialpublication,
butishere,free,touseasyouwish.
Weinviteyoutobecomepartofoureducativeconversations.Youcandothisby
accessingwww.actionresearch.net,orwww.jeanmcniff.com.

YoumightknowpeoplewhoselanguageisotherthanEnglish.Iftheywishtotranslate
thistextintotheirlanguages,theyshouldfeelfreetodoso.Pleasealsoletmehavea
copyofthetranslationforthiswebsite,sothatotherscanbenefittoo.
Ifyoucaretogivefeedbacktothistext,pleasedoso,andIwillexplorewaysof
amendingthetextaccordingly,andalsocreatingaforumforourdiscussions.
Herestothenexttwentyoneyearsoflearning!

JeanMcNiff

Introduction to the first edition (slightly amended)

Actionresearchisbecomingincreasinglyknownasanapproachthatencourages
practitionerstobeincontroloftheirownlivesandcontexts.ItbeganintheUSA,came
toprominenceintheUKinthe1970s,andbythe1980sitwasmakingasignificant
impactinmanyprofessionalcontexts,particularlyinteacherprofessionaleducation.Now
itsinfluenceisworldwide,andhasspreadtovirtuallyallareaswherepersonaland
professionallearningisundertaken.
Thistextaimstoprovidesomegeneralanswersforthemanypeoplewhoask,What
exactlyisactionresearch?Anumberofexcellentbooksareavailabletogivemore
detailedresponses,andyoucanfindsomeoftheminthebibliographiessectionofthis
website.HereIamhopingtogiveabriefglossaboutwhatactionresearchis,andhow
helpfulitcanbeinourhopestoimprovethequalityoflifethroughlearning.

Youshouldknowthattherearedifferentapproachestoactionresearch,asistrueof
scientificenquiryingeneral.Hotdebatesandoftenrealdisagreementstakeplace,about
thenatureandfocusofactionresearch,howitisdone,whodoesit,why,andwhatthe
outcomesmightbe.Yettherewouldseemtobegeneralagreementamongthecommunity
ofactionresearchers,atleastintheory,thatactionresearchisbasedoncertainprinciples
theneedforjusticeanddemocracy,therightofallpeopletospeakandbeheard,the
rightofeachindividualtoshowhowandwhytheyhavegivenextraattentiontotheir
learninginordertoimprovetheirwork,thedeepneedtoexperiencetruthandbeautyin
ourpersonalandprofessionallives.
Thisbookletoffersoneparticularapproachtoactionresearch.Thisapproachhasbeen
developedbyJackWhiteheadandothersworkinginandwiththeUniversityofBath,UK
(seewww.actionresearch.net).Iamnotclaimingthatthisistheonlyway,nornecessarily
thebestway,butitseemstomethemostappropriatewayavailableatthemomentto
addresstheprinciplesoutlinedabove.
OneofthevaluesIholdistherightofeachoneofustoexperiencefreedomwithjustice.
ThereforeIdoencourageyoutoreadotherworkandotheropinions,sothatyoucan
makeupyourownmindaboutwhatismostappealingtoyouandmostappropriatefor
yourownsituation.Findingoutwhatisavailablebeforedecidingonanyoneoptionis
responsiblepractice.
Inthemeantime,dobeawarethatthisguideoffersalimitedbutusefuloverviewofwhat
actionresearchis,howtodoit,andwhatitsusevaluemightbeforyourlife.
Ihopeyouwillbeinspiredtofindoutmoreaboutactionresearchanddoityourself.
JeanMcNiff

Action Research for Professional Development

What is action research?
Actionresearchisatermwhichreferstoapracticalwayoflookingatyourownworkto
checkthatitisasyouwouldlikeittobe.Becauseactionresearchisdonebyyou,the
practitioner,itisoftenreferredtoaspractitionerbasedresearch;andbecauseitinvolves
youthinkingaboutandreflectingonyourwork,itcanalsobecalledaformofself
reflectivepractice.
Theideaofselfreflectioniscentral.Intraditionalformsofresearchempiricalresearch
researchersdoresearchonotherpeople.Inactionresearch,researchersdoresearchon
themselves.Empiricalresearchersenquireintootherpeopleslives.Actionresearchers
enquireintotheirown.Actionresearchisanenquiryconductedbytheselfintotheself.
You,apractitioner,thinkaboutyourownlifeandwork,andthisinvolvesyouasking
yourselfwhyyoudothethingsthatyoudo,andwhyyouarethewaythatyouare.When
youproduceyourresearchreport,itshowshowyouhavecarriedoutasystematic
investigationintoyourownbehaviour,andthereasonsforthatbehaviour.Thereport
showstheprocessyouhavegonethroughinordertoachieveabetterunderstandingof
yourself,sothatyoucancontinuedevelopingyourselfandyourwork.
Actionresearchisopenended.Itdoesnotbeginwithafixedhypothesis.Itbeginswithan
ideathatyoudevelop.Theresearchprocessisthedevelopmentalprocessoffollowing
throughtheidea,seeinghowitgoes,andcontinuallycheckingwhetheritisinlinewith
whatyouwishtohappen.Seeninthisway,actionresearchisaformofselfevaluation.It
isusedwidelyinprofessionalcontextssuchasappraisal,mentoringandselfassessment.

Ausefulwaytothinkaboutactionresearchisthatitisastrategytohelpyouliveina
waythatyoufeelisagoodway.Ithelpsyouliveoutthethingsyoubelievein,andit
enablesyoutogivegoodreasonseverystepoftheway.

Who does action research?

Youdo.Ido.Potentially,wealldo.
Thinkaboutanyeventwhenyouhadnoideahowtodosomething,yetyoufoundout
throughtacklingitinasystematicway.Forexample,howmanytriesdidittakebefore
youstoppedfallingoffyourbikeandactuallyrodeit?Youprobablydidnotstopafter
eachfallandrationalisewhyyouwerefallingoff.Thechancesareyoujusttriedoutnew
strategiesuntilyouweresuccessful.
Thisisthebasicactionprincipleunderpinningactionresearch.Itinvolvesidentifyinga
problematicissue,imaginingapossiblesolution,tryingitout,evaluatingit(diditwork?),
andchangingpracticeinthelightoftheevaluation.Thisiswhatmanypeopledoin
numerouslifesituations.
Theprocessdescribedsofarisabasicproblemsolvingprocess.Toturnitintoanaction
researchprocessyouwouldneedtosaywhyyouwantedtoinvestigateanissue(thiscan
beanything,suchasridingyourbike,ordevelopinggoodcommunicationpractices
throughoutyourorganisation),andgatherdatatoshowtheprocess.Youwouldthenturn
thedataintoevidenceintermsofwhetheryoufeltyouwerelivinginthedirectionof
whatyouhopedtoachieveinthefirstplace.Youwouldexpressyourhopesnotas
abstractobjectives,butasgoalsthatareinlinewithyourvalues.
Mostofusdoakindofinformalactionresearchinmanyaspectsofourlives,thoughwe
probablydontcallwhatwedoactionresearch.Informalactionresearchisundertakenin

manyworkplacecontextsaspartofonthejobprofessionallearning.Whenweputa
disciplineorstructureonoureverydaylearningfromexperience,andmakeitclearto
otherpeoplehowweknowwhatwearedoing,wecansaythatwearedoingaction
research.Manyworkplacesnowencouragepractitionerstoundertakeformalaction
enquiriesaspartoftheirprofessionallearning,oftenleadingtoaccreditation.

