Action Research (AR) is the systematic, self-reflective, scientific inquiry undertaken by practitioners. AR is grounded in the belief that research with human beings should be participative and democratic. Researchers working within this frame are charged with being sensitive to issues of power, open to the plurality of meanings and interpretations, and able to take into account the emotional, social, spiritual and political dimensions of those with whom they interact. The primary purpose of action research is to produce practical knowledge that is useful to people in the everyday conduct of their lives.
The focus of module four is working with students to complete the development of the students’ respective AR Proposals and further develop student’s capacity to be an agent of change in their communities and organisations through their Action Research. Students will finalise their preparation towards skillfully designing and implementing a contextually relevant AR Project.
During the Residential Seminar, supervisors will work with each student to refine their research design, and to ensure that any remaining problems are tackled prior to the student beginning their research work. Sessions are focused on linking theory to practice, honing academic writing skills and using peer learning and feedback to help students take the next steps in their proposals. This module is a combination of lecture seminars, student presentations and time to work individually with academic advisors on AR proposals.
The Transformative Peace Leadership programme during this Residential Seminar is designed to develop skills to balance work, academic work involved in research, and personal life going into the second and final year of the ACTS programme.
Module Four Objectives:
- Finalise Action Research Proposals.
- Practice giving and receiving feedback on AR proposals as part of peer-learning process.
- In preparation for implementation, complete the research cycle work-plan.
- Understand the relevance of different methods for different research goals and how to analyse information in order to understand your findings.
- Cultivate personal skills to balance work, research, and personal life for use during the second year of the programme.