Example of an
Title Title
ACTION RESEARCH scenario template
Action Research Template (for Practical & Emancipatory Action Research)
General information Author(s)
Short description/ main idea
Dr. Maria Fragkaki, Educator-Researcher at C.T.I. & Press- Diopha tus Enter the name of the person(s) who designed the scenario. It should be mentioned that the authors are not only the teachers but also the students, because the action research is a participatory process (educational stakeholders can be implemented and parents as well) not only in the actions but also in the creation of the action research curriculum. Action Research concern learning by group-based investigations where action and critical reflection about the action are integrated, often in a cyclic process, so that acquired knowledge is directly relevant to the issues being studied. The following aspects are elaborated: starting points of the teachingresearch process, the acquired knowledge that must be relevant to issues that are interesting the students and are connected to the social reality, the particular set of conditions that the teachers and the students faces in the classroom and how these are influenced from the social framework. Describe what the student and the teacher should do during the action research. Some actions concern the teaching process and some others the research process. This happens because action research is not a process that differs from that of teaching, but it links teaching and research into an activity. For this reason, teachers associate their research activities with their teaching activities.
Learning goals
List the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students should acquire during the active research. Note that learning goals and results defined collaboratively, transformed and re-defined from the teachers and the students during the action research, at the end and afterwards. For the teachers enhance the learning process of students acquiring 21st century competencies by applying e-learning curricula, modules and practice, allowing the students to become autonomous and active learners Incorporate of a SocialCritical Constructivist theoretical/pedagogical/methodological framework in the action research process in a way that fosters and addresses 21st century skills and goals that serve understanding, critical-reflective and active learning to both students and teachers. Integrate of ICT in the Education through cultivating and advancing the competencies of students and teachers to create criticalconstructivist knowledge through the action research. Empowerment for the participants How to determine whether the strategic issue of integrating ICT integrating a social-critical constructivist pedagogical framework in Palestinian education system has been well identified, whether it can accelerate progress and add value, how to remain sustainable, whether it deserves the priority assigned to it and whether the action strategy has been well chosen (strategic feedback, policy advice, conclusions Knowledge The students should be able to
define the cognitive domain/concept/problem after dialogue with the teachers and other stakeholders u dersta d the cognitive domain/concept/problem, through the action research (the concept, the goals, the social context, the obstacles) that is derived from critical reflection on critical social theorems and on the direct social context identify potential problems, their underlying causes and possible interventions understand what occurs and the meaning people make of phenomena.
Skills The students should be able to: develop 21st skills through the process of the action research identify potential problems, their underlying causes and possible interventions with the collaboration of teachers, parents and other stakeholders as well
investigate the holistic teaching-researching process via reflection work olla orati el a d e read to fa e argu e ts ith a critical way discover the obstacles that are created by the socio-political context, which are creating barriers to the investigated issue (if this can happen) and how these obstacles can be managed and minimized debate by defending an opinion with data recognize and accept alternative explanations transform their previous knowledge (tacit knowledge) and opinion re o stru t a e idea, knowledge in relation with the investigated issue link their acquired knowledge with their daily teaching action
Attitudes The students should be able to: be interested in the social-political framework of the teaching issue/theme communicate with others critically and effectively appreciate the opposite opinion from other students or teacher apply their personal wisdom by improving their practice do social actions directed towards changing the illiberal and unequal relationships that exist in a social group Learning activities Phase 1: Definition problem or challenge
of
the During this phase of the project, the students with their teacher begin to identify the problem or challenge that the group might want to address. In other words, what does the group want to do? The teacher must have in mind to correlate the cognitive subjects (e.g. maths, language, physics, est.) they have to teach with the issues the students are interesting in. They could work through interdisciplinary concepts and connect the cognitive domains with the social-political reality. The group (students and teachers)might consider asking the following questions:
What is the challenge or issue/problem? How do you know that it is a problem? How do you feel about the challenge or issue? Why does the issue/problem exist? What are the consequences of the issue/problem? What would you like to happen?
Phase 2: Investigate
What do we need to learn to better understand the issue/problem or a possible solution? What resources do we have already (especially our own) that could help us understand the problem or challenge? What other resources or sources of information might we need? During each of these phases it is essential that 4 elements be in place. They are: o reflection (reflect constantly), o dialogue (with group members and others), o oi e the issues a d liste to the oi es of the group members and others), and o action (take action).
