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Description of the paper: In the past few decades, action-research has been used in different manners, based on different intentions, and has become part of a vast mosaic of theoretical and methodological approaches, instigating us to reflect on its epistemological essence, as well as on its possibilities as an investigative practice. This paper furthers the reflections on the pertinence and possibilities allowed by action-research as a pedagogical, scientific instrument, seeking answers to questions such as: Should action-research be, essentially, research-intended to transform the reality one is inserted in? Can it be a fundamentally participative type of research, in which subjects and researchers interact in producing new knowledge? Should it be formative-emancipative in nature? By mediating research and studies that have already been carried out, an attempt was made to structure an educational process for action-research, one that could organize the coherence issue between the ontology and epistemology the research intended to achieve. To do so, it was necessary establish references to the following questions: What are we talking about when referring to action-research? Or, what action are we dealing with when we refer to action-research? Also, how do research and action interact in the action-research educational practice?The paper highlights the fact that action-research, structured in its generating principles, is eminently pedagogic research, within the perspective of being the pedagogic exercise, configured as an action that renders the educational practice scientific, based on ethical principles aimed at the ongoing qualification and emancipation of all of the practice's subjects. It seems to be unanimous that action-research originates in Kurt Lewin's work, in 1946, in a post-war context and in an experimental, field approach. His work with action-research was undertaken while he worked for the American government, and his initial research aimed at changing the population's eating habits and at the Americans' attitudes towards minorities. It was guided by a set of values, such as: Building democratic relationships, subject participation, the acknowledgement of minority group individual, cultural, and ethical rights, tolerance for divergent opinions and, also, the idea that subjects change more easily when impelled to do so by group decisions. His research progressed parallelly to his studies on group dynamics and functioning. His approach to action-research found fertile ground in corporations, in activities connected to organizational development. This initial action-research concept, within an experimental, field approach, took-on many fragmented characteristics during the 1950's and changed, structurally, as of the 1980's, when it absorbed a dialectic perspective in its suppositions based on the incorporation of Habermas' critical theory foundations, taking-on teacher educational practice improvement as its purpose. Work carried out by Elliot and Adelman, at the Applied Education Research Center, in Great Britain, alongside the Ford Teaching Project (1973-1976), are fundamental for such focus. This article will emphasize the fact that, beginning with Lewin, and after different theories were embodied by the action-research concept and practice, many interpretations have been made in action-research's name, leading to a mosaic of methodological approaches that often became operational in the investigative practice, without the necessary explanation of their theoretical foundations, resulting in compromised study scientific validity and theory/method inconsistencies.Key words: Educational research, action-research; pedagogical practice, epistemology. Methodology or methods: This paper summarizes several investigations I have made on action-research in public schools in Brazil hoping to produce the collective transformation of teacher work conditions. In this text's analysis, I also incorporate data from a documental research project I have been carrying out based on theses elaborated by Brazilian researchers who use action-research. (See FRANCO, 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005; 2006).Action-research can work as a continuing education tool for teachers, allowing better understanding of the practices; a reorganization of the collective conditions of the teachers professionalization, as long as: It is considered? A research approach with social characteristics, associated to an intervention strategy that evolves in a dynamic context; ? Research based on the supposition that research and action may be united; ? Research that originates from the participants' actual needs; one that is connected to their natural way of life; and one that counts on the participation of all involved, in all of its stages; ? Methodologically speaking, action-research must have flexible procedures; adjust progressively to happenings; establish systematic communication among its participants; and evaluate itself throughout the process; ? Characteristically empirical research that establishes dynamic relationships with experiences, and is enriched by interpretative analysis categories; ? Collectively-managed research, using an innovative methodological model and a type of collective management, one in which the researcher is also a participant, and all participants researchers as well.Thus, for action-research to materialize, it is fundamental to associate the research model to a collective intervention strategy or proposal. There is also the evidence that research