Action Research: Principles and Practice

✍ Scribed by Jean Mcniff

• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 176
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Since the first edition of this established text was published in 1988, action research has gained ground as a popular method amongst educational researchers, and in particular for practising teachers doing higher-level courses. In this new edition Jean McNiff provides updates on methodological discussions and includes new sections of case study material and information on supporting action research. The book raises issues about how action research is theorised, whether it is seen as a spectator discipline or as a real life practice, and how practitioners position themselves within the debate. It discusses the importance for educators of understanding their own work and showing how their educative influence can lead to the development of good orders in formal and informal learning settings and in the wider community.This second edition comes at a time when, after years of debate over what counts as action research, it is now considered an acceptable and useful part of mainstream research practice.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of figures......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Preface......Page 10
Introduction......Page 14
What do we know? The principles of action research......Page 26
What do we know? The principles of action research......Page 28
How do we come to know? Linking theory and practice......Page 40
Who has influenced our thinking? Key theorists in action research......Page 52
What do we need to know? How can we develop our work?......Page 72
What do we do? The practices of action research......Page 82
How to do action research......Page 84
Practical issues......Page 98
Making sense of the data and generating evidence......Page 105
Validating claims to knowledge......Page 115
How do we share our knowledge? Stories from action researchers......Page 124
Action research in the home CHRISTOPHER MC CORMACK......Page 126
Expect the unexpected CONCHR MUIMHNEACHIN......Page 133
Where will we put the computer? RAY O'NEILL......Page 139
My involvement in action research KEVIN MCDERMOTT......Page 142
Contributing to good social orders through education......Page 144
Action research and good social orders......Page 146
Significance of the work......Page 154
Epilogue: An educative conversation JEAN MCNIFF AND JACK WHITEHEAD......Page 161
Appendix......Page 164
References......Page 166
Index......Page 174