“Essentials” for a Successful School-Wide Action Research Project

1969 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt W. Clausen ◽  
Dale R. Petruka
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Peer Collaboration ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Traditional School ◽  
Successful School

Recently, we had the privilege of conducting a year-long case study at an elementary school in Ontario which was carrying out a school-wide action research project. As the year progressed it became clear that, if a school wanted to feel the full benefits of this technique, its implementation could not be undertaken like ten solitary research endeavours with ten separate participants. Instead, we concluded that visible changes had to be made to the traditional school behaviour for this innovation to succeed in the long term. From a literature review and our experiences with the case study school, we identified ten “essentials” that needed to be addressed for a school-wide action research project to prosper, ultimately changing the culture of a school and improving both teacher and student learning. Our findings fall in line with recent literature arguing that a school should be seen as a “learning community”. As a way to bring meaning, motivation and accessibility to professional development, an entire school should engage in peer collaboration, action research projects and collegial dialogue in an effort to improve teaching practices (Peery, 2004; Rosenholtz, 1989; Darling-Hammond, 1996; Barkley & Schwartz, 1989).

Exploring the Fourth Order

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barend KLITSIE ◽  
Rebecca PRICE ◽  
Christine DE LILLE
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Fourth Order ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Building Trust ◽  
Current Business

Companies are organised to fulfil two distinctive functions: efficient and resilient exploitation of current business and parallel exploration of new possibilities. For the latter, companies require strong organisational infrastructure such as team compositions and functional structures to ensure exploration remains effective. This paper explores the potential for designing organisational infrastructure to be part of fourth order subject matter. In particular, it explores how organisational infrastructure could be designed in the context of an exploratory unit, operating in a large heritage airline. This paper leverages insights from a long-term action research project and finds that building trust and shared frames are crucial to designing infrastructure that affords the greater explorative agenda of an organisation.

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.

Communicative space and working locally: A report of a participatory action research project in a remote rural school in Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-152
Author(s):  
Safayet Alam
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Models Of Teaching ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Communicative Space

Teachers’ professional development is a top priority in education of Bangladesh, but the literature reports existing models of teaching are unsatisfactory. This article reports a participatory action research project in a remote rural secondary school in Bangladesh, and discusses how a locally focused process enabled teachers to create a communicative space in which they could explore their understandings of teaching and evolve as a learning community. It argues that improvement in teaching can occur at local level, despite constraints of poverty and lack of resources, when local teachers are enabled to challenge themselves and each other to better meet the needs of students within their community.

scholarly journals Leading organizational transformation: an action research study

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filomena Canterino ◽  
Stefano Cirella ◽  
Abraham Baruch (Rami) Shani
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Organizational Transformation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Plural Leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address a specific gap in the literature that centers on individual perspective of leadership within the context of organizational transformation. It explores synergies between leadership, analyzed as a combination of individual and plural perspectives, and managerial drivers relating to organizational transformation (communicating, mobilizing, and evaluating). Design/methodology/approach The study examines a complex organizational transformation initiative faced by an Italian, family-owned fashion design company through an action research project. Findings The results illustrate that context may play a role in accelerating the implementation of plural forms of leadership and their effectiveness during some phases of transformation. Specific emerging manifestations of leadership and synergies with transformation drivers are identified. Research limitations/implications This is a single case study derived from an action research project. Although the approach is congruent with the nature of the phenomenon and the purpose of the study, it does not aim for generalizability, and as such further empirical investigation is advocated. Originality/value The paper offers an original perspective on leadership of organizational transformation, discussing in particular the co-existence of individual and plural leadership and the role of context.

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