2.2 Disrupting the status quo: the action research dissertation as  (Page 4/13)

Background and Development of Action Research

Reason and Bradbury (2001) define action research as“[A] participatory democratic process concerned with developing practical knowledge in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes, grounded in a participatory worldview…”(p. 1). They go on to make the case that it is a systematic development of knowing and knowledge that differs from traditional academic research in its foundational underpinnings, but is no less rigorous or scientific in its approach. Put another way“[action research] uses a scientific approach to study the resolution of important social or organizational issues together with those who experience these issues directly”(Coghlan&Brannick, 2005, p. 4). The contributions to knowledge and theory that emerge are based not only on the solutions to practical problems that are collectively arrived at, but also on the process of collaborative experimentation and on the intended and unintended consequences that emerge from the research. This approach to research makes sense in a program for part-time students who are employed in an organizational setting because they can study their own settings if they so choose.

Reason and Bradbury (2001) describe the origins of action research as residing in the teachings of Marx, Gramsci, Freire and others who were all engaged in changing social structures and practices for the benefit of those who had been oppressed or marginalized by the status quo. They argue that action research draws on many theoretical frameworks and methodologies, but that the most fundamental worldview embraced by action research is a participatory one. This allows those who participate in an action research project to adopt the role of researcher. Together researcher and participants define or pose a problem that directly impacts their lives or work lives, and with careful, systematic processes determine some action or actions that can be taken to resolve it—to the betterment of those who are most directly affected by the problem. This action or intervention, sets action research apart from basic or traditional research or evaluation (Greenwood&Levin, 2007). Proponents of action research argue that involving relevant others in an action research project leads to a strong sense of ownership of any proposed change. Opportunities for genuine community input align well with the idea of the quality leadership practitioner working together with others to disrupt the status quo in the interests of better serving all stakeholders.

Kurt Lewin, German social psychologist, who came to the United States in the early forties, is credited with first conceptualizing action research. Interested in social change, his early studies involved experimenting in natural settings rather than in laboratories. Following the dictates of the prevailing scientific theories of the time, these studies utilized a more positivist, experimental design than they do today. Greenwood and Levin (2007) make the point that Lewin’s notion of action or intervention was short-term only. They believe that action research has evolved into a study of the continuous, participatory learning process undertaken by individuals in their natural (work or personal) settings.“The core idea [of action research] is to create sustainable learning capacities and to give participants increasing control over their own situations…”(p. 17).