Re: [xmca] Action Research: Generalisable learning

All the reflections about Action Research you have made have given me light
to improve my role as researcher. I have a question to ask,maybe one of you
could give me still more light! In my work as an amateur action researcher
I very often find it difficult to report action research findings, How do
you usually report them?

Thanks

José-David
>From: "Ana Paula B. R. Cortez" <apbrcortez@yahoo.com.br>
>Reply-To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>To: mcole@weber.ucsd.edu, "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity"
><xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>Subject: Re: [xmca] Action Research: Generalisable learning
>Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 22:02:48 -0300 (ART)
>
>Very interesting, indeed! I personally find this kind of research
>fascinating, not only because there's an opportunity to look at the school
>environment being part of it, but also as "an outsider", from a different
>perspective. I tend to analyse collected data as if the person teaching
>those lessons were another one, but myself. It's a way of solving
>teaching-learning practice problems, reflecting upon approaches and
>methodologies and, above all, finding ways to transform realities. In my
>opinion, it's a great chance of coming up with alternatives to overcome
>social barriers (now quoting Kincheloe, 1993. A formação do professor como
>compromisso político - mapeando o pós-moderno. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas
>- sorry, I only have the reference in Portuguese).
> Besides, I include students in the analysis as well: I show them video
>taped classes for us to debate so that they also get to know a bit about
>the theory and they can criticize what they see (isn't that our intention
>to educate students to become critical citizens? So why not actively
>including them in the study?). In this way, the multiplicity of voices
>generating conflict and discussion enriches the analysis and expand the
>activity itself. I mean, in my case, teaching EFL in a Brazilian bilingual
>school, this is the ultimate opportunity to transform the language as a
>tool for a result into a tool and result (as defined by Newman and Holzman,
>1993. Vygotsky - Revolutionary Scientist).
> Ana
>
>Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> escreveu:
> This is an ongoing discussion the the action research list that ought to
>be
>of interest to several of us.
>mike
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Jack Whitehead
>Date: Aug 7, 2007 3:28 AM
>Subject: Re: [arlist-l] Generalisable learning
>To: Action research list
>
>
>
>
>[ Converted to plain text. -- B. ]
>
>
>
>On 6 Aug 2007, at 23:35, David Tripp (by way of Bob Dick) wrote:
>
>However, as the purpose of action research is improved practice,
>when- and where-ever improved practice is achieved and others get
>to know about it, they tend to try it too, and so the practice is
>generalised as it moves from "it happened once here" to "it
>happens, here, there and everywhere!" and that's so much more
>relevant and important in terms of the method than categorical
>generalisation of other kinds of research.
>
>I do like the idea that practice is generalised as it moves is the way
>David
>describes above. You can follow this kind of generalisation from Chapter 6
>Kevin Eames' narrative of his action research in one school from 1991:
>
>CHAPTER SIX - ACTION RESEARCH AS A FORM OF PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN A
>WHOLE-SCHOOL SETTING
>
>This chapter deals with another aspect of my practice as an action
>researcher, and moves beyond my own classroom to my work with colleagues at
>Wootton Bassett School. In contrast to the two preceding chapters, the
>focus
>has shifted back to my own practice, although at the time of writing, in
>the
>autumn of 1991, I had been seconded to work with the advisory service of
>Wiltshire LEA. The account I give here, therefore, is not concerned with
>the
>current advisory work in which I was involved, but with events which had
>taken place some time before.
>
>at:
>
>http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/KEVINPHD/kechap6.pdf
>
>into Jacqueline Delong's action research between 1996-2002 into her work as
>a Superintendent of Schools in Ontario, generating a culture of inquiry in
>support of teacher action research in a whole school board in her narrative
>of her"
>
>HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY PRACTICE AS A SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND CREATE MY
>OWN LIVING EDUCATIONAL THEORY?
>
>at
>
>
>http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/delong.shtml
>
>and into Moira Laidlaw's action research between 2000-2006 in China's
>Experimental Centre for Educational Action Research in Foreign Language's
>Teachers, hosted by Ningxia Teachers University, at:
>
>
>http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/moira.shtml
>
>When David describes ' the purpose of action research is improved
>practice',
>I'm not sure if knowledge-creation is included in what is meant by
>'improved
>practice'. I tend to make a distinction between the questions I ask in
>researching to improve my educational influences with my students in
>questions such as, 'How do I improve my practice?' and the educational
>knowledge I generate as I explain my educational influences in my own
>learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of the social
>formations in which I live and work. I stress the importance in action
>research of both improving my practice and of enhancing the educational
>knowledge-base through my contributions to educational theory. In my
>understandings of generalisability in action research I use the idea that
>practice is generalised as it moves in the way David describes, I also use
>an idea of generalisability when I see that ideas generated in one context
>by an action research are being acknowledged as !
>of use in the narrative of another action research who is working and
>researching in a different context.
>
>Love Jack.
>
>
>
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Received on Thu Aug 9 20:24 PDT 2007