ALARj Action Learning and Action Research Journal
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Facilitating appreciative inquiry in combination with the World Café method in a low socio-economic environment
No full textThis article highlights the use of combining appreciative inquiry (AI) and the World Café method (WCM), two popular and widely used approaches, not yet utilized as a methodological combination to facilitate change and gather information within the contextual background of a lower socio economic environment (LSEE) in South Africa, where people are mostly underprivileged. This qualitative study explored and described the experiences of twelve mother participants and their relationships with their children. AI, as a theoretically informed approach to life training practice, in conjunction with WCM facilitated an integrated process of transformative learning, although challenges were experienced. Participants indicated awareness and co-construction of experiences affecting cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social dimensions. Understanding the dynamics of lived experiences through appropriate methods of investigating can assist in designing research ‘for change’ and facilitating effective support methods. Applications yielded recommendations on their use in combination with participants in LSEEs which could be of use to other professionals and organizations working in similar settings
Gaming simulations with Action Learning for community-based disaster reduction training
No full textn this paper, I introduced how Action Learning is adaptable with Gaming Simulation to the context of community-based disaster reduction. With containing the characteristics of Action Learning, I showed theoretically that Gaming Simulation can be an effective tool for promoting disaster reduction and presented one practice of community-based disaster reduction activity. Although its causalities should be investigated more in detail, I hold theoretically that Action Learning can be incorporated to Gaming Simulation to find potential problems in future disaster and to improve the community’s coping capacity in a real world, though previous studies insisted that simulation is not a target of Action Learning that is based on the pedagogical notion that people learn most effectively when working on real-time problems occurring in the own work setting
Using Action Research to develop a market orientation in an Australian government business enterprise
No full textThis article describes an action research study I conducted in an Australian government business enterprise (GBE), with the twin aims of changing the organisational culture towards a market orientation and using this research for a doctoral thesis. GBEs are government-owned or government-controlled entities that produce goods and services on a commercial basis. Corporatisation of GBEs has been embraced by governments wanting to transform mostly state-owned monopolies into more commercial organisations while retaining them in public ownership. However, this move has not always improved their performance. At the time of this study, I was the marketing manager at a regional operating division of a national GBE. By the end of the study — which involved three action research cycles, over four years and 42 participants — I had successfully developed a diagnostic tool for implementing a market orientation and also completed my PhD. This tool will greatly increase the possibility of positively impacting an organisation’s business performance
Participatory community Action Research process addressing employment integration of internationally trained professionals (ITPs) in Canada
No full textThis paper describes the use of a community action research process (CARP) to understand the lived experiences of internationally trained professionals’ (ITPs) unemployment and underemployment in a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) project in Edmonton, Canada. Through a mixed methods design, members of six ethno-cultural communities discussed their challenges, opportunities, and prospects for labour market integration; particularly within the context of an economic uncertainty and downturn as they transition and settle in the western Canadian city of Edmonton. The CARP was utilized through several stages involving a robust recruitment and data collection strategy to facilitate community dialogue about barriers and facilitators impacting ITPs’ employment integration, and engage community members in providing solutions to support current ITPs. The CARP stimulated stakeholders to become more cognizant of the contextual issues impacting ITPs, while taking active roles. Key features of the evaluation process focused on the following: communication patterns, engagement process, applicability of recruitment strategies, effectiveness of mobilization strategies and prospects for community engagement. The CARP proved to be an effective strategy for engagement and facilitating inter-sectoral collaborations across a variety of key stakeholders
Peer assisted teaching scheme and Participative Action Learning Action Research: A winning combination
No full textThis paper demonstrates synergetic influences of systems thinking upon a third cycle of action research aimed at improve teaching skills and the student experience. The overall aim was to promote deeper, work-relevant learning through the implementation of a new method of assessment (Data from the previous action research cycles indicated that the former assessment task promoted rote and surface learning.). Systems thinking, integrated a peer assisted teaching scheme (PATS), alongside participative action learning–action research (PALAR) to change an assessment piece from a traditional multi-choice test to an innovative work integrated learning audio recording task that tested application of theory to a simulated real-world task. Domestic and international students (119) in an international marketing course collaborated in teams to develop skills in radio interviewing. Major themes from the NVivo® qualitative analysis were teamwork, engagement and communication; creative and deeper learning experiences; practical and work-related assessment; and enjoyable and fun learning
Developing environmental citizenship on campus through Action Research
No full textThis study was designed to refine understanding of the influence of environmental education on the development of thought processes, on moral awareness and on students' ability to act as environmental citizens. The findings are based on content analysis of students' reflections on leading environmental change through ecological-thinking based action research. Generally, students' self-perceptions refocused from dichotomy between activism and Academia and between self and the world, to a more holistic perception joining theory to action. Reflections indicated development of a sense of capability, and of command over dimensions of time, interaction with peers and action-required information. The article offers a wealth of insights into the teaching of environmental citizenship in academia, concerning both students and lecturer.It demonstrates the potential, inherent in ecological thinking, for developing an effective curriculum for teaching environmental citizenship in academia. And it suggests action research as an effective approach to integrating academy and activism.
