Hi Brandan (and all), It is because of the value-laden nature of what is educational. Action research is a form of research that is concerned with improving practice. To distinguish something as an improvement means making a value-judgment. So values are necessary in explaining our educational influences in learning and in judging what counts as an improvement. Whenever I explain my educational influence in my own learning and in the learning of others my explanatory principles are values-laden. For example in some of my earlier writings I explained my learning as I responded to what I experienced as constraints on my academic freedom in the workplace. My value of academic freedom became an explanatory principle in the explanation I gave for my own learning.
In all of the living theory doctorates at http://www.actionresearch.net/living.shtml and in the masters writings at http://www.actionresearch.net/mastermod.shtml individuals explain their educational influences in their own learning using their ontological values. By this I mean the values they use to give meaning and purpose to their lives. I'll pause here to ask if this is an adequate explanation as to why describing and analysing one's educational values is important in the generation of living educational theories? 
