A collaborative action research project towards embedding ESD within the higher education curriculum

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 857-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisela Cebrián
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to present a collaborative action research project conducted at the University of Southampton with the aim to promote curriculum and professional development in education for sustainable development (ESD) and learn from everyday practices of academics. Design/methodology/approach An action research approach guided by participatory and emancipatory approaches was used. An interdisciplinary group of five academic staff members from different subject areas (education; archaeology; electronics and computer sciences; biology; and health sciences) was created with the aim to support the group’s critical reflection and action towards embedding ESD in their teaching practice. Findings The main outcomes of delivery of sustainability teaching achieved through the project and evidences of the impact of the facilitator role are outlined. The facilitator role has enabled reflection and action, together with the identification of specific needs of academics and the factors influencing their engagement and action. Originality/value This research demonstrates the potential of using action research to rethink current practice in embedding ESD and to lead to new practices and actions of communities of practice. The facilitator role and second-order action research can contribute to better decision-making of sustainability as it questions practice, current assumptions and worldviews.

scholarly journals A Reflexive Eye on a Collaborative Action Research Project in School

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kitt Lyngsnes
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
Teacher Researcher ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Reflexive Analysis

This article presents a reflexive analysis of a collaborative action research project based on the “Nordic tradition” of action research. In this project I, in the role of researcher, worked with a team of four teachers in a Norwegian primary/lower secondary school to develop teaching practice focused on students’ learning. I have retrospectively analysed data from my research diary, meetings and interviews. The article describes how the collaboration and the relationship between the teacher team and the researcher developed, and how this process contributed to the teachers’ professional development. The results shed light on the complexity of teacher- researcher- relationships, and demonstrate the importance of engaging in reflexivity in collaborative action research.

scholarly journals Doing-It-Ourselves as Teacher Researchers: A Collaborative Action Research Approach for Improving Literacy Support at Home

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catia Guerra ◽  
Beatrice Hanratty ◽  
Andreia Onofre ◽  
Michele Tedeschi ◽  
Laura Wilenchik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Literacy Support ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Urban Elementary School ◽  
Teacher Researchers

This paper describes what a group of teacher researchers learned from conducting an action research project in an urban elementary school serving a multilingual community in the northeastern United States. A key goal of the project was to enhance parents’ and caregivers’ support of students’ literacy development in ways that built on home literacy practices. Teachers’ learning included understanding the importance of true collaboration, responding to parent feedback, and teacher-led professional development.

Evaluation of an action research project in workforce development and organisational change: Healthy Ageing—Nutrition

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth M Jolley
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Action Research Approach

This article reports on the evaluation of an action research project designed to support workforce development in the promotion of healthy nutrition for older people. The evaluation methodology was grounded by the action research approach of the project and focused on case studies of the 10 partner organisations. Findings indicate that the Healthy Ageing—Nutrition Project has resulted in a large increase in awareness and knowledge about healthy ageing and nutrition in the case study organisations, and to a lesser extent, in the broader health and aged care sectors. For the case study organisations it seems likely that transformational change has been made through the project's work of building capacity, mediating and facilitating change and providing resources. Support at board and management level, as well as thoughtful development of the workforce, were critical success factors in bringing about organisational change. The main challenge was identified as time and resources needed. Follow-up evaluation of the health outcomes from nutritional assessment, screening and intervention should also be implemented in order to provide further evidence of the value of this effort.

scholarly journals ONLINE COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH IN AN EFL CONTEXT: THE EFFECT ON TEACHERS’ REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

2021 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 158-175
Author(s):  
Zahra Fathian ◽  
Majid Farahian
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collaborative Action ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
The Impact

Technology can be integrated in teacher education and, hence, be used to empower teachers to extend learning beyond their classrooms. Therefore, the present study was an attempt to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of action research and explore the impact of their collaborative action research in an online discussion group on their reflective practice. In addition, we were interested to know how online collaborative research action research contributes to their promotion of reflective thinking.The participants of this study were 23 Iranian EFL teachers who were recruited based on convenience sampling. The design of the study was a pre-test post-test design. As such, two questionnaires were given to the participants at the beginning and end of the study. As the next step, the participants took part in online discussion groups for 10 sessions in which they read and watched some essays and videos, wrote about some topics, and shared their ideas and experiences. To consolidate the findings, semi-structured interviews were held with 12 participants. The result of the study indicated that most of the participants of the study had optimistic views regarding action research. In addition, participating in online discussion groups enabled them to think more about their teaching practice and gain higher levels of reflectivity. The results of the qualitative phase indicated that the online courses had effect on the teachers’ practice and reflectivity in different ways. Despite all studies conducted on action research in Iran, contradictory results have been found regarding teachers’ perception of action research. In addition, to the researchers’ knowledge, no study has investigated the use of online collaborative action research on teachers’ reflection. As such, it seemed necessary to conduct a study to explore the role of action research as a framework for improving reflective practice.

Tutor and international student perspectives on an action research project: use of a business strategy simulation with mixed nationality cohorts

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clive R. Kerridge ◽  
Colin Simpson
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

Purpose This study aims to present the results of a curriculum design intervention, which was undertaken to address the inhibitors and enablers facing international (mainly Chinese) students on a capstone undergraduate strategic management module at a UK university business school. Design/methodology/approach Using an action research approach, the pre-intervention phase identified two main concerns: low levels of student engagement and avoidance of generic academic and language support. The module was subsequently redesigned around a group-based strategic business simulation (requiring collaborative participation of all students), with embedded language and academic support, plus the involvement of bilingual teaching staff. Findings Post-intervention results from the four-year study indicated enhanced academic engagement of international students and a narrowing of the performance (grade) gap between domestic and international students. Practical implications Overall findings should provide strong support for the inclusion of active learning pedagogies in undergraduate business course deliveries, also complementing educational literature that advocates the effectiveness of constructivist pedagogies in mixed-nationality classrooms. Originality/value This study exemplifies a form of participatory action research. The juxtaposition of comments from support and specialist tutors, along with those of students, highlights the validity of views from each stakeholder group.

“Getting ready to teach”: using photovoice within a collaborative action research project

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Sally Wai-Yan Wan ◽  
Carson Ki-Wing Chu ◽  
Angus Ho-Hei Cheng ◽  
Elim Sein-Yue Hui ◽  
Ken Chun-Kit Fung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Collaborative Action
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