and action can be together in a same process, reaffirming the research with action issue, which also slowly becomes action with research. While developing action-research, emphasis is placed on flexibility, on progressive adjustments to happenings, reinforcing the research with action issue.To consider action-research as research on/about action, one may incur in at least two mistakes. Transforming action-research into evaluation research on an adopted procedure, on a transformation that has taken place, or even on a process being deployed. In this case, research, although relevant, cannot be considered action-research, as it loses its dynamic characteristic of changing itself based on the transformations and, thus, it is deprived of its progressive adjustment capability, a factor that is fundamental for research of/on practice; .Another rather common mistake novice researchers make is that the researcher investigates his/her own place and job: A school director, an educational coordinator, a teacher researching in the ambit of his/her professional performance. Despite this stance's relevance, the resulting research can hardly be characterized as action-research, particularly due to the professional role hierarchy, to the implicit powers, something that may require strategic action and scarcely in communicative actions. .What matters here is to highlight the fact that action-research always suggests concomitance between research and action and action and research, even considering it should be expressed as a double arrow instead of a hyphen: research ? action, to characterize concomitance, intercommunication and inter-fecundity. Operational/existential difficulties of carrying action-research out result from this, since working scientifically within role concomitance, in the contradiction of expectations, in the uncertainty of the happenings that will guide and give new direction to the process requires a lot of conviction, daringness and persistence. That is why we conclude that action-research, in the pedagogic practice, must be structured on a pedagogic process, on a action-research pedagogy. This implies in considering the complexity, unpredictability, the opportunity generated by a few unexpected happenings, the potential fecundity a few moments that emerge from practice have.My own publications about educational research? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Pedagogic coordination: a practice in search of its identity. Educativa, Goiânia, UCG Education Department Magazine, v.8, n.1, p.125-138, Jan./Jul. 2005. ISSN 1415-0492 . ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Action-research Pedagogy. Educação e Pesquisa. USP's College of Education Magazine. Vol.31, number 3. p. 483-502. Dec.2005.São Paulo 2005. ISSN: 15179702. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Presentation of the Em foco session: Action-research and the teaching practice. Educação e Pesquisa. USP's College of Education Magazine. Voll.31, number 3.. p.439-443. Dec.2005.São Paulo 2005. ISSN: 15179702.¨ ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Articulation between research and qualification: methodological suppositions of a qualification and research group. In: Educação e Trabalho: representações sociais, competências e trajectórias profissionais, 2005, Aveiro. International Congress: Education and Work. Aveiro: University of Aveiro, 2005. v. CDRom. p. 01-18. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. The pedagogical practice as an instrument to transform the teaching practice. Annals of the XXVIII ANPED. GT04. CD-ROM. Caxambu.2005. ISBN: 8586392154. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Pedagogical Knowledge and the teaching practice. XIII ENDIPE Annals Book: Educação Formal e não formal, processos formativos e saberes pedagógicos. Vol.1.p.27-50, edições Bagaço. Recife, 2006. ISBN: 853730007. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro e LISITA, Verbena. Action Research: limits and possibilities in teacher education. British Education Index (BEI), Brotherton Library - University, p. 01-15, 2004. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro e ABDALLA, M. F. Qualifying for a new practice epistemology. CEAP education magazine, Salvador. Bahia, v. 43, n. a.11, p. 79-87, 2003. ISSN 1413-6880. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. The educational research methodology as an investigative practice builder. Nuances Magazine. Unesp. Presidente Prudente -SP, Vol IX. Nº 9/10. Dec. 2003. 189-211. ISSN 1413-6880. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro e LISITA, Verbena. Investigación-Acción: limites e posibilidades en la formación docente. In: Association Mondiale des sciences de l'éducation, 2004, Santiago. Educadores para una nueva cultura: recuente de comunicaciones. Santiago: Faculdad de Educatión - PUC Chile, 2004. V. 01. P. 103-104. Cd-rom, p.1-15. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro e LISITA, Verbena. Action Research: Possibilities and Constrains in Teacher education. In: European Conference on Educational Research, 2004, Creta. British Education Conference Programmes. Creta: ECER CRETE 2004, 2004. V. 04. P. 01-02 ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Action-research Pedagogy. In: 12º Encontro Nacional de Didática e Prática de Ensino, 2004, Endipe: conhecimento local e conhecimento universal, Curitiba 2004. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Pedagogy beyond confrontations. In: Fórum de Educação: Pedagogo, que profissional é esse? 2003, Belo Horizonte. Anais do Fórum de Educação: Pedagogo, que profissional é esse. Belo Horizonte: FAE/CBH/UEMG, 2003. V. 1. P. 39-68. