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Convened by open invitation to academic and professional support staff across the University of

My action : convening the Action Research Consortium (ARC) as a peer-supported community of practitioner-researchers. Convened by open invitation to academic and professional support staff across the University of Bedfordshire. Building capacity and capability in undertaking action research

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Convened by open invitation to academic and professional support staff across the University of

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  1. My action: convening the Action Research Consortium (ARC) as a peer-supported community of practitioner-researchers Convened by open invitation to academic and professional support staff across the University of Bedfordshire. • Building capacity and capability in undertaking action research • Evaluating, evidencing and improving practice to enable student learning, development and employability • Sharing ideas and issues • Acting as constructive critical friends • Providing research assistance • Providing opportunities to disseminate and publish Respect and equity… NARN ARC

  2. Title: Applying PDP features to CPD / action research Question: To what extent might a supported action research process act as an agent of change? Participants: ARC members My intention: Replicating an (e)-PDP / CPD process within the ARC through reflection, self-assessment, personalised development plans. “Structured and supported process” – through series of regular meetings, dedicated VLE space, assistance on demand… Methods: content analysis of written material, focus groups, self-assessment tool doubling up as research tool My research

  3. Dilemmas / lessons learned Support offered – not fully utilised: ‘opportunity’ is differentially available to individuals Problems/time delays due to ethics approval process Managing workload within timeframe Need culture of peer support Need firm CPD requirements for evidence-based practice as mainstream activity

  4. Change: observed and reported Lessons learned regarding the process and challenges of developing action research skills within a new learning community: The “structured and supported process” provided through the ARC has engaged a core of 12 staff who have persevered with their own projects; Some have disseminated – at conferences in the UK and abroad – and some have published papers Personal and professional development Output: a possible new research method/tool Outcomes: - Insights gained around self-evaluation - Action research projects built into PG-CAP assessment

  5. Caution! This SAQ is expressed in terms of an ideal world where perfect action research could be conducted perfectly by perfect people! Arguably there is no such thing. Your ratings are therefore expected to be low – especially if you are new to action research. Please consider each statement as potential for a learning process and not in terms of expecting perfection. Low ratings are not to be viewed as failure but as raw material for development and success. It can seriously damage your sense of well-being as a practitioner-researcher if you evaluate your abilities harshly and use any SAQ as a stick to beat yourself up with! Realising the potential of this SAQ: It alerts you to actions you may need to take in order to be(come) more effective in action research (similar to marking criteria and assessment rubrics that show what it takes to achieve a top A+ grade). Use it as a self-diagnostic tool at the start (Time 1) and then return to it at a later stage (Time 2) to evaluate how your research behaviours may have changed. At any stage of the action research process it serves as a frame of reference. You can identify those behaviours that are important for you to develop, and seek opportunities and resources to develop them – and ARC can provide those opportunities and resources. … What is ARC? See good news at the end, when you have completed this SAQ! Self-assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)Action Research: How can I be effective?

  6. Completing the SAQ • Please take time to read and understand the guidelines prefacing the SAQ, made available in print and online in BREO • Two intended uses of the form: • Purely for your benefit, as explained • An anonymous version used as one research tool within a mixed-methods approach (see supporting documents) • Complete the SAQ from within BREO and save it for later reference and use • If you agree to participate in Arti’s research question, please email or return an anonymous photocopy to sam.elkington@beds.ac.uk

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