During this second phase, students with the help of their teacher i estigate a d dig deeper i to the problem or challenge at hand. They devote time olle ti g data a out their particular problem or needs, asking not only their classmates and teachers, but also special scientists, and stakeholders, using whenever is possible the ICT tools and environments. Questions to consider:
What questions do we have? What else do we need to know? Why? What are the influences from the social-political framework? How can we find out more? What methods should we consider to help us find out more? Are there any risks? What are they? What skills do we need? What are our next steps based on our new information?
Phase 3: Reflections in time & on During this third phase, students through critical-reflective processes time try to recognize and understand the social, ethical and political dimension of the problem/issue they investigate and of the wider fra e ork that affe ts that.Their tea hers fu tio as riti al frie ds and their contribution focuses more on enabling the thought-a tio schema. In this reflecting framework, the students and their teachers as well, parti ipati g i the resear h refle t duri g the a tio refle tio in-a tio , i.e. hile the a tio is e ol i g, as ell as o the a tio (reflection-on-action), before the action begins or after it has ended.
Questions to consider:
Who or what is responsible for this problem/issue? Can we recognize elements of the social, ethical and political dimension of the problem/issue they investigate and of the wider framework that affects? Through which ways can we make propositions or offer ways of treatment and ideas for solutions through our actions?
Phase 4: During the forth phase of the critical reflective analysis, the members of Transformations/reconstructions the Learning Community (students, teachers) can explore contradictions and antitheses in their thoughts and actions that lead to tra sfor atio s a d to restru turi g, or e intuitions with regard to thoughts for action? Questions to consider:
Phase 5: Take action
During this third phase, students and teachers take action as a Community of Learners, deciding what to do and carrying it out. Most important is what happens following this phase. Whatever the action is and whatever the outcome of the action, the group must reflect carefully on the process and the outcome itself. After this fifth phase, the steps repeat beginning again with Phase One.
Classroom orchestration (optional) Theoretical framework (optional)
Learning context Language Grade & Age
Is there any condradictions to our initial thoguht and actions about the problem/issue? How these antitheses can drive us to different ways of thinking and acting? How can we transform our initial thought and action and re o stru t it i a e o e that a to re eal a lu i ous glow of the problem investigated?
Epistemological framework: practical (understanding) & emancipatory cognitive interest (understanding & action) Theoretical Framework: Social & Critical Constructivism (criticalreflective), Pedagogical framework: Emancipatory learning, Critical Pedagogy, Transformative Learning
Indicate the language of the lesson plan and student materials Specify stude ts age a d grade le el. Use the follo i g optio s for grade: Primary
Learning difficulties/Special needs Domain Keywords/subject Prerequisites Difficulty
Learning environment Duration
Teaching/Research approach
Secondary Higher Indicate how students with special needs are considered.
Indicate the school subject/ cognitive domain/problem/issue Give one or more keywords to describe the content of the Action Research content. List if there are any knowledge, skills, and attitudes student should have acquired before they start the Action Research. Estimate the relative difficulty of the Action Research activities, taking into account stude ts grade a d age le el. Use the follo i g optio s: Easy Medium Difficult Indicate the type of learning environment. Indicate the time to complete the main tasks (that take part during the phases) of the action research, having in mind that an Action Research is a continuous process that has no end but follow a circle researching-reflecting-acting process The Teaching/research approach consist the methodological framework of the educational scenario. Co er i g the tea hi g di e sio , it goes ha d i ha d ith the research activity (named Practical & Emancipatory Action Research) and it is carried out in real conditions school premises, in parallel. The students with the mentoring of their teachers will design learning centered activities, using ICT tools and environments. The teachers will focus in critical-constructivist learning approach and try to cultivate 21th century skills to their students, within the socio-political and ethical dimension of their pedagogi al approa h. The ill a t as riti al frie ds , helpi g their stude ts e critical, reflective and active as well.
Practical Action Research relates to collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, reciprocal teaching, and flipped classroom because it is not a process that differs from that of reflective and critical teaching, but it links teaching and research into a collaborative activity. For this reason, educators associate their research activities with their teaching activities, in the context of their training. Emancipatory Action Research (figure 1): Is not intended to add facts to an existing body of knowledge on teaching, but rather to contribute to the transformation of educational theory and practice with emancipatory goals. It constitutes a process of empowerment for the participants. It impels them to take action based on critical reflection. Critical theorems are applied and tested in a unique manner by the initiation of processes of reflection carried out within certain groups towards which these processes have been directed. As Grundy reports (1987), he u dersta di g , that is derived from critical reflection on critical social theorems and on the direct social context, is linked to social actions directed towards changing the illiberal and unequal
relationships that exist in the social group, then what is applied, is an emancipatory form of action research. Emancipatory Research will always be characterized by a critical focus and by its readiness to include the social context within its research field. In this way, emancipatory action research has, in effect, a political dimension. It is appropriate to uncover and understand what constrains equity and supports hegemony to free oneself of false consciousness and change practice toward more equity.