Where did action research come from?

ActionresearchbeganintheUSAduringthe1940sthroughtheworkofKurtLewin,a
socialscientist.Itactuallybeganinotherplacesaswell,butLewinsworkisgenerally
takenasthestartingpoint.ItwaspopularintheUSAforatime,butthenwentinto
declinebecauseofcultural,politicalandeconomicchanges.
Itemergedinthe1970sinBritainthroughseveralinfluences.Onemajorinfluencewas
theworkofLawrenceStenhousewhodirectedtheHumanitiesCurriculumProject.He
believedthatthecurriculumoughttobeorganisedinschoolssothatitwasmeaningful
andrelevanttostudentsexperience,andtheyshouldbeencouragedtotakeonthe
responsibilityoftheirownlearning.Healsopromotedtheideaofteacherasresearcher.
Actionresearchwasdevelopedmainlybyacademicsinhighereducation,whosawitasa
usefulwayofworkinginprofessionaleducation,particularlyteachereducation.They
beganstudyingandclarifyingthestepsinvolved,andalsotheprinciplesunderpinning
actionresearch,suchastheneedfordemocraticpractices,careandrespectforthe
individual,andtheneedfordisciplinedenquiry.Actionresearchistodayprominentnot
onlyinteacherprofessionaleducationbutalsoinmanagementeducationand
organisationstudies,socialandhealthcarework,andotherprofessionalcontexts.
Overtheyears,variousmodelsanddifferentinterpretationsofactionresearchhave
developed.Somepeopleprioritisetechnicalaspects,believingthatitisimportanttoget

themethodright.Otherpeoplearealsointerestedinthevaluesthatinformaction
research,suchasabeliefthatpeopleshouldbeincontroloftheirworkandthewaythey
conductthatwork,andhowtheresearchcanleadtoalivingoutofthosevalues.Most
peoplerecognisetheeducationalbaseofactionresearch.Thesedifferentperspectives
generatelivelydebates.Thereisnoonecorrectway;youmustdecidewhatisrightfor
you,anddevelopyourownviews.Todothat,however,youneedtodosomeaction
research;themeaningithasforyouemergesasyoudotheresearchandexplainwhat
youaredoingandwhyyouaredoingit.

Action research and professional learning

Actionresearchisusedinmanyprofessionallearningcontexts,bothformallyand
informally.Actionenquiriesbeginwiththequestion,HowdoIimprovemywork?This
perspectiveisquitedifferentfromtraditionalviewsofprofessionaleducation,which
oftentaketheformoftraining.Intraditionalforms,theusualprocedureisthatan
acknowledgedexpertoffersadvicetoprofessionals(whoarethenusuallypositionedas
trainees).Moreenlightenedformsofprofessionallearningprogrammesworkonthe
assumptionthatprofessionalsalreadyhaveagooddealofprofessionalknowledge,and
arehighlycapableoflearningforthemselves.Whattheyneedintheirprofessional
learningisanappropriateformofsupporttohelpthemcelebratewhattheyalreadyknow,
andalsogeneratenewknowledge.Newknowledgecanmosteffectivelybegenerated
throughdialoguewithotherswhoareequallyinterestedintheprocessoflearning.The
dialogueisalwaysadialogueofequals.Noonetellsanotherwhattodoinaction
enquiries;weallshareandvalueoneanotherslearning.
ThequestionHowdoIimprovemywork?containsasocialintent.Theintentionisthat
onepersonimprovestheirworkfortheirownbenefitandthebenefitofothers.Ifyoucan
improvewhatyouaredoing(atleastimproveyourunderstandingofwhatyouaredoing),
thereisagoodchanceyouwillinfluencethesituationyouareworkingin.Yourincreased

awarenessandyourreadinesstobeselfcriticalwillprobablyhaveaninfluenceonthe
peopleyouareworkingwith.Youareaimingtoinfluencethemforthebetter.Thereis
nothingsinisterintheideaofinfluence,andeverythingtocelebrate;mostideasthat
peoplehavewereinfluencedbysomeoneelse,somewhereelseintimeandspace.Thisis
thewaythatknowledgeevolves,aprocessoflearningfromothersandreworkingexisting
knowledgeinnewways.
Themethodologyofactionresearchmeansthatyouhavetoevaluatewhatyouaredoing.
Youneedtocheckconstantlythatwhatyouaredoingreallyisworking.Areyoureally
influencingyoursituationorareyoufoolingyourself?Thisawarenessoftheneedforself
evaluationshowsyourwillingnesstoacceptresponsibilityforyourownthinkingand
action.Accountabilityispartofgoodprofessionalpractice.Youarealwaysawarethat
youhavetogivegoodservice,toattendtotheneedsofothersinthewaythatisbestfor
them,andtoshowthatyouhaveresponsibleattitudesandbehaviour.Indoingaction
researchyouaregivinganaccountofyourself.Youareshowingthatyouarea
responsiblepersonandcanjustifywhatyouaredoingwithgoodreason.Actionresearch
helpsyoutoformaliseyourlearningandgiveaclearandjustifiedaccountofyourwork,
notonaoneoffbasis,butasacontinuingregularfeatureofyourpractice.

