Mary Brydon-Miller

Participatory action research: contributions to the development of practitioner inquiry in education

The notion of teachers studying their own practice and working with students and community partners to address issues of inequality in schooling is the radical root of many forms of educational practitioner inquiry. But this emancipatory foundation of practitioner inquiry is currently under threat by efforts to limit the focus of this engaged form of knowledge generation to narrowly defined and decontextualized problems, disconnected from critiques of unjust and inequitable social conditions. Participatory action research (PAR) provides a framework for recapturing the potential of practitioner inquiry to bring about meaningful change. PAR expands the notion of researcher to include a range of stakeholders who collaboratively engage in all phases of the action–reflection cycle. The intentional focus on collaborative research, action for social change, and participant education shifts inquiry from an individual to a collective endeavor, intentionally aimed at transformative personal, organizational, and structural change. PAR is an openly and unapologetically political approach to knowledge creation through and for action. It is political in the sense of naming and unsettling relationships of power. The struggle to maintain, or in some cases introduce, a counter‐hegemonic edge to action research, including all types of practitioner inquiry, frames our work. The diverse community of participatory action researchers has unique contributions to offer the dialogue about the nature and consequences of various forms of educational practitioner inquiry. In this article, we briefly address the origins, purposes, values, and unique aspects of PAR. We then identify some of the contributions PAR can make to our common goal of improving educational practice and contributing to positive change in the lives of children, their families, teachers, and communities, and consider some of the tensions that may arise when we attempt to integrate the principles of PAR into practitioner inquiry along with strategies for addressing these concerns in creative and constructive ways.

A re-examination of the relationship between action research and human subjects review processes

In this brief article, we review the history of the human subjects review process and identify key aspects of that review as they relate to action research. In particular, we examine the issues of coercion, predictability, confidentiality, and risk –concerns central to the criteria used in current review processes but reflecting fundamental differences in the basic conceptualization of ethical practice as this is understood in action research.

Conclusion Strategies for addressing ethical concerns in action research

As the articles in this special issue illustrate, action research offers its practitioners the opportunity to engage communities as equal partners in addressing important concerns while improving practice and deepening our shared understanding of crucial issues. But it is also clear that action research raises a unique set of ethical challenges, many of which have been overlooked in the literature to date. As we suggested in the introduction, our intention in putting together this collection was to bring greater attention to the question of ethics as it affects the practice, production, presentation, and pedagogy of action research. And, again, we deeply appreciate the thoughtful and thought-provoking work of our contributors. In closing this special issue, we’d like to begin to set an agenda for the critical task of deepening this dialogue and of finding ways to incorporate consistent attention to ethics into every aspect of our practice as action researchers. Understanding that simple declarations are obviously not enough, and that to develop a truly ethical practice we must remain constantly mindful of these issues and must continue to strive to make ethical practice manifest in every micro-decision in the work we do, we challenge our readers and other members of the action research community to begin to address the question of ethics and action research at each level of our practice. It is with this in mind that we offer the following strategies, not as a simple checklist, but in the hope of encouraging greater attention to Action Research

The changing landscape of arts and action research

Watching the evening come across Cadair Idris, a spectacular mountain in northwest Wales, you can see the landscape change moment by moment as the shadows of the clouds shift across the slope and the sky darkens. The view is at once constantly changing and eternal – the bones of the mountain, the essential truth of the landscape, remain (see Figure 1). Action research has changed the landscape of social science research by dramatically shifting our perspective on the process of knowledge generation, highlighting aspects of experience that had been in shadow, helping us to appreciate the drama and beauty of lives in our communities, and bringing greater clarity to our understanding of important issues. And now arts-based action research is changing our perspective once again, as evidenced by the six articles included in this special issue. We were delighted with the response to our call for papers for this project and are sorry not to be able to include more of the many examples of exciting and innovative work being done to integrate the arts in conducting and communicating action research projects around the world. That said, we feel that the work included here provides a wonderful introduction to the breadth of arts-based action research practices now being carried out.

The unexpected journey: renewing our commitment to students through educational action research

Abstract This article presents four cases of journeys of discovery and renewal, and the unexpected learning that results from exploring our practice with others. The authors are three classroom teachers – Steve, Stephanie and Bennyce – all of whom took part in a year-long action research sequence and the two professors – Helen and Mary – who co-taught these courses. Taking part in this process, whether as teachers or students, we gained new insights into important relationships that are too frequently taken for granted in busy teaching days, and discovered, in doing so, a renewed commitment to both our students and to the power of action research to bring about change

Stone soup: using co-teaching and Photovoice to support inclusive education

The purpose of this action research project was to increase the local educational system’s capacity to teach to greater student diversity across all grades through the use of Photovoice and co-teaching. Teacher education programs in the United States have reflected a historical legacy of separation according to student achievement and were organized in discrete and independent fashions. Barriers to collaboration now appear in even greater relief due to recent changes in US educational laws. Faculty and doctoral students from multiple programs in the School of Education, along with field supervisors, student-teachers and cooperating teachers, participated in an action research project to develop innovative strategies for integrating teacher preparation programs. Using Photovoice and co-teaching, investigators identified themes discovered in the data. Results indicated that collaboration benefits our student-teachers and the pupils they will teach. Recommendations for change are discussed.

The big picture: Implications and imperatives for the action research community from the SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research

Stepping back from four years of work on the SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research, its editors here take an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve learned through the process about the current state of action research and to consider how this might inform what comes next for the broader action research community. This is the first in a series of three planned articles—this first focusing primarily on how we define and mobilize the community of action research. Subsequent articles will feature Davydd Greenwood’s reflections on the theoretical frameworks of action research and how they inform our understanding of change processes and Bob Dick’s thoughts on current and coming methodological issues and innovations of action research.

Intellectual property and action research

This brief article offers an overview of the issue of intellectual property and the ways in which this intersects with the practice and dissemination of action research. Particular attention is paid to various forms of co-authorship and to the impact of developing forms of information and communication technologies on the question of intellectual property.

Exploring the relationship between faculty, students, and the Social and Behavioral Ethics Review Committee through action research.

Student researchers used action research both to study the relationship between university researchers and the ethics committee, and also to explore the ethics committees approach to protocols involving action research and other qualitative methods. We review the existing literature on relationships between university faculty and their ethics committees and briefly discuss the basic tenets of action research. We then describe our research process and the specific recommendations that resulted from this work. Finally, we consider the ways in which action research can be used to better understand and address institutional problems through effective collaboration and dialogue.

Structured Ethical Reflection in Practitioner Inquiry: Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice

Abstract Practitioner inquiry provides a powerful tool for improving practice and addressing critical issues in classrooms, schools, and broader communities. However, it also raises unique ethical challenges that often go unrecognized and unresolved. Structured Ethical Reflection (SER) provides teacher researchers with a process for identifying core values and examining the ways in which these principles are embodied in research and pedagogical practice. This article examines SER from the perspectives of theory, pedagogy, and practice.