Figure 1: A e a ple of the E a ipatory A tio Resear h fro Dr. Maria Fragkaki proposal for the People Marie Curie Actions Intra-European Fellowships (IEF), Call: FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF (Fragkaki, M. 2013)
In this Learning Scenario Template we acquire a Practical and Emancipatory Action Research, but we mention the Technical Action Research in order the writers to acquire a holistic view on the types of the Action Research. In a Technical Action Research the underlying goal of the researcher in this approach is to test a particular intervention based on a pre-specified theoretical framework, the nature of the collaboration between the researcher and the practitioner is technical and facilitative. The researcher identifies the problem and a specific intervention, then the practitioner is involved and they agree to facilitate the implementation of the intervention. It can be implemented to the discovery of laws underlying.
Assessment strategy
Alternative evaluation techniques are used, hi h do ot spe if predefi ed te h i al riteria that i ol e easura ilit a d effe ti e ess . The e aluatio of the effectiveness of the research oriented teaching action, by means of experientialanalytical trials has no bearing on the application of a critical-reflective model with an e a ipator orie tatio , ut it is ased o hat is ter ed reaso i g feed a k of the community of learners (students and teachers). In this form of qualitative evaluation, evaluation criteria are determined together with the teacher and their students. Students review their own work, ther learning activities, the results and the means used, in accordance to the aims that they have set at the beginning of their research, transformed and restructured, through the criticalreflective process of examining all the parametrs of the investigated issue/problem. They take into consideration their teachers criticism during the Action Research. Evaluation from the teacher concerns all the structural elements of the research oriented teaching activity and at all its stages (beginning, intermediate, and end), aiming to shape an evolutionary course and to instigate transformations, restructuring
and ever newer actions. The role of the teachers is ot that of the e pert ho easures results. The are olla orators, ad isors, tutors, oordi ators, ho e a le students to create a self-critical and thinking team of reflective and active students/citizens.
Learning activity 1 Title Ender the title of the learning activity that belongs in every phase of the Action Research. Description Learning objectives Interaction & roles
Tools
Describe what teachers should do in this learning activity and how these actions should be performed. Make sure the stude ts a tio s are consistent with the Action Research. List the knowledge, skills and attitudes students should acquire during this learning activity. Teachers, students, and stakeholders will act as co-researchers through the teachingresearching process of the Action Research. Students act collaboratively and teachers ha e the role of the riti al frie d . Authoring tools, web 2.0 tools, mind mapping educational software, autobiographies, diaries, e-portfolios relative to every phase of the Action Research.
Resources
Duration
List the specific resources needed for students to perform the learning activity that belong to every phase. The teacher with their students will indicate approximately the total time to complete every activity.
The Action Research Template based on Dr. Maria Fragkaki Do torate Dissertatio Creating an Online Learning Community for the pedagogical use of Information and Communication Technology in educational practice: Study of a Model with an e a ipator og iti e i terest . Do toral dissertatio , Natio al a d Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athen. Her proposal has submitted for the “People Marie Curie Actions Intra-European Fellowships (IEF), Call: FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF (Fragkaki, M. 2013)
Links to theoretical & methodological background information Elliot, J. 1993 . Ed. .‘e o stru ti g Tea her Edu atio : Tea her De elop e t. Lo do : Τhe Falmer Press. Fragkaki, M. (2011).ICT integration in Education: A Right to Democracy by way of Emancipator Education Grundy, S. (1982). Three Modes of Action Research, as cited in Kemmis, S. and Mc Taggert, R. (eds) (1988). The Action Research Reader (3ed). Geelong: Deakin University Press Habermas, J. (1974). Theory and Practice. Trans. J Viertal, London: Heinemann as cited in Grundy, S. (1982). Three Modes Of Action Research in Kemmis, S. and McTaggert,R. (eds) (1988). The Action Research Reader (3ed). Geelong: Deakin University Press Smith, S., Willms, D., & Johnson, N. (Eds.). (1997). Nurtured by knowledge: Learning to do participatory action-research. New York: Apex Press