Professionalassessmentandappraisal
Ongoingassessmentisanincreasinglyregularfeatureofprofessionalworking
arrangements.Theideaofincrementallearningisalsoincreasinglyaccepted,when
peoplebuildonpreviouslearning,developingandtransformingpastpracticeinnew
contexts.Itisanticipatedthatpeoplecantransfertheirskillsandknowledgetowork
requiringahigherlevelofexpertise.Formative(ongoing)assessmentmonitorsthiskind
ofprofessionalincrementalism,andallowspractitionerstoevaluateandmodifytheir
actionsasappropriate.
Appraisalisalsopartofprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammes,andactionresearch
offersanewfocusthatenablespeopletocelebratetheirlearningtogether.Social

relationshipstendtochange.Traditionally,appraisalhasbeenseenastheresponsibility
ofamanagerwhoisauthorisedtomakejudgementsabouttheprofessionalismand
competenceofstaff.Actionresearchisaformofpersonalselfevaluation,andalso
createscontextsforcriticalconversationsinwhichallparticipantscanlearnasequals.
Actionenquiriesbeginwithanindividualsquestion,HowdoIimprovemywork?.
Whentheenquiryissharedwithothers,andtheywishtobecomeinvolvedpossiblyby
critiquing,orbydecidingtodosomethingsimilar,orbyofferingideasfornewenquiries
thenthequestionchangestoHowdoweimproveourwork?.Appraisaland
professionalassessmentbecomeacontextforcollaborativelearningintheworkplace.

How do I do action research?

Thebasicstepsofanactionresearchprocessconstituteanactionplan:

Wereviewourcurrentpractice,

identifyanaspectthatwewanttoinvestigate,

imagineawayforward,

tryitout,and

takestockofwhathappens.

Wemodifywhatwearedoinginthelightofwhatwehavefound,andcontinue
workinginthisnewway(tryanotheroptionifthenewwayofworkingisnot
right)

monitorwhatwedo,

reviewandevaluatethemodifiedaction,

andsoon
(seealsoMcNiff,LomaxandWhitehead,1996,andforthcoming)

Twoprocessesareatwork:yoursystematicactionsasyouworkyourwaythroughthese
steps,andyourlearning.Youractionsembodyyourlearning,andyourlearningis
informedbyyourreflectionsonyouractions.Therefore,whenyoucometowriteyour
reportormakeyourresearchpublicinotherways,youshouldaimtoshownotonlythe
actionsofyourresearch,butalsothelearninginvolved.Someresearchersfocusonlyon
theactionsandprocedures,andthiscanweakentheauthenticityoftheresearch.
Anumberofmodelsareavailableintheliterature.Mostofthemregardpracticeasnon
linear,appreciatingthatpeopleareunpredictable,andthattheiractionsoftendonot
followastraightforwardtrajectory.Theactionplanaboveshowsactionreflectionasa
cycleof

identifyanareaofpracticetobeinvestigated;
imagineasolution;
implementthesolution;
evaluatethesolution;
changepracticeinlightoftheevaluation
Thisactionresearchcyclecannowturnintonewactionresearchcycles,asnewareasof
investigationemerge.Itispossibletoimagineaseriesofcyclestoshowtheprocessesof
developingpractice.Theprocessescanbeshownasaspiralofcycles,whereoneissue
formsthebasisofanotherand,asonequestionisaddressed,theanswertoitgenerates
newquestions.
Rememberthatthingsdonotoftenproceedinaneat,linearfashion.Mostpeople
experienceresearchasazigzagprocessofcontinualreviewandreadjustment.Research
reportsshouldcommunicatetheseemingincoherenceoftheprocessinacoherentway.

Thegenerativetransformationalnatureofevolutionaryprocesses

Myownviewisthatweliveinadeeplyunifieduniverse,whereallthingsareconnected,
ofteninverydistantways,buttheireffectsareevidentinthelivesofeveryonethe
butterflyeffect,wherethebeatofabutterflyswinglocallycanhaverepercussionsin
farflungglobalterms.Forme,allopenendedsystemshavethepotentialtotransform
themselvesintoricherversionsofthemselves.Humansandhumaninteractions,bythe
factthattheyareliving,areopensystems.Ilikethefollowingdiagram,toshowthe
processofdevelopmentasanexpandingspiral.Thisdiagramcaptures(Ihope)the
dynamicmovementofconsciousness,practice,dialogue,socialformations.Itisbounded
onlybymortality.Themodelisfrequentlyadopted(andadapted)intheliterature.
(diagramcomingsoon)

What is the focus of action research?

Differentresearchersconcentrateondifferentaspectsofactionresearch.Someare
interestedinprocedures.Aslongastheactionstepsareright,theyfeel,thisisgood
actionresearch.Thequalityofactionresearchisjudgedratherasballroomdancingorice
skating:specificstepsareexecutedinaspecificsequencewithanticipatedoutcomes.
Otherresearchersfeelthatafocusonmethodisnotenough.Theybelievethataction
researchcanhelpusmakesenseofourlives.Weneedtomovebeyondthesurface
structureofmethod(althoughthisisstillimportant),andlookatthedeepunderlying
structureofourvaluesandintentionsinlivingourlives.

Valuesintopractice
Everyoneofuslivesaccordingtovalues.Therearenooverarchingstructuresofvalues
totelluswhichvaluestohold;eachoneofusmakesourownchoices.Somepeople

believeintherightsofindividuals;othersdonotseeindividualsashavingrights.
Businesstendstoworkonadifferentsetofvaluesthanhealthcare.Itisnotunusualfor
valuessystemstobeinconflict,andthisiswhenproblemscanarise.Peopleoftenarenot
abletoresolvethesituationandlivetogetherwiththeirdifferentvalues.
Actionresearchbeginswithvalues.Asaselfreflectivepractitioneryouneedtobeaware
ofwhatdrivesyourlifeandwork,soyoucanbeclearaboutwhatyouaredoingandwhy
youaredoingit.Youmightneedtospendtimeclarifyingforyourselfthekindsofvalues
andcommitmentsyouhold.Thiswouldbeafirmstartingpointforyouractionenquiry.
Sometimeswesaywebelieveinsomething,butareunabletoliveaccordingtowhatwe
believe,foravarietyofreasons.Herewewouldexperienceourselves,inJack
Whiteheadswords,aslivingcontradictions.Apointofentryforactionresearchwould
betofindwaysofovercomingthecontradictionsothatwemightlivemorefullyinthe
directionofourvalues.
Action planning
Anumberofactionplansareavailableintheliterature.Theactionplanthathasgrownin
popularityaroundtheworldistheonedevelopedbyJackWhitehead.Theaimisto
encourageyou,apractitioner,toaskcriticalquestionsaboutyourownpractice,andfind
theanswersforyourself.Nooneelsecangiveyouanswers.Otherpeoplecancomment
andadvise,butonlyyoucansaywhatisrightforyouandyoursituation.Itcouldbethat
therearenoanswerstoyourparticularissue,buttheprocessofaskingquestionsisas
importantasfindinganswers.
HereisamodifiedversionofJacksactionplan.Onthenextpage,theplanisexplained
ingreaterdetail.

