I use practice-based research, meaning that my research is not only action-based, but that knowledge is generated through practice itself and through critical reflection on that practice (Candy, 2021, Barrett & Bolt, 2010). As a practitioner-researcher, I work within my professional role while simultaneously exploring questions that arise from my own day-to-day practice (Robson, 1993, p. 446).
This project is Iterative as I am approaching the research with the understanding that the work is developed through ongoing cycles, or in my case spirals of practices, observation and reflection, which has allowed me to develop this mini project over a space of 3 months.
I am using a combination of Kemmis and McTaggart’s (2000) O’Leary’s (2010) action research spiral. Please see the images bellow of these as a reference.
O’Leary’s (2010) action research spiral
Kemmis and McTaggart’s (2000)
My spiral looks like this.
The research I am conducting is qualitative, meaning, that it “aims to gather and analyse non-numerical (descriptive) data” (Wikipedia) to gain an understanding the lived experience of the participants (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003).
The methods I have chosen to use are:
- Semi structured interview with Course leader
- Creative Research Methods :
I am facilitating workshops , based on experiential learning (meaning I am continually asking the participants to reflect upon their lived experiences as well as invite embodied reflections [Kolb, D.A.,1984]). Therefore, I am drawing from the participants auto ethnographical reflections, as well as my own auto ethnography (Ellis B 2006). The workshop includes time for reflection after each experiential activity, with participants engaging in real-time peer interviewing. This process is guided by a non-hierarchical, non-judgmental approach that avoids interpretation and supports reflective dialogue (Kara, 2015).
After the practical elements of the workshops, participants are asked to share reflections or check out with an open space dialogue, where knowledge emerges from the reflections of the participants (Heron & Reason, 2001).
There is also an essence of participants co-designing the workshops, as their reflections from each workshop feed together with my observations into the planning of the next learning space (Barrett & Bolt, 2010).
All of this happens within the spiral mentioned above.
Below is my action plan:
Bibliography.
Barrett, E. and Bolt, B. (eds.) (2010) Practice as research: Approaches to creative arts enquiry. London: I.B. Tauris.
Candy, L., Edmonds, E. and Vear, C. (2021) The Routledge international handbook of practice-based research. London: Routledge.
Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.) (2003) Strategies of qualitative inquiry. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ellis, C.S. and Bochner, A.P. (2006) ‘Analyzing analytic autoethnography: An autopsy’, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(4), pp. 429–449. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241606286979
Heron, J. and Reason, P. (2001) ‘The practice of co-operative inquiry: Research “with” rather than “on” people’, in Handbook of action research. London: Sage Publications, pp. 179–188.
Kara, H. (2015) Creative research methods in the social sciences: A practical guide. Bristol: Policy Press.
Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (2000) Action research spiral, cited in Koshy, V., Koshy, V. and Waterman, H. (2009) Action research for improving educational practice: A step-by-step guide. London: Sage Publications.
O’Leary, Z. (2010) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: SAGE Publications.