Action research
It seeks transformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research, which are linked together by critical reflection.
This tension exists between: Action research challenges traditional social science by moving beyond reflective knowledge created by outside experts sampling variables, to an active moment-to-moment theorizing, data collecting and inquiry occurring in the midst of emergent structure.
When actions are designed to achieve the intended consequences and to suppress conflict about the governing variables, a single-loop learning cycle usually ensues.
On the other hand, when actions are taken not only to achieve the intended consequences, but also to openly inquire about conflict and to possibly transform the governing variables, both single- and double-loop learning cycles usually ensue.
Cooperative, aka collaborative, inquiry was first proposed by John Heron in 1971 and later expanded with Peter Reason and Demi Brown.
Participatory action research builds on the critical pedagogy put forward by Paulo Freire as a response to the traditional formal models of education where the "teacher" stands at the front and "imparts" information to the "students" who are passive recipients.
Orlando Fals-Borda (1925–2008), Colombian sociologist and political activist, was one of the principal promoters of participatory action research (IAP in Spanish) in Latin America.
[12] He adapted the idea of ontological weight to action research from existential Christian philosopher Gabriel Marcel.
[13] Barry was influenced by Jean McNiff's and Jack Whitehead's[14] phraseology of living theory action research but was diametrically opposed to the validation process advocated by Whitehead which demanded video "evidence" of "energy flowing values" and his atheistic ontological position which influenced his conception of values in action research.
The action-research model shown in Figure 1 closely follows Lewin's repetitive cycle of planning, action, and measuring results.
The field is supported by a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal, Action Research, founded in 2003 and edited by Hilary Bradbury.