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro e ABDALLA, M. F. Reflexive Qualification of Teachers: Analysis of a Supervision Strategy. In: I International Portuguese-Brazilian Congress and II CiDINE Congress, 2004, Florianópolis. Annals of the I International Portuguese-Brazilian Congress. Florianópolis: Cd Rom, 2004. V. 1. ISSN 1519-3874. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Investigating the teaching practice: dilemmas and perspectives. In: AFIRSE: Association Francophone Internacionale de Recherche Scientifique en éducation, 2002, Lisboa. Livro do Colóquio: A formação de Professores à luz da investigação. Lisboa: College of Psychology and Education Sciences. University of Lisbon, 2002. P. 187-187 ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Pedagogy as the science of education. In: 24ª Reunião da ANPED, 2001, Caxambu. Pedagogy and its multidimensionality: different looks, 2001.Homepage: www.Anped.Org.br/24/sessesp.htm. The paper is in the ANPED 2001 CD-ROM, under special sessions. It also appears at: www.ufpe.br/ gt5anped/ relat 2001.html. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Pedagogy as the science of Education. Campinas. Papirus. 2002. ? FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro and Ghedin, Evandro. The issue of method in research in education. São Paulo. Cortez. Coleção Docência. 2006 (ready for publication). Other references:BARBIER, Renée. A pesquisa-ação. Brasília: Plano, 2002. BOUFLEUR, José Pedro. Pedagogia da ação comunicativa: uma leitura de Habermas. Ijuí: Inijuí, 1997. CARR, W. Action Research: Ten Years On. Journal of curriculum studies. 21 (1), 85-90. USA. CARR, W ; KEMMIS, W. Becoming critical education; knowledge and action research. London and Philadelphia: The Palmer Press, 1986. COREY, M.S. Action Research to improve School Practices. New York: Teachers' College, Columbia University, 1949. CÔTE-THIBAULT, D. Historique de la recherché-action. In: LAVOIE, L.; MARQUIS, D.; LAURIN, P. La recherché-action: théorie et pratique. Canadá: Presses de l'Université du Québec, 1996. DUBOST, Jean. La intervention psycho-sociologique. Paris: PUF, 1987. ELLIOT, J. Recolocando a pesquisa-ação em seu lugar original e próprio. In: GERALDI, C. M.G.; FIORENTINI, D.; PEREIRA, E.M.A. (orgs.). Cartografias do trabalho docente. Campinas: Mercado da Letras, 1998, p. 137-152. ELLIOTT, John. El cambio educativo desde la investigatión-acción. Madri: Morata, 1996.FRANCO, Maria Amélia Santoro. Dinâmica compreensiva: integrando identidade e formação docente. Anais do X ENDIPE. Rio de Janeiro, 2000. GARRIDO, Elsa; FUSARI, Maria F.R.; MOURA, Manoel O.; PIMENTA, Selma G. A pesquisa colaborativa, a formação do professor reflexivo/investigativo e a construção coletiva de saberes e práticas pela equipe escolar. Anais do IX ENDIPE. Águas de Lindóia, v. 1: p. 48-49, 1998 (Projeto USP- Ayres/ FE-USP/ Fapesp). GHEDIN, E. Professor reflexivo: da alienação da técnica à autonomia da crítica. In: PIMENTA, S. e GHEDIN, E. Professor reflexivo no Brasil: gênese e crítica de um conceito. São Paulo: Cortez, 2002, p. 129-149. GUBA, E.G. (org.). The paradigm dialog. Londres: Sage Publications, 1989. HABERMAS, Jürgen. Connaissance et intérêt. Paris: Gallimard, 1982. INGRAM, David. Habermas e a razão dialética. Brasília: Editora da Unb, 1993. KEMMIS, S. Action Research. International Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford: Pergamon, 1984, p. 35-42. KINCHELOE, Joe L. A formação do professor como compromisso político: mapeando o pós-moderno. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas, 1997. LAVOIE, L. MARQUIS, D.; LAURIN, P. La recherché-action: théorie et pratique. (Manuel d'autoformation). Canadá: Presses de l'Université du Québec, 1996. LEWIN, K. Action Research and minority problems. Soc. Issues, II, p. 33-34. New York.1946. Artigo representado In: LEWIN, K. Resolving Social Conflits. New York. Harpers and Brothers. 1948. Tradução brasileira. LEWIN, K. Problemas de Dinâmica de Grupos. São Paulo: Cultrix, 1970. MAILHIOT, Gérald Bernard. Dynamique et genèse des groupes. Paris: Édition de l'Épi, 1970. MORIN, A. Recherche-action en éducation: de la pratique à la théorie. Rapport. Canadá: Université de Montreal, 1986. MORIN, A. Recherche-action intégrale et participation cooperative. Méthodologie et etudes des cas. Laval: Éditions Agence d'Arc, 1992, vol. I. PERRENOUD, P. Ensinar: agir na urgência e decidir na incerteza. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas, 1991. PIMENTA, Selma G. Professor: formação, identidade e trabalho docente. In: PIMENTA, Selma G. (org.). Saberes pedagógicos e atividade docente. São Paulo: Cortez, 1999, p. 15-34. ROJO, M. R. Hacia uma Didáctica crítica. Madri: Editorial La Muralla, 1997. SCHÖN, D. À la recherche d'une nouvelle épistémologie de la pratique et de ce qu'elle implique pour l'éducation des adultes. In: BARBIER, J-M. (org.). Savoirs théoriques et saviors d'action. Paris: PUF, 1997, p. 201-222. SMYTH, J. Developing and sustaining critical reflection in teacher education. Journal of teacher education. XXXX (2), 1989. TABA, H. & Noel, E. Acting Research: a case study. Washington, D.C., Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NEA), 1957, p.12-27. THURLER, Monica G. Inovar no interior da escola. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2001. Additional Information Is your proposal part of a master or doctoral thesis? No Is your paper intended for publication? Yes
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