Ethical Principles In Action Research

Key Elements of Action Research Planning Acting Plan

Observing Reflecting

Reflect

Act

Observe

Action research is conducted for three key purposes:

“Firstly, the improvement of a practice of some kind; second, the improvement of the understanding of a practice by its practitioners, and thirdly, the improvement of the situation in which the practice takes place…Those involved in the practice being considered are to be involved in the action research process in all its aspects of planning, acting, observing and reflecting “(Carr and Kemmis, 1986, p165)

Two key issues:

Change

the ‘use’ of participants

Assumptions for those wishing to initiate change: 1. Don’t assume that your version of what the change should be is the one that could or should be implemented. You have to exchange your reality of what should be through interaction with others concerned 2. Change involves ambiguity, ambivalence and uncertainty about the meaning of the change. Effective implementation is a process of clarification. 3. Some conflict and disagreement are not only inevitable but fundamental to change. 4. People need pressure to change (even in directions they desire) but it is only effective under conditions that allow them to react and interact. Resocialization is at the heart of change (otherwise, you need to replace people to change). 5. Effective change takes time. It is developmental process that takes at least two years. 6. Lack of implementation isn’t necessarily because of rejection or resistance. There are many other reasons, including insufficient resources or time elapsed. 7. Don’t expect all, or even most, people or groups to change. Progress occurs by increasing the number of people affected. 8. You need a plan based on these assumptions and underpinned by knowledge of the change process. 9. Change is a frustrating, discouraging business. If you are not in a position to make the above assumptions, which may well be the case, don’t expect significant change, as far as implementation is concerned. (Robson, 1993, p443, based on Fullan, 1982, p.91)

If significant behavioural change is anticipated as a result of Action research, then the research must be strong enough to support behaviour change. A “do this” is always responded to with a “why??” Good robust research is the answer to the “Why?”

Before we start Mind map these questions on the change: 1. What is the nature of the social ‘reality’ we wish to investigate? 2. What might represent knowledge or evidence of the social reality which we wish to investigate? 3. What topic, or broad substantive area, is the research concerned with? 4. What is the intellectual puzzle? What do we wish to explain? What are our research questions? 5. What is the purpose of our research? What are we doing it for? 6. What data sources and methods of data generation are potentially available or appropriate? 7. What can these methods and sources feasibly tell us about? Which properties of the social reality might these data sources and methods potentially help us to address? 8. Which of our research questions could they help us address? 9. How or on what basis do we think they could do this? 10. What are we trying to achieve in integrating data and method? 11. How – according to what logic – do we expect to be able to add the products together, or to integrate them?

Research Design Validity

Validity Key Reliability

Threats Subject error subject bias Observer error Observer bias

Construct (framework) validity

Internal validity

external validity (generalisability)

Description the wrong sorts of people taking part (i.e. the cleaner…) people strongly convinced of either the benefits or the faults of ICT exhausted researcher!

Action ensure right samples devise ways to get range of opinion

Pay attention to amount of work researcher convinced of Attempt Objectivity, benefits or faults of ICT state bias too little planning, not enough Arrange many investigation into setting, kinds/settings/times sample frame, respondents for data collection happen (multi approaches)Give clear rationale for methods, settings and times; use triangulation Organisation has just been Investigate enough through upheaval and won’t before research be able to focus on activities, If upheaval during people have research, choose changed…anything which another group and would suggest that this group leave this one of people in this place were If upheaval during otherwise occupied and could research, choose not give good attention to the another in difficulty research activity for comparison

selection setting history

Research is • Data collection and the generation of hypothesis • Validation of hypothesis through use of analytic techniques • Interpretation by reference to theory, established practice and practitioner judgement

Action Research is research for improvement that is also monitored by the same research techniques Action Research uses respondents much more deeply than other research. Therefore, we adopt PA methodolgy, deeply committed to its democratic approach respondents analyse data & offer solutions. The accumulated (insert M's para on PA) (print slide from CE ppt, print some visuals from OCVA VolCom rsch) Ethical Principles in Action Research Classic Approaches Observe protocol (consultation, consent of organisation) Make the principles of procedure binding and known (agreeing rights and process) Involve participants (participants shape work) Negotiate with those affected (participant consent) Report progress (visibility, transparency, accountability) Obtain explicit permission to observe, examine (documented) Negotiate descriptions of observations (participant descriptions) Obtain explicit permission to use quotes (unless data is anonymised) Negotiate reports for various levels of release (stakeholder interest) Accept responsibility for maintaining confidentiality Retain the right to report on your work (reports should not be subject to veto) (adapted from Robson, 1993, p34)

PLA approaches occurs at negotiation with group, before intervention agreed at beginning of intervention with group participants name issues, suggest solutions participants engage or not, as they choose participants watch emerging findings, agree feedback outside of gathering occurs at negotiation with group, before intervention participants describe their own issues, agree descriptions outside of gathering participants agree or not during gathering and use own words participants decide feedback outside of gathering occurs at negotiation with group, before intervention occurs at negotiation with group, before intervention EGK, 2005