Action Research and Participatory Action Research

Action research is a form of self-reflective inquiry undertaken by participants in social situations to improve the rationality and justification of their practices, their understanding of these practices, and the conditions in which the practices are carried out. In the context of educational research this can involve practicing educators to the process of conducting classroom-based action research (Mertler, 2014). It is an approach in which the action researcher and participants collaborate in the identification of the problem and co-designing the solution based on the diagnosis. Characteristically, action research relates to collaboration between researchers and stakeholders to solve organisational problems (Whyte et al., 1991).

In action research the researchers co-learns with a stakeholder group. In participatory action research they take a more active role as a member of a community. Participatory action research is sometimes used when an organisation needs to solve a problem but no clear line of inquiry is indicated. Alongside this kind of flexibility, another advantage of these approaches is that research can be tailored to a specific context while focusing stakeholders, allowing unanticipated solutions to emerge. This might be done to personalise a learning experience, or
promote social inclusion (Warschauer, 2003; Lewis & Sanderson, 2011; Kemmis et al. 2013). Conversely, this approach might be considered disadvantageous because it may limit the ability to make generalised claims or apply what has been found in new contexts.

Action Research: GO-GN Insights

Ada Czerwonogora used Action Research as part of a complex case study into reflective practice and the transformation of teaching through technological
integration on behalf of the PRAXIS project:

“The project approach was based on Open Science and Open Educational Practices as foundational frameworks to face the challenges of critical Educational Action Research… I see as an advantage the multi-methods approach, to provide a deep understanding of the complex case. However, this could result in a more difficult methodology… I think the pros are far more than the cons.”

Jenni Hayman used an action research approach in face-to-face workshops and on a MOOCs to determine the usefulness of an awareness and support strategy designed to increase the use of OER among post-secondary educators:

“The method for my research was mixed method action research (MMAR) and it was defined by my institution as a requirement…I engaged in three cycles of research (a common practice for action research), each leading to more refined practices and greater participation. Although my personal tendency is toward qualitative methods, I found the requirement of a mixed method approach for my research extremely beneficial as a novice. I was required to learn and practice skills of both approaches and to learn how different types of data interact and combine to magnify insight. When qualitative and quantitative data agreed, this generated confidence for me that I was on the right path. When these data disagreed, I returned to the literature, and method descriptions to develop explanations and further refine my contexts and the contexts of my participants. Action research (similar to design based research) is grounded in practice and the design of experiences. It is personal and contextual and is therefore impossible to describe as objective or replicable. It is often used by educators to examine and improve some element of their teaching practice or the systems in which they work.”

Francisco Iniesto used action research within a Person-Centred Planning (PCP) perspective, designed to empower disabled learners to make their own choices and decisions by placing the individual at the centre of the planning process for improving accessibility in MOOCs:

“Learners were a useful source of data to explore the accessibility barriers and their solutions in using the technology and the learning designs they come up against when interacting with MOOCs. The data from the interviews helped to understand their motivations, the current accessibility barriers they have found, how they reacted to them, and their suggestions for desired solutions”.

Useful references for Action Research: Caruth (2018); Danermark et al. (2002); Freire (1994); Heron & Reason (1997); Ivankova (2015); Kemmis, McTaggart & Nixon (2013); Lewis & Sanderson (2011); Mertler (2014); Smith (1999). Warschauer (2003); Whyte, Greenwood & Lazes (1991)