Action Research Methodology and Methods Rinnelle LeePiggott Outline
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Action Research: Methodology and Methods Rinnelle Lee-Piggott
Outline § Define methodology § Focus on the Action research methodology § Focus on methods
Methodology Refers to: “…the assembly of research tools and the application of research rules. … It is how the toolkit of research methods is brought together to crack an individual and specific research problem” (Newby, 2010, p. 51).
How do you determine a methodological framework? ? ? Ontology Epistemology Method(s)
Ontology Epistemology • “…assumptions are concerned with what we believe constitutes social reality” (Blaikie, 2000, p. 8). • “… is a theory of the nature/form of knowledge” (Hitchcock & Hughes, 1989, 1995). World view how and what we can know about social reality • We have different ways of seeing the world
Types of Epistemologies: Positivism sees knowledge as: • obtained through the senses, natural science • value free, i. e. objective Positivism is linked to the Quantitative paradigm Methods: experimentation, surveys, causal relationships
Types of Epistemologies: Interpretivism • respects the differences between people and animals or things • recognises that human beings are capable of developing subjective meanings to their experiences • seeks to make sense of those subjective meanings (Cohen et al. , 2007) Interpretivism is linked to the Qualitative paradigm Methods: interviews, narratives, projective techniques
Types of Epistemologies* Social Constructionism • takes some tenets of both but leans more to interpretivism * • uses multiple methods may be used from either paradigms Pragmatism • is concerned with ‘what works’ for useful results! • uses mixed methods that integrates quantitative and qualitative data at various stages of the research process • may emphasize one paradigm over the other
Video: Ontology, Epistemology, Methodology and Methods • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=h. COs. Y 5 rk. Rs 8
Methodology (research blueprint or design) • Concerns: – Methods – Which ones? and How many? – Participants – Who? Why? How many? – Access – Ethical considerations – Data Analysis
Types of Methodologies See pg 65 of Newby (2010).
Action Research Methodology • Founding father - Kurt Lewin, whose work sought to change the lives of disadvantaged groups • Useful for investigating and improving a variety of areas in education, including*: – – – – teaching methods, learning strategies, assessment procedures, attitudes and values of stakeholders, CPD of teachers, student behavior management, administration
Action Research Methodology Characteristics Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007, pp. 299 -300) In pairs, identify 2 characteristics of Action Research
Methods: research tools What research methods do you know of?
Methods: research tools • • • Questionnaires Interviews Observation Tests Personal constructs, e. g. laddering Narrative Critical incident technique Document research Visual sociology Many different methods!!!