Pedagogical action research:

1
Pedagogical action research

• what it is, what it does, and how to get
  involved.
• Lin Norton
• Centre for Learning and Teaching

2
Outline

• Brief presentation
• In the context of building a career in
  university teaching (L to SL to PL), how
  pedagogical action research can
• enhance our reflective practice through
  scholarship
• contribute to our continuing professional
  development and
• improve our students learning experience

3
Influence of the HEA
Strategic plan 2005-2010 aims and
objectives To lead the development of
research and evaluation to improve the quality of
the student learning experience (objective 5)
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Pedagogical action research What are the
criticisms?

• The two most commonly voiced objections are
• Action research is not proper research as seen
  in the positivist, scientific tradition.
• Action research is untheorised descriptions of
  practice

5
A generic definition of pedagogical action
research

• the fundamental purpose of pedagogical action
  research is to systematically investigate ones
  own teaching/learning facilitation practice, with
  the dual aim of improving that practice and
  contributing to theoretical knowledge in order to
  benefit student learning.
• (Norton, in press)

6
7 characteristics of action research(Kember,
2000)

• Social practice
• University departments are hives of intrigue
  and conspiracy. Trying to reach an understanding
  of issues concerned with teaching and learning,
  therefore, implies getting to grips with a whole
  range of human issues such as the attitude of
  students, the politics within departments and the
  ethos and environment of the institution
• (Kember, 2000, p.25)

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Characteristics continued..

• 2. Aimed towards improvement (Essential)
• 3.Cyclical (not necessarily simple spirals of
  reflection, acting, planning observing but
  progressive refinements)
• 4.Systematic enquiry (does not mean soft
  option)
• 5. Reflective (outward not inward)
• 6. Participative (guards against making mistaken
  assumptions about ones own practice)
• 7. Practitioner determined (driven from your own
  need to know)

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Responding to the criticism that AR is not
proper research (1)

• all social research is persuasive, purposive,
  positional and political and these are the very
  reasons why it is conducted (Clough and Nutbrown
  ,2002).
• Lack of generalisability comes from a research
  principle where the method of data collection is
  quantitative.
• In AR,each research project is necessarily unique
  as it has been designed for a specific set of
  circumstances with methodology tailored to suit
  those circumstances. While it is not possible to
  generalise from the findings of such small-scale
  research, its strength lies in its relatability
  to similar situations (Bartlett Burton,2005) .

9
Responding to the criticism that AR is not
proper research (2)

• In action research
• The intention is to produce a body of evidence
  that would convince a reasonable person to make a
  judgment that the project or approach had been
  effective. In practice this position differs
  little from the level of proof normally presented
  in positivist research. Particularly in human or
  social sciences, the claim that hypotheses are
  irrefutably proved by experiment is often
  illusory
• (Kember,200041)

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Responding to the criticism that AR is
untheorised descriptions of practice

• The concept of transformational action research
  (Titchen Manley 2006) is about critiquing
  practice to problematise the status quo and
  predominant ideologies, and to create new
  critical practice about the particular issue that
  is being investigated.
• This includes
• the way we teach our subject,
• the tradition and influence of the subject,
• the effects of the department (academic tribes
  and territories)
• PAR contributes to the creation of pedagogical
  content knowledge (Shulman 1986, Kreber, 2002)

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Pedagogical action research as an intensity
spectrum (Kember 2006)
Reflection Action research Action
research on L T on LT which
contributes to theory
Conference Refereed Journal paper
conference paper paper
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The scholarship of teaching whats the problem?

• Bass (1990) makes the telling point that one of
  the differences in between scholarship and
  discipline based research is the way we think
  about the problem

In research the problem is at the heart of the
enquiry process and were proud of it
In teaching, the problem is something we dont
usually want to have and were ashamed of it
In pedagogical action research, the teaching
problem becomes the research problem
13
Pedagogical Action Research a simple step by
step process

• ITDEM
• Identifying a problem/paradox/ issue/difficulty
• Thinking of ways to tackle the problem
• Doing it
• Evaluating it
• Modifying future teaching. Norton
  (2001)

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Pedagogical action research what it can do for
you

• Researching some pedagogical problem tells you
  about your own teaching/and or your students
  learning Reflective practice
• Engaging in the pedagogical literature, aligning
  yourself to communities of subject
  practitioner/researchers encourages conference
  attendance, greater engagement with the Higher
  Education Academy subject networks , LT
  conferences and journals CPD
• Applying your findings to modify some element of
  your teaching Improving student learning

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How to get involved
PAR research group reformulating the research
group by inviting colleagues who are actively
carrying out pedagogical research to join
monthly meetings PAR moodle PAR mentors PAR
symposium, PAR funding for small research
projects Research seminars last year invited 6
research professors to Hope PRIME journal
annual, enables colleagues to write up a research
study and have it peer-reviewed PRHE conference
biennial bringing together pedagogical
researchers from all levels of experience and
expertise.