WhatissueamIinterestedinresearching?

WhydoIwanttoresearchthisissue?

WhatkindofevidencecanIgathertoshowwhyIaminterestedinthisissue?

WhatcanIdo?WhatwillIdo?

WhatkindofevidencecanIgathertoshowthatIamhavinganinfluence?

HowcanIexplainthatinfluence?

HowcanIensurethatanyjudgementsImightmakearereasonablyfairand
accurate?

HowwillIchangemypracticeinthelightofmyevaluation?

Thereisalwaysadilemmabetweensuggestingactionplansandavoidingmakingthem
appearasprescriptive.Inactionresearch,everyonetakesresponsibilityfortheirown
practiceandforaskingtheirownquestions.Youdoneedtoensure,however,thatyour
researchisreasonablysystematicandrigorous.Indoingyourresearchyouareaimingto
makeaclaimthatyouhaveimprovedpractice,soyoudoneedtoproducevalidated
evidencetosupportthatclaim.

The action plan in detail

Indecidingtodoactionresearch,youareshowingyourintenttolearnmoreabouta
particularissuewithinaparticularsituation.Yourresearchisaconduitforyourlearning.
Itcantakethefollowingform:

Whatissueareyouinterestedinresearching?
Askyourself,Whatisespeciallyhighinmymindatthemoment?Theresearchissue
youidentifycouldbewideinrangeandscope,suchasthestateoftheeconomyorthe
workingethosofyourorganisation.Itcouldalsobenarrowlyfocusedononesmallarea,
suchashowyoucanmaintainyourdiarysystematically.Oftenwhatmightappearasa
smallissueturnsouttobesymptomaticofmuchwiderones.

Someresearcherspresenttheideaofaresearchissueasaproblem.Actionresearchisnot
onlyproblemsolving,thoughitcontainselementsofproblemsolving.Itdoesmean
problematisingissuesandengagingwiththem;questioningwhatishappening,and
askinghowitmightbeimproved.Thistheninvolvesaskingquestionsaboutthe
conditionsthatareallowingthesituationtobeasitis,andfindingwaysofchangingthe
conditions.Themainpointistoidentifyanareayouwishtoinvestigate,andbe
reasonablyclearaboutwhyyouwishtogetinvolved.
Itisimportant,inyourfirstactionenquiries,tobereasonablysurethatyoucando
somethingabouttheissueyouhaveidentified.Youshouldbepracticalandask,CanI
actuallydosomethingaboutthisissue?CanIinfluencethesituation,orisitoutsidemy
scope?Ifitreallyisoutsideyourscopeyoushouldberealisticandleaveit.Havingsaid
that,donotgiveupaltogether.Aimtoaddressonesmallaspectofyourwork.Whileit
mightbetruethatyoucannotchangetheworld,youcancertainlychangeyourbitofit;
andifeveryonechangedasmallbitatatime,alotofchangecouldhappenquickly.
Onceyouhaveidentifiedaresearchissue,youshouldformulatearesearchquestion.This
canbestatedintermsof
HowdoI?
Forexample,

HowdoIimprovemyrelationshipswithmycolleagues?

HowdoIhelpJohnovercomehisfearofflying?

HowdoImanagemyworkschedulemoreefficiently?

Themainideasare:

Iamaskingarealquestionaboutsomethingthatisimportanttome,andIam
hopingtofindwaysofengagingwithit;

Iamarealperson;

Iamtryingtoimprovesomething;thismightbemyownunderstanding,orit
mightbeanaspectofthesocialsituationIamin(remember:improvementdoes
notmeanperfection.Anyimprovementisstillimprovement,nomatterhow
small).

Whyareyouinterested?
Youneedtobereasonablyclearwhyyouwanttogetinvolved.Thereasonsforour
actionsareoftenrootedinourvaluesbase,thatis,thethingswebelieveinandthatdrive
ourlives.Ifyoubelievethatallpeoplehaveequalrights,youwilltrytoensurethatyour
workplaceisaplaceinwhicheveryonedoeshaveequalrights,andyouwillorganise
yourownworksothateveryonehastheopportunitytoexercisetheirrights.Thetrouble
is,weoftenworkinsituationswhereitisnotpossibletoliveinawaythatiscongruent
withwhatwebelievein.Youmightbelieveinequalrightsforall,butyourworkplace
couldwellbeaplacewheretherightsofsomepeoplearedenied.Asyourresearch
progressesyoumightfindthatyouaretheonewhoisdenyingequalrightstoothers.You
shouldexpectsurpriseslikethis.
Actionresearchisawayofworkingthathelpsustoidentifythevaluesthatareimportant
forourlivesandtoliveinthedirectionofthosevalues,thatis,takethemasthe
organisingprinciplesofourlives.Itisunlikelythatwewillevergettoasituationwhere
ourworkandsituationsareentirelycongruentwithourvalues.Butwearenotaimingfor
endproducts;weareaimingtofindrightwaysofliving.

Whatkindofevidencecanyougathertoshowwhyyouareinterested?

Ifyouareinasituationwherethingsarenotasyouwouldwishthemtobe,howcanyou
showthatsituationsothatotherpeoplecanrelatetowhatyouareexperiencing?Howcan
youshowwhatthesituationwaslike,whichmadeyouresolvetodosomethingaboutit?
Youneedtogatherdataaboutthesituation,andyoucanuseavarietyofmethodsforthis
journals,diaries,notes,audioandvideotaperecordings,surveys,attitudescales,
pictures,andsoon.Youcanusedifferentdatagatheringmethodsatdifferenttimesifyou
wish.Youwillcomparethisfirstsetofdatawithlatersetsofdata,toseewhetherthereis
anychangeandwhetheryoucansaythatyouhaveinfluencedthesituation.Aimtogather
asmuchdataasyoufeelisright;mostpeoplegathertoomuchtobeginwith.
Youneedtobeginidentifyingworkingcriteriatohelpyoumakejudgementsabout
whetherthesituationmightbeimproving.Thesecriteriawouldbelinkedwithyour
values.Ifyoubelievethatallpeopleshouldbetreatedfairly,acriterionwillbewhether
youcanshowthatpeoplearebeingtreatedfairly.Thecriteriayouidentifymightchange
astheresearchprojectdevelops.Yourdatawillturnintoevidencewhenyoucanshow
thatitmeetsyournominatedcriteria.

