LEARNINGS FROM JEAN MCNIFF (PROF YORK ST JOHN UNVERSITY) & RUTH BALOG (UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW) AR is about making

judgements about quality in action and research AR is problematic ie not straight forward AR is about how you position yourself in research AR is about ideas and relationships between knowledge and epistemogies (what you know how you come to know) AR is linking action and research- action is what you do and research is how you find out about what we do AR is about making judgements about the quality how do we decide what counts as good quality action or good quality research What are the criteria and standards in making judgements especially in diverse contexts involving diverse values People talk more about action but do not talk about why you did it? What quality? Am i doing it right? Should i do it another way ie action or gathering data How do we understand and judge? Researcher positionality ie how different research positions communicate different relationships People use methods and methodologies of natural science into social science When you work with people you cannot predict Teachers see children as IT talk about the person as IT Sometimes you see people as YOU- outsider vs insider AR see himself as I shape and create identities and relationships with other people AR is creating new theory and explanations about me in relationship to other people AR has many bottles now compared to years ago where there is only one bottle People study other people because it is easier to study other people Looking at yourself extremely problematic There is no answer thats why it is problematic We are working towards the END ie THE ANSWER In reality thre are no ANSWERS When we do AR we are standing on the edge and we do not know the next step AR is risky and we generate transformational approached We look at relationships rather that the object We need dialogue and see the thinking before the dialogue AR is not only researching actions but relationships asa well BUT these things do not happen because practioner research has social intent YOU ARE STUCK IN THE TRAFFIC BUT YOU ARE THE TRAFFIC YOU ARE NOT IN THE ACADEMY BUT YOU ARE THE ACADEMY The dangers in action research is that is gets too domesticated that only certain kinds on AR Expectations that produce results No need for a behavioural results but key outcome is LEARNING No need for mandate but give choice and flexibility AR is emanicipation- retain freedom to make choices Must create spaces for AR AR is about people thinking by themselves Each one can offer an expalnation of what you do Your responsibility as practioner is to make research common property There must be collective responsibility Nobody can change you except yourself Ar is about learning to ask good questions Popularity does not gurantee learning