Learning from Experience
Principles and Practice in Action-research
Published on 23. August 1989
Book
Hardback
212 pages
978-1-85000-610-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book argues that the process of understanding must start from reflection upon one's own experience, and that the sort of wisdom devised entirely from the experience of others is, at best impoverished, and at worst illusory. This is particularly the case where one is concerned with the complex understanding of professional work involving the taking of decisions about and for other people, e.g. education, nursing, social work and management. The fundamental purpose of this book is to provide encouragement and advice for practitioners in such professions, about the process of action-research, as a method of professional learning.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
650 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-85000-610-7 (9781850006107)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Part 1 Action-research - opportunities and method: action-research as a professional ideal; action-research and current educational issues; action-research and "methods". Part 2 Action-research - the basic process: the practitioner is the researcher; the action-research cycle; action and evaluation - some illustrations; methods. Part 3 Action-research and the problems of positivism: the general issue of positivism; positivist echoes within action-research; four practical problems. Part 4 Six principles for the conduct of action-research: reflexivity; principle one - reflexive critique; dialectics; princople two - dialectical critique; principle three - collaborative resource; principle four - risk; principle five - plural structure; principle six - theory, practice, transformation. Part 5 Research and writing: the question of format; the question of audience; Part 6 Objective judgments? - the problem of marking written work. Part 7 Dilemmas in the role of the teacher. Part 8 From principles to practice a description of the process of writing a research report: which data?; which format?; which audience?; which interpretation?; conclusion - delegation, rigour, objectivity, ethics. Part 9 The learner's experience and the teacher's authority - evaluating an access course. Part 10 Research topics and personal interests - fictional-critical writing: finding a focus; making implicit interests explicit; fiction and the meanings of experience; fictional-critical writing; "the magi" - special needs education; "a fable" - children's writing; "the bronze trumpet" - educational drama and the teacher-pupil relationship.