Using Action Research to implement an oral discourse approach for teaching composition writing
No full textEnglish Composition writing requires thinking as one writes and it demands that a pupil uses written sentences to connect ideas to present a composition story in a coherent manner. Yet, English composition writing remains a challenge for many pupils and they do not enjoy it. This research responds to this challenge by doing three things. First, it gets to the core of what a composition writing lesson should be like, by adopting an “Oral Discourse Approach” as described by Golub (1970) and Wyans (2008), to help pupils generate ideas and supply reasons to ensure that each idea flows logically. The compilation of written ideas would then enable pupils to construct their individual composition in a coherent manner. Second, it expands the work of Golub (1970) and Wyans (2008) by incorporating the use of a “Plot Graph” to help pupils order and organize their ideas. The application of “arrows and numbered boxes” in a Plot Graph helps pupils visualize how the flow of ideas forms a sequence of events leading to the climax and how it resolves, thereby showing how a composition story is developed in a step-by-step manner from start to end. Third, it uses the Dialectic Soft Systems Methodology described by Dick (2002) and Tay and Lim (2007) to explain how the process of composition writing can be described as progressing through four dialectics. The instructional approach used in this paper can also be applied to composition writing in other languages
Scaffolding of complexity awareness and its impact on actions and learning
No full textThis paper reports results from action research on a deliberative process involving representatives of different organizations charged with the task of developing solutions to a complex issue. The first purpose was to explore how the representatives’ conceptions of the issue under consideration and of strategies to manage the issue changed through participation in a facilitated group process that scaffolded increased awareness of issue complexity. The second purpose was to examine if participation lead to generalized learning still present three years afterwards. The process resulted in a reformulation of the original problem description and novel action strategies. In the result section I outline how these new strategies were formulated at a higher level of task complexity awareness, by drawing on theories and frameworks developed on the basis of empirical research on adult development. Follow-up interviews three years after the project was over showed that learning about task complexity had remained
A scaffolding strategy for helping lower secondary science students construct scientific explanations for experimental based questions in science
No full textThe study of Science in essence involves the explanation of phenomena by inferring the reasons for occurrences and justifying the significance of the observed event (Nagel, 1961; McNeil & Krajcik, 2008). This raises a challenge for the educator: How can we equip students with the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions for answering science questions? This research study responds to this challenge by doing five things. First, it adopts an action strategy with reference to Feldman’s approach to art criticism- DINE (whereby “D” is describe, “IN” is interpret, “E” is evaluate). Students adopt this action strategy to construct arguments and explanations needed for phenomena posed on them. Second, it incorporates a bite-size classroom-teaching to equip students with the pre-requisite knowledge. During teaching, an educator teaches directly on a “need-to-know” basis and with focus on context that can help students move forward in their inquiry with DINE. Third, it introduces a set of focal lessons for students to work on. Each focal lesson comprises a set of step-by-step instructions and tasks to be carried out by students. Each task takes into consideration the appropriate zone of proximal development (ZPD) whereby the level of potential development is determined through problem solving in collaboration with fellow students (Vygotsky, 1978). Fourth, it provides the justifications for our integrated use of DINE, Bite-Size Teaching, and Focal Lesson as a collective whole via the Connective Approach as described in the work of Strawson (1992), Tay (2003), and Tay et al (2010). Lastly, it demonstrates the cycles that one goes through when embarking on an action research journey