‘Who am I studying?’
: Self-study teacher educator research
Tamiko Kondo
[email protected]
PhD, Faculty of Education and Theology
Postgraduate Research Methodologies Conference
10 November 2014
‘Who are you studying?’
• The research participants (Japanese English teachers)?
• Japanese students?
• Teacher education methodologies in Japan?
• Education policies in Japan?
‘I am studying MYSELF.’
What is action research?
- A form of enquiry to investigate and evaluate our
work
- A form of professional learning
Move in
new
directions
observe
reflect
modify
act
evaluate
Figure 1.1 An action-reflection cycle (McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, p.9)
(McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, pp.7-9)
The background of Action research (1)
- John Collier (1884-1968)
∙ Commissioner for the Bureau of
Indian Affairs
∙ ‘Action-evoked’ research is ‘incomparably more
productive of social results’
(Collier, 1945, p.300)
- Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)
∙ ‘Father’ of social psychology
∙ Research to improve intergroup relations
∙ ‘Research that
produces nothing but books
will not suffice’ (Lewin, 1946. p.35)
The background of Action research (2)
* Reflective practice
Reflect on
practice
Examine it
critically
Generate new
understandings
- Dewey (1910)
∙ Definition of ‘reflective thought’ (pp.1-2)
∙ Inquiry for problem-solving
- Schön (1983)
∙ Emphasis on a process of problem setting
∙‘Reflection-on-action’ and ‘Reflection-in-action’ (pp.49-283)
The background of Action research (3)
* Appearance in an educational research context
- In the 1950s
- Emergence of the teacher as researcher movement
∙ Curriculum change in schools through ‘teachers-based’
action research
(Elliott, 1991, pp.5-12)
* Educational action research
-’Critical analysis’
(Carr and Kemmis, 1986, p.42)
- A need for both theory and practice
- Participants should be involved in the research process
The background of Action research (4)
- Action research methodology
‘How do I improve what I am doing?’
(Whitehead, 2008, p.1)
‘Underpinning assumptions’
-‘Ontological assumptions’
∙ ‘Value laden’
∙ ‘Morally committed’
∙ Self-perception
‘in relation with one another’
-‘Epistemological assumptions’
∙ The research focus is the ‘I’
∙ ‘Knowledge is uncertain’
∙ Creating knowledge through
a collaborative process
- ‘Methodological assumptions’
∙ Practitioners and researchers
∙ ‘Open-ended and developmental’
∙ ‘Improve learning with social intent’
(McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, pp.27-36)
Why action research?
1). As a teacher in company with other teachers /students,
to influence their learning
2). For not only my professional but personal development
as a teacher and a teacher educator
3). For improving our research community’s practice so that
both I and the research participants, whose learning I am
supporting, will become better action researchers
4). To develop the conception of ‘teacher as action researcher’
in teacher education methodologies in Japan
through disseminating my research
Before starting research…
* Action planning
- ‘What is my concern?’
- ‘Why am I concerned?’
- ‘What kinds of data will I gather to show why I am concerned?’
- ‘What can/will I do about it?’
- ‘What kinds of data will I gather to show the situation as it unfolds?’
- ‘How will I test the validity of my claim(s) to knowledge?’
- ‘How will I ensure that my conclusions are reasonably fair and
accurate?’
- ‘How will I modify my concerns, ideas and practice in the light of my
evaluations?’
(McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, pp.89-93)
* My research strategies
- Research community
/ I & Participants
“Kobe Reflective English Teachers Society”
- ‘Critical friends and validators’
for scrutiny of my data and ideas
- ‘Interested observers’
for comments and feedback
(McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, pp.91-96)
Research community as ‘a community of practice’
- a community to share a concern or a passion and
learn how to improve our practice through regular
interaction
(Wenger, 2006, p.1)
Action Planning
- What is my concern? / Why am I concerned?
How do I facilitate
Japanese students’
confidence in their
English as an English
teacher?
How do I develop inservice teacher education
methodologies so that
they will support
professional
development?
‘How do I improve what I
am doing’ as a teacher
educator?
(Whitehead, 2008, p.1)
How do I deal with the
professional dilemmas
of Japanese English
teachers that arise from
the gap between their
thoughts and Japan’s
education policy?
- What kinds of data will I gather to show why I am concerned?
- Voices from Japanese English teachers
- Course of Study, Policies, Proposals
- What can/will I do about it?
- Produce my provisional model
- Analyse the data
- Clarify the gap and teacher’s dilemma
- Present in Japan
- What kinds of data will I gather to show the situation as
it unfolds?
- From the research participants
- From my critical friends and interested observers
- From myself
- How will I test the validity of my claim(s) to knowledge?
- Outline how I influenced and encouraged
other people’s learning
- How will I ensure that my conclusions are reasonably fair
and accurate?
-‘Validation meetings’
- Public critique
(McNiff and Whitehead, 2011, pp.165-166)
- How will I modify my concerns, ideas and practice in the
light of my evaluation?’
- Develop my research question
- Move into the next cycle of action and reflection
From master’s research to PhD research
As a newly appointed teacher trainer, how can I facilitate teacher autonomy?
(Kondo, 2008)
Actionreflection
MY current action research design
Triple Spirals for Collaborative Action Research (Kondo, 2014)
I
We
Our learning
Our students’ learning
Our challenge and dilemma
Others
My learning
Their learning
Policies
‘Who am I studying?’
‘I am studying MYSELF,
in relation with others,
exploring who I am as a teacher
and a teacher educator.’
References
Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. 1986. Becoming critical: education, knowledge and action research. London:
RoutledgeFalmer.
Collier, J. 1945. United States Indian Administration as a laboratory of ethnic relations. Social Research,
12(3), pp.265-303.
Dewey, J. 1997. How we think. New York: Dover Publications.
Elliott, J. 1991. Action research for educational change. Buckingham: Open University Press.
King, M.L. 1996. The social activist and social change. In: International conference on social change and the
role of behavioral scientists, 4 May 1966, Atlanta, International conference on social change and the role of
behavioral scientists, pp.45- 55
Kondo, T. 2008. As a newly appointed teacher trainer, how can I facilitate teacher autonomy? ME.d. thesis,
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies.
Lewin,K. 1946. Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), pp.34-46.
McNiff, J. and Whitehead, J. 2011. All you need to know about action research. 2nd ed. London: Sage
Publications.
Schön, D. A. 1983. The reflective practitioner - how professionals think in action. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Wenger, E. 2006. Communities of practice: a brief introduction. [Online]. pp.1-11. [Accessed 06 October
2014]. Available from:
http://www.noetikos.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/copandsituatedlearning.pdf
Whitehead, J. 2008. Using a living theory methodology in improving practice and generating educational
knowledge in living theories. Educational Journal of Living Theories, 1(1), p.103-126.
Thank you for listening.
I would appreciate any critical feedback
that will guide me in my ongoing enquiries.