Whatcanyoudoaboutthesituation?Howdoyouactinorderto
influenceitinaneducativeway?
Youneedtoimaginewaysinwhichyoumightbegintakingaction.Youmightwantat
thisstagetoconsultwithothersabouthowyoucouldmoveforward.Theseotherscould
beyourcriticalfriendoryourvalidationgroup.Avalidationgroupisagroupofpeople
youinvitetolookatyourresearchfromtimetotime,andoffercriticalfeedback.The
decisionsyoucometoaboutwhatactiontotakewillbeyourowndecisions;youtake
responsibilityforwhatyoudo.Youneedtoconsideryouroptionscarefullyanddecide
whatyoucanreasonablyexpecttoachieve,giventhetime,energyandotherresources
youhave.

Havingdecidedonapossiblestrategy,younowneedtotryitout.Itmightworkandit
mightnot.Ifitdoes,youwillprobablywanttocontinuedevelopingit.Ifitdoesnot,you
willprobablyabandonit,orpartofit,andtrysomethingelse.

Whatkindofevidencecanyougathertoshowyoureducativeinfluence?
Thisisyoursecondsetofdata,whichwillalsoturnintoevidencebymeetingyour
nominatedcriteria.Youcanusethesame,ordifferent,datagatheringmethodsthatyou
usedbefore.Perhapsyouusedsurveysandinterviewstogatheryourfirstsetofdata;now
youmightwanttouseaudioandvideotaperecordingswhichwillcapturenotonly
peopleswordsbutalsotheirexpressionsandbodylanguage.Youshouldtrytoshow,
throughthissetofdata,whetherthereisanimprovementinthesituation,eventhough
thatimprovementmightbeverysmall.Youmightalsobeabletoshowadevelopmentin
yourownthinkingandlearning.Thisisanintegralpartoftheactionresearchprocess.

Howdoyouexplainyoureducativeinfluence?
Rememberthatthefocusoftheenquiryisyou.Youarealwaysincompanywithothers,
sowhatyoudoisboundtohaveaninfluenceonthem.Howcanyoushowthatyour
influencewasasyouwishedittobe?Togaugeyourimpactonthem,youneedtoget
theirreactionstohowtheyperceivetheirrelationshipwithyou.
Rememberthatyouarenottryingtodemonstrateacauseandeffectrelationshipbetween
youandotherpeoplesactions.Youarenotsaying,IbroughtaboutimprovementorI
madethathappen.Youaresaying,IcanshowthatcertainchangestookplaceasI
changedmypractice,particularlyinmyself,anddifferentrelationshipsevolved.Youare
aimingtoshowadevelopmentofinfluence,anunfoldingofnewunderstandingsand
actionsfrompeopleworkingtogetherinnewways,andtheirinfluenceononeanother,
thatis,howtheylearnwithandfromoneanother.

Howdoyouensurethatanyjudgementsyoumakearereasonably
fairandaccurate?
Ifyousay,Ithinkthatsuchandsuchhappened,youcanexpectsomeonetosay,Prove
it.Theansweristhatyoucant.Youcantproveanything.Thewordprovedoesnot
existinactionresearch.Youcanhoweverproducereasonableevidencetosuggestthat
whatyoufeelhappenedreallydidhappen,andyouarenotjustmakingitup.
Insayingthatyoubelieveyouhaveinfluencedyoursituationforgood,youaremakinga
claimtoknowledge.Youarealsoproducingevidencetobackuptheclaim.Nowyou
needotherpeoplecriticallytoconsideryourclaimandagreethatyouhavegoodreason
formakingyourclaim.Theymightagreethatyouarejustifiedinmakingyourclaim,and
theiragreementwouldbevalidationofyourclaim.Theymightsuggestthatyouneedto
lookattheresearchagainandgatherfurtherdata,perhaps,ortightenupthelinkbetween
yourdataandyourcriteria.Onceyouhaveotherpeoplesvalidationyoucansayinall
honesty,IamclaimingthatIhaveinfluencedthissituationbecauseIstartedlookingat
waysinwhichIcouldimprovewhatIamdoing,andInowhavetheendorsementof
otherpeopletoshowthatwhatIsayIamdoingconstitutesafairandaccurateclaim.

Howdoyoumodifyyourpracticeinthelightofyourevaluation?
Youwillprobablycarryonworkinginthisnewwaybecauseitseemstobebetterthan
thewayyouwereworkingbefore.Itismoreinlinewiththewayyouwishthingstobe.
Youarelivinginthedirectionofyourvalues(thoughyoumightstillhavefartogo).
Thisdoesnotmeanclosure.Althoughyouhaveaddressedoneissue,othersmighthave
emergedwhichnowneedattention.Perhapsinaddressingoneissue,youhaveunearthed
otherissuesthatyouhadnotexpected.Thereisnoend,andthatisthenatureof
developmentalpractices,andpartofthejoyofdoingactionresearch.Itresistsclosure.
Eachendingisanewbeginning.Eacheventcarriesitsownpotentialsfornewcreative
forms.

Thisiswhatmakesactionresearchapowerfulmethodologyforpersonalandsocial
renewal.Youarethinkingandsearchingallthetime.Youarenevercomplacentor
contenttoleaveproblematicsituationsastheyare,becauseyourefusetobecome
complacentorlazy.Aslongasyouremainaware,alert,constantlyopentonew
beginnings,youwillcontinuegrowingintoallthepersonsyouarecapableofbecoming.

Criteria

Therearetwosetsofcriteriayouneedtogiveattentionto.Thefirstisinrelationtoyour
research;thesecondisinrelationtoyourresearchreport.

Criteriaforactionresearchprojects
Whenwewishtomakejudgementsaboutsomethingtoestablishitsvalue,wesetcriteria
tohelpusmakethosejudgements.Criteriaarethestandardsweusetomakejudgements.
Criteriacanbesetandexpressedthroughwords(verbally)aswellasthroughactions
(nonverbally).Inmostprofessionalcontexts,criteriatakeatraditionalverbalform.A
checklistmightbedrawnupwhichspecifiesthecriteria:Thepersoncandosuchand
such.Thesecriteriaareoftencommunicatedintermsofbehaviours:Thepersoncan
performacertaintask.Qualifyingasagoodmanagerorteacher,therefore,meansthat
youperformappropriately,andawrittenrecordiskeptofachievedskillsandbehaviours.
Inactionresearch,criteriaaresetintermsofthevaluesthatinformpractice.Thevalues
mightbeexpressedverballyIbelieveinfairnessintheworkplacebuttheyare
expressedandenactedphysically,forexample,whenyoudemonstrateorexperience
fairness.Itisimportanttorecognisethatthemeaningsoftheseembodiedvaluesbecome
clearastheyemergeduringyourresearch.Oftenatthestartofaprojecttheyarenot

