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Hi Tim,I will be happy to read your paper and talk about it.NathalisP.S. My email is: [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message -----From: "Cain T." Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:03 amSubject: Re: Education and Learning Virtual Networking Stream for ALARA's 8th World CongressTo: [log in to unmask]> Dear all,> Following the AR conference Zagreb I was moved to re-work a > paper that I had already submitted to a journal, about teachers' > classroom-based action research. Here is the abstract:> > I argue that teachers’ classroom-based action research is > frequently misunderstood by those who undertake it and support > it, in three respects. First, it is wrongly assumed to fall into > either positivist or interpretative paradigms (or perhaps a > mixture of both) or to be critical. Second, there is little > understanding as to why action research is necessarily self-> reflexive, collaborative and political. Third, there is a view > that classroom research studies are not suitable for > dissemination because they are not generalisable. Drawing on > Heron and Reason (1997) I outline a view of how teachers are > positioned in their classroom to explain why teachers’ classroom-> based action research cannot be underpinned by positivist, > interpretative or critical paradigms, is necessarily self-> reflexive, collaborative and political (albeit in a weak form) > and is suitable for dissemination to teachers, working in > similar contexts.> > If anyone is interested in reading and responding to the article > I will happily send it to you. I would particularly appreciate > critical comments because I will resubmit it soon and I'm sure > it could be strengthened by critical appraisal. My email address > is [log in to unmask]> > Warm regards,> > > > Tim Cain> > > ________________________________> From: Practitioner-Researcher [mailto:PRACTITIONER-> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marie Huxtable> Sent: 23 May 2010 15:59> To: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Education and Learning Virtual Networking Stream > for ALARA's 8th World Congress> > Hi,> I have just returned from the AR conference in Zagreb and I am > beginning to reflect on what I have learned and the practical > implications. I am wondering whether as I do so I can build on > what Jack has offered in response to Brian’s posting 18th May > 2010 where Brian stated:> ‘There are several different approaches to PAR, AR., ways of > seeking to improve professional practice, or to work with others > to address agreed issues...... as the literature or a BERA or > CARN conference illustrate..> > There are different motivations for our work.’> During the Zagreb conference Tim Cain (Univ. Southampton, UK), > Alan Markowitz (College of St. Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA), Jack > Whitehead (Liverpool Hope Univ.) and Branko Bogna (Faculty of > Philosophy in Osijek, Croatia) shared their approaches to AR > interactively with teachers and other educators developing their > research. Sanja Milovic, Ninocka Truck-Biljan, and Dubravka > Kovacevic from the Education and Teacher Training Agency, > Croatia, presented their research on AR as a tool for > professional development and the creation of learning > communities and networks. I was also very fortunate in being > able to attend a small workshop by Sanja Mandaric, a teacher > from Djakova , ‘The importance of values for teachers as action > researchers’, which has given me a great deal to think about. I > hope Sanja will produce her account of her work as I think it > will inspire and challenge others as it has me.> What was of interest to me was the degree of congruence between > what on the surface appeared very different approaches. Reading > the power point of Noriyuki Inoue (Univ. San Diego, USA) that > Jack has made available on > http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/jwprposting190510.htm and in particular the two slides:> Practice-linked Cultural Concepts from Japanese culture> *思い (omoi)> -Integrated form in thinking, feeling and passion that serve as > driving force of an individual or a group> *場 (Ba)> -Communicative space for deepening understanding and building > consensus characterized by bounded instability> *反省 (Hansei)> -Reflection on one’s moral obligation and duty> *絆 (Kizuna)> -Enduring bond built among colleagues, friends, and family> *匠 (Takumi)> Sophisticated skill built on advanced wisdom and experiences> East Asian Epistemology> -Different from linear, deductive and confrontational way of knowing> -Assumption of complexity and dynamic understanding of reality> -Self as a part of the social, cultural, and physical context> -Reflection and compassion> I am struck by the resonance between what he says and those > speaking in Croatia. I disagree with Brian where he asserts, > ‘There are different motivations for our work’. I believe I > share a motivation with the educators