IMPROVING LEARNING WITH ACTION RESEARCH AND LIVING

EDUCATIONAL THEORIES

JACK WHITEHEADLIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY

UK.

Action Research

• Action Research is a form of research that includes individual researchers enquiring into improving their practice, improving their understandings and improving the social formations in which their practice is located.

• Enquiries into improving practice can take the form, ‘How do I improve what I am doing?

Living Educational Theory

• A living educational theory is an explanation produced by an individual to explain their educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of the social formations in which we live and work.

Improving Learning for 11-14 year olds in mixed ability science groups

• http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/ilmagall.pdf

5X5X5= creativity

• Researching children, researching the world.• http://www.5x5x5creativity.org.uk/• Welcome to 5x5x5=creativity, an independent,

arts-based action research organisation which supports children in their exploration and expression of ideas, helping them develop creative skills for life.

The Educational Journal of Living Theories (EJOLTS)

• Pupils as action researchers: improving something important in our lives (pp. 1-49)

• Branko Bognar & Marica Zovko

• http://ejolts.net/node/82

Can children carry out action research about learning, creating their own

learning theory?

• Joy Mounter (with her 6-7 year old pupils)

• http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/joymounterull.pdf

Learning Resources at http://www.actionresearch.net

• Teachers researching their educational influence in their pupils’ learning

• Making public the embodied knowledge of Master Educators

• http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/mastermod.shtml

Enhancing Practice through Classroom Research

A teacher's guide to professional development

• By Caitriona McDonagh, Mary Roche, Bernie Sullivan, Mairin Glenn London; Routledge, 2011.

• http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415597685/

Accessing Resources for Learning at http://www.actionresearch.net

• The action planning process for the Workshops is described at:

• http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/arplanner.htm

• See especially Appendix 1