immediatelyclear.Youneedtothinkaboutwhatisimportantforyourpracticeandwhat
drivesit.Thethingsyoubelieveareimportant(yourvalues)becomeyourcriteria.Inthe
processofclarifyingthemeaningsofyourembodiedvalues,astheyemergeinpractice,
youtransformyourvaluesintoyourcriteria(orstandards).Youcansharetheseliving
standardswithothers,andusethemtotestthevalidityofyourclaimstohaveinfluenced
thelearningofothersinaneducationalway.Theyarelivingbecausetheycanchange
duringyourenquiry(SeePartOneofMoiraLaidlaw'sPh.D.thesisonhersearchforher
educationalstandardsofjudgementathttp://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/moira.shtml).
Toshowthatyouarelivinginthedirectionofyourvalues,youneedtosearchyourdata
archive,andproducepiecesofdatathatmeetthecriteria.Whenthedatamatchthe
criteria,thosepiecesofdatabecomeevidence.Youusethisevidencewhenyouproduce
yourresearchaccountandmakeaclaimthatyouhaveimprovedyourlearningaboutyour
situation,andpossiblyalsoimprovedthesituation.Youmakeyourcriteriaclear,sothat
peoplecanseethatyouaregroundingyourclaiminevidenceanditisnotonlyyour
opinion.Youcanthensaythatyourpracticeisevidencebased.Theevidenceyou
produceisintermsofhowyoumakejudgementsaboutthevalueofyourwork.

Criteriaforjudgingthequalityofresearchreports
Actionresearchispartofatransitionfromtraditionalscholarshiptowhatiscallednew
scholarship.Traditionalformsarestilldominant,soactionresearchreportsstilltendto
bejudgedbytraditionalcriteria.Mostofthesecriteriaaretechnical:forexample,does
theresearchshowasystematicprocessofdatagathering,analysisandinterpretation.
However,whiletechnicalcriteriaareimportant,theyarenowcomplementedby
qualitative,experientialones,suchaswhetherpeoplecanrelatetoandlearnfromyour
report.Othercriteriacanbenegotiated.Thesemightincludeconsiderationsofthekind:

Doyoushowthatyouaretryingtoliveintermsofwhatyoubelievein?

Doyoushowthatyoucanholdyourselfaccountableforyourclaimsto
knowledge?

Doyoushowhowyouhavechangedyourownthinkingandpractice,andhow
thishaspossiblyinfluencedotherseducationally?

Thesekindsofcriteriaenableyoutomakeprofessionaljudgementsaboutwhetherthe
qualityofyourunderstanding,productiveworkandrelationshipshasbeenimproved.

Critical friends and validation groups

Sothatyourjudgementofyourworkisnotheldtobeonlyyouropinion,youneedto
maketheworkavailabletothecriticalscrutinyofothers,suchasyourcriticalfriendand
yourvalidationgroup.

Criticalfriends
Yourcriticalfriend(alsocalledacriticalcolleagueorlearningpartner)issomeone
whoseopinionyouvalueandwhoisabletocritiqueyourworkandhelpyouseeitina
newlight.Critiqueisessentialforhelpingustoevaluatethequalityoftheresearch.You
wouldaskoneortwopeopletobecriticalfriendsfromthestartoftheproject.

Yourvalidationgroup
Youwouldalsoconveneavalidationgroupof410people.Yourcriticalfriendmightor
mightnotbeamemberofthegroup.Theywouldbedrawnfromyourprofessionalcircle,
andwouldagreetomeetwithyouperiodicallytolistentoyourprogressreportsandto
scrutiniseyourdata.Althoughtheymightnotbeentirelyfamiliarwithyourresearch,
theywouldbeabletomakeprofessionaljudgementsaboutthevalidityofyourreport,
andwouldoffercriticalfeedback.Youshouldlistencarefullytotheiradvice,thoughyou
arenotcompelledtoactonit.

Whosetsthecriteria?
Theissueofwhosetsthecriteriaiscontested.Inmostprofessionalcontexts,criteriaare
setbyexperts,andpractitionersareexpectedtoperformappropriately.Inaction
research,practitionerstakeresponsibilityfortheirownworkandnegotiatetheirown
criteria.Thiscanleadtoconflict,whenpractitionersmightchallengetherightofothersto
controltheirwork,andwhenstrugglestakeplacefortherighttobeacknowledgedas
onewhoknows.Actionresearchdoesempowerpractitioners;butyouneedtobeaware
ofthepotentialfalloutwhenyouclaimthatyou,too,arealegitimateknower.

Action research and professional development

Improvingtheworkyoudoisaboutlearningtodothingsinnewways.Itisaprocessof
professionallearning.Thisistruewhetheryouarejustbeginningyourcareerorwhether
youareinfullswing.Learningisforlife,notjustforcollege.
Manyprofessionallearningprogrammesworkfromthepointofviewofthepersonwho
isconductingthem(deliveringtheminmuchcontemporarylanguage).Theemphasisis
oftenonteachingortraining,notsomuchonlearning.Theassumptionisthatthetrainer
knowstheanswersandpassesthemontoyou,andthensupervisesyoutomakesureyou
areapplyingthemcorrectly.Thisdeliverymodeliswidespreadandoftenunquestioned.
Whenactionresearchinformsprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammes,theyworkfrom
thepointofviewofthepersonwhoislearning.Itisassumedthatyoualreadyknowa
greatdeal.Perhapsyourknowledgeisintuitiveoronlyroughlyworkedout,butyoustill
havetheanswersinyourself,readyfortherightstimulustosetthemoff.Youdontneed
atrainersomuchasasupporter,orcriticalfriend,whowilllistentoyourideas,challenge
them,andhelpyoutofindalternatives.Thiskindoffacilitativemodelmeansthatthe
supporterisalsolearning;theyarenotexpectedtohaveanswerstoyourworkplacebased

questions.Theyactivelylearnwithandfromyou;itisadialogueofequals.Ofcourse,
beinganeffectivesupportermeansdevelopingahighlevelofinterpersonalskills,
sensitivityandwisdom.Developingtheseskillsisaresearchprocess.Yoursupporteris
askingquestionssuchas,HowdoIhelpyoutolearnandfindoutyourownanswers?
Youhaveformedacommunityofcriticallyquestioning,caringcolleagues.
Doingactionresearchhelpsyoutogrowprofessionally,toshowhowyouareextending
yourownprofessionalknowledge.Itdoesthisinmanyways,includingthefollowing:

Doingyourresearchhelpsyoutoexamineyourownpracticeandseewhetherit
livesuptoyourownexpectationsofyourselfinyourwork.Ifyousayyouhold
certainvalues,howcanyoushowthatyouarelivingintheirdirection?