I met. We came from a > dozen different countries but seem united in a passionate > motivation for improving our educational theory and practice > with the intention of making a life-enhancing difference to the > learning of self, others and the social formations in which we > live and work, and ultimately to the educational experience of > children and young people. There was a common understanding that > engaging in ‘action research’ is emotionally and intellectually > challenging, ‘messy’ and life changing for the researcher. The > incongruence between the approaches provoked a creative, > critical engagement with presenters and audience as I sought to > integrate what I also learned from creating and offering a > workshop on ‘children and young people as action researchers.’> On 15th May 2010 Brian posted rhetorical questions:> ‘Is it not also important to subject Inclusionality to rigorous > analysis or experiential testing as a way of thinking?> Is not important to uncover the presuppositions, the world-view > lying underneath these ideas and to ask questions of their claims?’> In response I would agree it is important on both accounts but > not just to talk in the abstract; I would contest that educators > need to show and account for their educational influence in > learning. Over the next few weeks I will try to create an > account, building on what I have learned from preparing and > offering the workshop on ‘children and young people as > researchers’, which explains my practice. I will post it on my > website for anyone who will help me test the validity of my > claim to know what I am doing and to be making an educational > difference in learning, and offers a response to Brian’s questions:> - What is your > rigorous analysis and experiential testing of your way of > thinking which underpins your efforts to improve what you do?> - What are your > presuppositions, the world-view lying underneath your ideas and > the questions you ask of your claims?> And mine:> - What is your > educational explanation for your educational influence, in your > own learning, the learning of others and the social formations > in which you live and work, as you hold yourself to account for > your practice?> > I hope that others might also be willing to make their accounts > public and in doing so make a life-enhancing difference to the > learning of self, others and the social formations in which we > live and work, and ultimately improve the educational experience > of more children and young people.> Enjoy a smile and pass it on> Marie> > ________________________________> From: Jack Whitehead > To: [log in to unmask]> Sent: Wed, 19 May, 2010 5:24:57> Subject: Re: Education and Learning Virtual Networking Stream > for ALARA's 8th World Congress> > To emphasise the importance of the points Brian posted yesterday > I've posted some reflections from last week's 7th Annual Action > Research Conference in San Diego, USA, and this week's Action > Research workshop in Zagreb, Croatia at:> > http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/jwprposting190510.htm> > The reflections include a welcome to Prof. Norijuki Inoue from > the University of San Diego whose presentation to the 7th Annual > Conference emphasised the importance of infusing non-western > epistemology into action research. Nori was supported by Prof. > Satoshi Suzuki the Director of Japan's Association for Action > Research. The reflections include details of the url to Nori's > powerpoint presentation. The reflections also report on the > first Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) study day in > North America, with a 4:50 minute video-clip of Lonnie's introduction.> > I'm finding most inspiring the range of different motivations in > the unique constellations of values that distinguished the > diverse contributors to both the San Diego and Zagreb AR > Conferences. Yesterday I participated in one discussion group of > 6 of the 55 participants, with individuals from Estonia, Latvia, > Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic and the UK ! We all > communicated our individual action research accounts from our > diverse historical and cultural contexts and our unique > constellations of values. Here's hoping that the reflections > communicate something of our influence in extending the global > influence of our AR conversations. Tim did a great job in > extending the audience's understanding of AR. Marie and Branko > are presenting tomorrow at the AR conference in Zagreb.> > Love Jack.> > On 18 May 2010, at 16:14, Brian wakeman wrote:> > Dear All,> > There are just two comments I wish to contribute before signing > off this thread:> > There are several different approaches to PAR, AR., ways of > seeking to improve professional practice, or to work with others > to address agreed issues...... as the literature or a BERA or > CARN conference illustrate..> > There are different motivations for our work.> > I hope there is space for us all.> > Brian> > > > > > > >