The Action Research Planner (4^th Ed., 2014)
Doing Critical Participatory Action Research

A fully-updated and reworked version of the classic book by Stephen Kemmis and Robin McTaggart, now joined by Rhonda Nixon, The Action Research Planner is a detailed guide to developing and conducting a critical participatory action research project. The authors outline new views on ?participation? (based on Jürgen Habermas?s notion of a ?public sphere?), ?practice? (as shaped by practice architectures), and ?research? (as research within practice traditions). They provide five extended examples of critical participatory action research studies. The book includes a range of resources for people planning a critical participatory research initiative, providing guidance on how to establish an action research group and identify a shared concern, research ethics, principles of procedure for action researchers, protocols for collaborative work, keeping a journal, gathering evidence, reporting, and choosing academic partners.

Unlike earlier editions, The Action Research Planner focuses specifically on critical participatory action research, which occupies a particular (critical) niche in the action research 'family'.

The Action Research Planner is an essential guide to planning and undertaking this type of research.

1.   Introducing critical participatory action research
Why we wrote this book
The changing field of action research
   The things only participatory research can do
An example: Recycling at Braxton High School, Canada
Action research history: different kinds, foci and purposes of action research
   Different kinds of action research
   Changing foci of action research in education
   Different purposes of action research
Critical participatory action research as a disciplined way of making change
The people who typically conduct critical participatory action research
   An example in education
Blurring boundaries: theorists and practitioners, researchers and practitioners
Critical participatory action research as a practice-changing practice
References

2.   A new view of participation: Participation in public spheres
Participation in communication
Communicative action and communicative space
Ten key features of public spheres: Comments for critical participatory action researchers Conclusion: ‘Participation’ in critical participatory action research is participation in public spheres
References

3.   A new view of practice:  Practices held in place by practice architectures
Defining practice
Practices and practice architectures
Practices and practice architectures in critical participatory action research
   Critical participatory action research as a practice-changing practice
References

4.   A new view of research: Research within practice traditions
What’s critical about critical participatory action research?
Research perspectives in critical participatory action research
Critical participatory action research as a kind of research
Researching practice from within practice traditions
Using the practice architectures analysis table to find a felt concern that will be the focus of a critical participatory action research initiative
References

5.   Doing critical participatory action research: The ‘planner’ part
Practising critical participatory action research
   Critical participatory action research in education: Are our practices educational?
   Reconnaissance
   Opening communicative space – establishing a public sphere
Dialogues between system and lifeworld, strategic action and communicative action
   Questions to identify a shared felt concern in relation to our practices and what holds our practices in place
   An initial statement about what you intend to do
Planning
   Changing practices and practice architectures
   The product of planning — a collective rationale and plan for change
Enacting the plan and observing how it works
   Enacting and observing: The product
Reflection
   Reflection: The product
The spiral of cycles of self-reflection
References

6.   Examples of critical participatory action research
Example 1: The recycling project at Braxton High School, Canada
Example 2: The self-directed learning project at Grace Elementary School, Canada
Example 3: The graphic novel project at Joseph Junior High School, Canada
Example 4: The Teacher Talk project in an Australian university
Example 5: The Yirrkala Ganma education project: Critical participatory action research in an Indigenous community
   The concept of Ganma
   Ganma education and the practice of critical participatory action research
   ConclusionReferences

7.   Resources for critical participatory action researchers
Resource 1: Creating a public sphere and identifying a shared felt concern
   Identifying educational legitimation deficits
   Identifying more general legitimation deficits
Resource 2: Some notes on research ethics for critical participatory action researchers
   General principles of research ethics: respecting persons, avoiding harm, justice and beneficence
   Informed consent and assent
   Dependent relationships
   Confidentiality and anonymity
   Mutual trust and mutual vulnerability
   Additional reading
Resource 3: Critical participatory action research group protocols: Ethical agreements for participation in public spheres Resource 4: Principles of procedure for action researchers
Resource 5: Keeping a journal
Resource 6: Gathering evidence, documenting
   (1) Diaries, journals, logs, and blogs
   (2) Written records: field notes, anecdotal or running records, event sampling
   (3) Interviews
   (4) Audio and video recording, and photographs
   (5) Dataplay and fotonovela
   (6) Document analysis
   (7) Questionnaires and surveys
   (8) Interaction schedules and checklists
   (9) Student work samples and assessment tasks
   Some cautionary notes
Resource 7: Reporting: For yourself and others
   Reporting action research undertaken as part of a course of study
Resource 8: Choosing an academic partner to work with a critical participatory action research initiative
References

Index            

Stephen Kemmis is Professor of Education and a member of the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education at Charles Sturt University (Faculty of Education, Wagga Wagga). He is also co-leader of the ‘Pedagogy, Education and Praxis’ (PEP) international collaboration involving researchers from universities in Europe and Canada. Stephen has held academic positions at the University of Sydney, University of Illinois, University of East Anglia, Deakin University and the University of Ballarat and also worked for several years as an independent consultant. He has published extensively on professional practice, indigenous education, participatory action research and qualitative methods in educational research. His most well-known publication is the highly acclaimed book (with Wilfred Carr) "Becoming Critical: Education, knowledge and action research". In 2001 Stephen was made an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Association for Educational Research (AARE), and in 2009 he was awarded two honorary doctorates for services to international educational research.

Robin McTaggart is Adjunct Professor at the Griffith Institute for Educational Research at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. He was formerly Professor and Head of School of  Administration and Curriculum Studies at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, and Dean of Education and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Quality Assurance at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. He was also Adjunct Professor in the International Graduate School of Management PhD program at the University of South Australia for several years. He has practised, taught and published extensively about critical participatory action research in many countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

Rhonda Nixon is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada and currently works at Edmonton Catholic Schools.  She ha

A step-by-step guide to planning critical participatory action research projects

Provides concise and readable illustrative examples

Provides practical resources to assist new and experienced action researchers planning a study

Provides a theoretical framework that explains ‘participation’, ‘practice’ and ‘research’

Fully updated new edition of a classic of Action Research literature

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras