History And Philosophy That Underpin Action Research

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Text Purpose McNiff and Whitehead (2011) provide a concisely written and easy-to-follow introduction to action research that can serve as essential reading for students, practitioners, and seasoned researchers. Specifically, the book provides a clear guide to the history and philosophy that underpin action research. The authors include comprehensive coverage of the primary theoretical debates in action research, giving essential help to professionals planning to undertake an action research project. The text offers practical help in planning a research project and generating knowledge.
Author's Background and Credentials Dr. Jean McNiff is an independent researcher and writer, Professor of Educational Research at York St. John University …show more content…

McNiff and Whitehead (2011) suggest that this reflective approach is the key to improving practices. By purposely designing the actual chapter headings as questions, the authors lay out action research as a fluid cycle that a practitioner engages in to improve practices (McNiff & Whitehead, 2011). The book has seven parts that build upon one another and detail the cycle of action …show more content…

McNiff and Whitehead (2011) utilize questions to guide the reader through this process. During the feasibility stage, McNiff and Whitehead (2011) suggest that the researcher pose ten questions, such as "what is my concern, why am I concerned, and what can I do about it?" These questions help to determine the opportunities and constraints of the proposed plan. After the researcher has determined the workability of the project, the study moves to the next step, which is creating the actual plan. During this step, McNiff and Whitehead (2011) guide the researcher through the process of asking and answering the question, "How do I improve what I am doing?" Explaining why this is an important question and the possible significance of an answer is part of the planning process (McNiff & Whitehead, 2011). Again, the authors format this section of the text with questions and answers, including detailed examples. The final part of the text explains how the researcher carries out the action research plan. Topics such as how to generate evidence to support the new knowledge gained during the research, how to test and critique the new knowledge, and how to represent and disseminate the new knowledge complete the process and text (McNiff & Whitehead,