Byshowingotherpeoplewhatyouaredoing,youcanestablishasystematic
evaluationprocedure.Ifyouareamanager,youareshowinghowyouare
supportingthelearningofthoseinyourorganisation,andyoucansaywhyyou
thinkthisishappening.Youcanproduceclearevidencetoshowprogress.You
canletthevoicesofotherscomethroughtoexplainhowtheirlearninghas
improvedbecauseofyourintervention.Iftheysaythatyoudontseemtobe
helpingthem,youcantrytochangethesituationsothatyouare.

Youcanidentifythecriteria,orstandards,thatyouandothersareusingtojudge
thequalityofwhatyouaredoing.Youidentifyhowyouunderstandyour
professionalism,innegotiationwithothers,andyoushowhowyouaretryingto
liveinthisway.

Youshouldalwaystrytomaintainyourprofessionallearning.Toooftenpeopleassume
thatoncetheyhaveachievedqualifiedstatus,theydontneedtolearnanymore.Howdo
youunderstandingprofessionallearning?Areyouinastableplace,whereyoubelieve
youhavelearntallthereistoknow?Areyougoingtolearnforthenextsixmonths,and

thentakearest?Orareyougoingtoregardlearningasalifelongprocessthatisas
naturalasbreathing?Itisyourchoice.

Why do action research?

Sometimespeoplecriticiseactionresearchasidleselfcontemplation.Thisisnotso.
Peopledoactionresearchasawayofhelpingthemunderstandhowtheycaninfluence
socialchange.ThiscommitmentiscontainedinMarxsideathatitisnotenoughonlyto
understandtheworld;theintentistochangeitforthebetter.
Actionresearchquestionstaketheform,HowdoIimprovewhatIamdoing?This
questionhasanunderlyingintenttohelpotherpeople,onthefollowingprinciples:

Youdecidetoinvestigatewhatyouaredoingwithaviewtoimprovingit.

Thiswillhelpyoutounderstandthesituationmorefully.

Yourdevelopedunderstandingwillhelpyoutoevaluateyourworkandchangeit
asnecessary.

Yourwayofworkingmightinfluenceothers;howcanshowthis?

Youdothisbycheckingyourperceptionsofwhatishappeningagainsttheirs.

Youchangeyourwayofworkinginlightoftheirperceptions.Younegotiatethis
withthem.

Yourcollectiveagreementaboutthesethingshelpsyoualltounderstandthe
situationbetter.

Youlearnfromcolleagues,andtheylearnfromyou.Theydecidetotrythingsout
forthemselves.

Theyinviteyoutobecometheircriticalfriend,andhelpthemevaluatetheirwork.

Collectivelyyouarenowacommunityofenquirers.Youhavechangedyour
socialsituation,andthisisboundtohaveconsequencesforwidersocialcontexts.

YourindividualIenquiryhasturnedintoacollectiveweenquiry.Youhave
movedfromItowe.

Itisnotjustthatyouasanindividualareinvestigatingyourwork.Youareawareofthe
reasonsunderpinningyourwork,andhowitmightimpactonothers.Actionresearch
containsadeepcommitmentbyresponsiblepractitionerstoholdthemselvesaccountable
fortheirownwaysoflivingandworking.Youcannotacceptresponsibilityforanyone
else(apartfromcontextsofpathology,orcontextsinvolvingbabiesandyoungchildren).
Youmust,however,acceptresponsibilityforyourself.Unlessyouarepreparedtobe
accountableforyourself,youcannotexpectotherpeopletodothesame.

Theneedforcasestudyevidence
Itisnotenoughjusttotalkaboutthesethings.Weneedtoshowhowwearepractising
whatwepreach,otherwisetheideasremainintheimaginationanddonotmoveinto
reality.Oneofthestrengthsofactionresearchisthatitbeginsinpractice,andpeople
generatetheirowntheoriesoutoftheirpractice.Actionresearchersarerealpeopleinreal
situations.
Thereisanoverwhelmingneedfortheproductionofcasestoriestoshowhow
researchersimprovedtheirownlearningandsituationsforthebenefitofthemselvesand
others.Bodiesofcasestudyevidencearegrowinginbooksandonwebsites(see
www.actionresearch.net).Themorecasestudiesthatappear,themorepowerfulthebody
ofknowledgebecomes.Thesebodiesofknowledgepresentundeniableevidencethat
actionresearchconstitutesaformoflearningthathasprofoundimplicationsforthe
futureofsociety.

Action research for a good social order

Seeninthisway,actionresearchissomethingpeopledoinordertoimprovethequality
oflifeforthemselvesandforothers.Itisawayofworkingthatbeginswithindividuals
askingthemselves,HowdoIimprovewhatIamdoingforyoursake?Theintentionis
thatonepersonbecomesselfevaluativeinordertoworkbetterforotherswithwhom
theyareincompany.
Thisappliesnotonlytotheindividualactionresearcher,buttoall.Wemoveawayfrom
thedeliverymodelofItellyouwhattodo.Noonepersontellsanotherwhattodo.Itis
atwoway,reciprocalpartnership.Everyone(notonlyoneindividual)needstoask,How
doIimprovewhatIamdoingforyoursake?Eachonehastoaccepttheresponsibilityof
theirownactionsandlives.Eachpersonaimstobeabetterindividualsothat,
collectively,theycancontributetotheformationofabettersociety.
Peopleoftenpointoutthehardpoliticalrealitiesoflivingandworkingwithinsocialand
professionalcontexts.Therealitiesarethatparticularwayshavebecomeestablished,and
thesewaysareprotectedbypeoplewhoarehappywiththestatusquo.Thesewaysof
workingbecomeestablishedstructures,andindividualsareoftendeliberatelysilenced,
andsometimesvanish,withinthesestructures.Somepeoplesayitisnotpossibleto
changeestablishedways.Actionresearcherswouldrespondthatthisisnotso.First,we
havetobelievethatitispossibletochangethings,otherwisewemightaswellgiveup
rightnowoneveryeffortandprogrammetoimprovethequalityoflifemedical
research,worldadventureandexplorationIfweliveinhope,atleastwehavesome
ideaofwhatwecanachieve.Ifwedonot,wecanbesureofazerooutcome.Action
researchisonewaytoinfluencesocialchange.Ifeveryonedidabitextraforsomeone
else,theworldwouldinstantlybeahappierandmoreproductiveplaceforall.

