Action Research as applied to the Dissertation Report: Learning to Improve Practice

1. Action Researchas applied to the Dissertation Report:Learning to Improve Practice MSc Advanced Practice March 2010 Ann Winter

2. Session objectives • Consider the action research approach and cycles • Apply action research cycles to module learning outcomes 1 – 6 • Discuss implications of researching own organisation and self study

3. Enquiry that enables investigation and evaluation of own work • An approach to inquiry which aims at taking action and creating knowledge about that action • Generic term covering many forms of action oriented research- diversity of approaches • Collaborative • Meet your academic and organisation’s needs • Reaction to lack of change following traditional research paradigms- ‘..ideas that remain on the page remain lifeless, because they do not make the real-world link with action..’ Mill, 1985

4. 1) action research is about people reflecting upon and improving their own practice; (2) by tightly inter-linking their reflection and action; and (3) making their experiences public to other people concerned by and interested in the respective practice

6. Disciplined & Systematic An Action Plan: • Take stock of what is going on • Identify a concern • Think of a possible way forward • Try it out • Monitor by gathering data • Evaluate progress- reflection • Modify practice

7. Action research cycle Different labels to steps: Look, think and act Plan-Do-Study-Act Spiral in nature in that 1 Action research cycle may lead directly to another

8. Action Research cycle – DIAGNOSE/LOOK/THINK Justify the selection of a topic of relevance to the health, needs of services users, carers, families groups or population based on an analysis of need and current policy context What is your concern/topic? Why is this concern/issue necessary/important to me/my role? Develop it into a research question…How do I…..? Where are the external and forces? What are the internal cultural and structural forces? What needs changing in order to move to desired future? Who are your collaborators? Who are the stakeholders? What is the future like? Ask yourself what values underpin your question? Learning outcome 1

9. Framing and naming • Choose an issue that can be realistically achieved in time scale • Labels are important so select an issue rather than a ‘problem’ sets an opportunity frame of reference rather than a defensive context • Awareness of array of issues which might be uncovered • The precise issue might ‘emerge’ in respect of boundaries which may be subject to change as understanding deepens and judgements and interpretations of data inform issue • Articulate what the unit/service would look like after the change has taken place- provides a clear initial focus (Future basing) • What needs to be done first - an assessment of readiness and capability • Social context is very important ie organisation and community in which you are working e.g. what the issues/concerns and what is intended and hoped for, professional/interprofessional/multi-disciplinary issues • IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR ISSUE SMALL, FOCUSSED AND MANAGEABLE

10. Action Research cycle – PLAN/DIAGNOSE Access, critically appraise and present evidence and theory from the perspectives of policy, practice, quality and underpinning values Diagnosing the issue/s Collecting data/evidence/information Critical analysis of evidence Examining and looking at the issue from various angles, checking reasoning, looking for assumptions, weighing up alternatives, looking for relational aspects with broader issues Learning outcome 2

11. Data generation • Data comes through engagement with others, day to day organisational processes e.g. meetings, problems being solved, decision making, over coffee • Every action, even the act of there being research , is an intervention • Action research is more about data generation than gathering • Document reflections of all occasions • May use secondary data, studying formal documentation (desk research) or observation • Data-Information-Knowledge-Understanding-Insight-Wisdom (Ralph 1999)

12. Action Research cycle – PLAN/DIAGNOSE Identify the knowledge available on the chosen topic in terms of research, theory, policy, professional practice and evidence of good practice Identifying knowledge holders and ways of knowing – experiential (knowing through), presentational, propositional (knowing that), practical (know how) Negotiating access Considering sensitivity & confidentiality Duality of role ie student & service provider Identifying what assumptions, knowledge you bring to the research process Awareness of political and ethical issues and power structures Learning outcome 3

13. Ethical issues • Negotiating access • Confidentiality – academic aspect of exercise where final work will be released to external organisation and lodged in library • Participants rights not to participate • Keeping participants informed • Permission to use documentation produced for other purpose • Permission to use locations • Confidentiality of journal entries • Ownership of findings – data that shows learning/change e.g. diary entries, conversations • Not knowing where journey is going to end

14. Organisations knowledge assets • Experiential – skills, know how, energy, passion & tension of individuals • Conceptual – explicit through language, designs, images • Routine – tacit in actions and practices. Organisational routines, culture and know how • Systemic – documents, specifications, databases Little, S. and Ray, T. 2005 Managing Knowledge. An essential reader. Sage Publications. London

15. Action Research cycle – PLANNING ACTION Formulate proposals for the utilisation of knowledge for practice and or service development in the context of the practitioners field of work Methodology/method of inquiry Review practice of AR and/or knowledge utilisation in own field of practice Selected approach and review processes and procedures Draw up an action plan Learning outcome 4

16. Method of inquiry • Outline and justify approach • Action plan – what can I do about it/what kind of data can I gather/generate/where will I look? • Demonstrate procedures • Utilisation of AR cycles • Evidence of challenging own assumptions • Use of multiple data sources

17. Action Research cycle – PLANNING ACTION Critically analyse how knowledge may be transferred, utilised and transformed in use, making use of relevant theory and evidence on these processes Who will be affected and how? Relate particular events as progress Further use of emerging literature Use of supporting theory Turning data into evidence for change/development Learning outcome 5

18. Using frameworks • Select a framework only if it’s • Simple, fits your values, highlights what you think are relative and important and validates your experience ? Face validity • Examples are: Systems thinking, change theories, organisational dynamics and power structures 2. Use critical friends/validation group/interested observers to listen to you and offer critical feedback

19. Action Research cycle – TAKING ACTION Critically reflect on the role of the practitioner and others in facilitating these processes and evaluating outcomes In an AR project there are at least 2 layers of cycles happening concurrently The more explicit core/project cycle & the dissertation/academic cycle You need to be continually enquiring into how the steps are going and what you are learning as this shapes the subsequent steps This is what differentiates AR from problem solving & forms the basis of the dissertation which needs to include both cycles This is what provides the rigour to your data collection e.g. how is the data generated, gathered, explored and evaluated? Learning outcome 6

20. Learning in action and reflecting upon action • Draw upon your knowledge and thought processes during the AR project (use of journals - grounded theory) • Reflection – reflecting in and on action – consider interpretive judgements and inferences which have changed and developed • Your role as a complete member in researcher studying own organisation • Your lived experience as a researcher and pre-understanding of your organisation and its culture • Telling your story through self reflection and learning • Third person narrative provides objectivity if using first person there needs to be very clear distinction between the narrative account and your interpretation

21. Pragmatic action research • Studying system in action • Frame of research is managing change or solving a problem • Target of improving operational action • Opportunistic • May look at existing issue using action research cycles

22. AR involving researcher’sself study • May focus on researchers job/role within organisation • Intention may be to study self in action • Simultaneous research and reflection as part of AR process

23. Self reflection and learning • How do you make sense of what happened ? • Use of established theory and knowledge which aligns narrative story with theory • AR projects are situation specific but it is worth considering if there are significant factors which may be extrapolated from a local situation to a more general situation • Learning outcomes 7 & 8 focus more upon concepts of evaluation

24. 2 tests for your AR issue Russian doll test Breaking down your research question to something which strips away the layers of complication and obscurities until the very essence of the question is expressed Goldilocks test Is the ? too big? Is it too small? Is it too hot?

25. Summarise • …all researchers need to develop the capacity to see their issue with new and different lenses, in order to look beyond and transform their current knowledge…the opening up of the familiar things to alternative ways of seeing….’ McNiff J & Whitehead J 2006. All you need to know about action research. Sage