Greenwood, D.J., & Levin, M. (1998).
Introduction to Action Research: Social
research for social change. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.
This recent and comprehensive text is clear and compelling.
It provides readers with an overview of the different approaches to action
research (AR). The book begins with a history of AR and two cases. This is
followed by the methodological and philosophical tenets of AR. Four cases from
the authors own practice are included in this section. Finally there is a
series of chapters on the various different approaches to AR.
Group for Collaborative Inquiry (1993). The
democratization of knowledge . Adult
Education Quarterly 44, 43-51.
The authors of this essay raise the point that conducting
research engenders attitudes and behaviours that are in conflict with the
ideology of collaborative research, in which, a commitment to democracy is
considered fundamental. This group of researchers recount their experience of
realizing that their own production of knowledge was constrained by the larger
cultural milieu of academia. Despite the authors holding values espousing
empowerment, inclusion and liberation, they became aware of their tacit
assumption that only analytical and objective knowledge were suitable for
formal knowledge production. Thus, while adult education academics have
concerned themselves with oppressed structures in their field s
constituencies, they have paid scant attention to the oppressive structures
operating in their own professional culture. The group suggests that there is a
need for critical self-reflection among university-based adult educators.
Hart, E., & Bond, M. (1995). Action research for health and social care: A guide to
practice Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Designed as a text on research methods at the undergraduate
and postgraduate levels, this book is also recommended for professional
training courses. The authors have structured the book according to what they
claim is the driving force behind action research, that is, the interplay of
practical wisdom and theoretical concepts. Part One provides an overview of
action research in different contexts; in process, which includes an action
research typology of our broad traditions and seven criteria; and in practice,
where the authors present an action research proposal. In Part Two five case
studies are presented. The cases differ in magnitude, issues addressed, and are
written from the perspective of various participants. In addition to successful
examples there are instances of instructional failure. Next there is a
toolkit designed to help researchers thinking through the research
process. The final chapter proposes that a project perspective is a way for
practitioners and researchers to think of research that combines research and
practice.
Heron, J. (1996). Co-operative
inquiry: Research into the human condition. London, UK: Sage.
In this volume Heron presents a comprehensive guide to
co-operative inquiry. Heron sees this approach as having links to the action
research and experiential learning work stemming from Kurt Lewin (1952) but he
believes that the source, application, and epistemology of co-operative inquiry
make it quite distinct. The chapters cover all aspects of co-operative inquiry
from philosophy, methods, to a detailed discussion of validity. Many of the
specifics covered in this book have application to other types of action
research. |