This book presents a fresh view of action research as a methodology uniquely suited to researching the processes of innovation and change. Drawing on twenty-five years' experience of leading or facilitating action research projects, Bridget Somekh argues that action research can be a powerful systematic intervention, which goes beyond describing, analyzing and theorizing practices to reconstruct and transform those practices.
The book examines action research into change in a range of educational settings, such as schools and classrooms, university departments, and a national evaluation of technology in schools. The opening chapter presents eight methodological principles and discusses key methodological issues. The focus then turns to action research in broader contexts such as 'southern' countries, health, business and management, and community development. Each chapter thereafter takes a specific research project as its starting point and critically reviews its design, relationships, knowledge outcomes, political engagement and impact.
"Action Research" is important reading for postgraduate students and practitioner researchers in education, health and management, as well as those in government agencies and charities who wish to research and evaluate change and development initiatives. It is also valuable for pre-service and in-service training of professionals such as teachers, nurses, and managers.
Table of contents
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Agency, Change and the Generation of Actionable Knowledge
Chapter 2 Doing Action Research Differently
Chapter 3 Action Research from the Inside: a Teacher's Experience
Chapter 4 Action Research and Radical Change in Schools
Chapter 5 Action Research for Organizational Development in Higher Education
Chapter 6 Action Research in a Partnership between Regional Companies and a University
Chapter 7 Action Research in the Evaluation of a National Programme
Chapter 8 Action Research and Innovative Pedagogies with ICT
Chapter 9 Reflections on the Process of Writing this Book and its Purposes
References
Index
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