Whole organisation development

Giventheseideasofhowindividualscanworktogethertocreatetheirownsocieties,itis
notdifficulttoimaginehowwholeorganisationdevelopmentmaybeencouraged.Each
individualundertakestheirpersonalenquiryintoanaspectoftheirownpractice,andthen
sharesthatenquirywithothers,andtogethertheyformresearchcollectives.These
collectivescansystematicallyevaluatethepracticeofoneindividual,ortheymightask
theirowncollectivequestionsabouthowtheycanimprovetheirunderstandingand
circumstances.Muchsocialandcommunitydevelopmenthappensalongtheselines.

Managingorganisationalchange
Theconceptofcollectiveinvolvementcanbeparticularlychallengingforpeople
positionedasmanagers,fortheymayneedtodevelopnewwaysofthinkingandworking,
aswellasnewselfperceptions,thatmightbeatoddswithtraditionalviews.Managers
mightneedtochangetheirideasaboutwhattheyaremanagingandhowtheyaredoing
so.Intraditionalmodels,managersmanageotherpeople.Howtheydothatisamatterof
personalstyle.Inactionresearchways,managersarrangefortheconditionsoflearningto
beright.Theyarrangefororganisationalstructures,processesandresourcestoencourage
individuallearningtotakeplace.Whenindividuallearninginorganisationalcontexts
becomescollectivelearning,thiscanthenbecalledorganisationallearning.
Howmanagersdothisisimportant.Traditionallymanagerswereexpectedtobealoof
fromtheworkforce,anddirectoperationsfromadistance.Theyarrangedforother
peopletolearn.Inactionresearch,managersalsobecomelearners,learningwiththe
peopletheysupport,thoughthefocusoftheirenquiriesshowstheirconcerntofulfiltheir
differentresponsibilities.Unlessmanagersarewillingtoacknowledgethemselvesas
learners,theymightbedenyingtheveryprinciplestheysaytheyareespousing.Thiscan
bethreateningformanymanagers,becauseitinvolvesdestabilisation,riskandpersonal
courage,butitcanalsobeliberatingandexciting.Whetherornotyouwishtoengageis
yourchoice.

Supporting professional development

Traditionalprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammestendtooperatefromasubjectbase.
Theaimistohelppractitionerstoimprovesubjectknowledgeandexpertise.Theyalso
operatefromanadvisorybase.Supportisofferedbyasubjectadviser.Themodel
underpinningthismodelisamodelofteaching(ofteninstruction).
Supportforprofessionaldevelopmentthroughactionresearchbuildsonamodelof
learning,wherepractitionersarechallengedandhelpedtofindnewwaysofdoingthings.
Theemphasisisonpracticeratherthansubjectknowledge.Therouteispersonalenquiry
(WhatdoIdo?)ratherthanothersadvice(WhatdoyouthinkIshoulddo?).In
traditionalways,anadviseradvisespractitioners;practitionersimplementtheadvice;the
adviserevaluatesoutcomes.Inactionresearchapproaches,thepractitionertalksthrough
ideaswithalisteningsupporter;thepractitioneracts;thepractitionerevaluatesoutcomes
incompanywiththeadviserandothers.

Relationships
Thismodelhasprofoundimplicationsforprofessionalrelationships.Intraditionalways,
apowerrelationshipoftenexistsbetweenadviserandpractitioner.Thisrelationshipis
oftensubtle,buttheeffectscanbeobvious,frompractitionerslackofconfidenceto
deskilling.Noristhesituationeducationalforthesupporter,whoisexpectedtohaveall
theanswers.
Inactionresearchapproachesthereisagenuinesenseofpartnership,wherepractitioner
andsupporterrecognisethattheremightbeadifferenceinresponsibilitiesand
professionalexpertise,butnodifferenceinvalue.Theyareequalaspractitioners.Both
aretheretoimprovetheirworkbyactingaschallengingandsupportivelycritical
colleagues,eachfortheother.Thisisacreativedialogueofequalsinwhichbothare
tryingtofindthebestwayforwardforthemselvesandeachother.

Accreditation
Practitionershavetherighttohavetheirworkformallyrecognised,iftheywish.This
oftentakestheformofprofessionalcertificatesandawards.
Mostawardbearingcoursesinternationallyrecognisethevalidityofactionresearch
approaches,whichembodyprofessionalwisdomaswellastechnicalknowthatand
practicalknowhow.Personalenquiryandformsofselfstudyareacknowledgedas
equallyvaluableformsofresearchastraditionalempiricalinvestigations.Some
organisationsaredevelopingprogrammesofpersonalreflectivepracticeasframeworks
fororganisationallearning.
Thisreconceptualisationofwhatconstitutesvalideducationaltheoryandresearch,with
itsemphasisonthepersoncentred,openendednatureoflivingsystems,isaccompanied
byagrowingawarenessoftheneedforincreasedaccesstoopportunityforall.
Professionaldevelopmentprogrammesincreasinglytaketheformofdistancelearning,
modularisation,flexiblelearning,personalselfstudy,alladdressingtheneedsofthe
learnerwithinparticularcontexts.Newtechnologiesarecontributingtonewwaysof
learning,withthedevelopmentofecollegesandelearningprocesses.These
developmentsarenew,andappropriatewayshavetobedevelopedforsustaining
educativeconversationsusingmultimediatechnologies(forimportantinnovativework,
seehttp://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~mfarren/andhttp://www.livingactionresearch.net).
Therearesignificantopportunitiesforactionresearcherstohavetheirprofessional
learningaccreditedthroughawardbearingcourses.TheseawardscanbeMastersand
Doctoraldegrees.Theinfluenceofactionresearcharoundtheworldissignificant.There
isarealawarenessthatifgovernmentswishtheircitizenstobecomeproductiveand
adaptiveworkforcesinthe21stCentury,professionallearninghastobegiventhehighest

priority,andsupportedbydemocraticstructuresthatvalueindividuallearningasthe
basisforcollectivepractices.

End note
Dearfriend,
Ihopeyoulikewhatyouhavereadsofar.Ifyouhaveanysuggestionsabouthowthetext
mightbeimproved,docontactmebyemailon1006642.1700@compuserve.com
Also,ifyouhaveideasforfurtherpages,pleaseletmeknow.Ialreadyhavesomein
process,butperhapswhatappearshereissufficientforjustnow.
Thanksforyourreading,thanksforyourcompany.
Bestwishes,
JeanMcNiff