Knowra Action research Action research Action research is a collaborative inquiry in which people study a practical problem while planning, carrying out, and evaluating changes to address it.
Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle : A repeated improvement cycle of planning a change, trying it, studying the results, and acting on what was learned. This cycle gives action research a practical rhythm of intervention, observation, and revision.
Collaborative inquiry : A process in which people investigate a question together, sharing responsibility for interpretation and learning. Action research depends on participants jointly defining questions and making sense of evidence.
Kurt Lewin : A German-American social psychologist whose work on group dynamics and planned change influenced action research. Lewin is widely associated with early formulations of action research as inquiry linked to action.
Teacher research : Systematic inquiry conducted by teachers into questions arising from their own classrooms and schools. Teachers use action research to examine instruction and adjust classroom practice.
Case study : An intensive investigation of a bounded person, group, organization, event, or setting. A case study may describe practice in depth without requiring participants to intervene or improve it.
Reflective practice : The deliberate examination of professional experience to improve judgment and future action. Participants use reflection to interpret what happened during an intervention and shape the next cycle.
Pragmatism : A philosophical tradition that evaluates ideas through their practical consequences and role in inquiry. Its emphasis on consequences helps explain action research’s focus on useful knowledge in practice.
John Collier : An American social scientist and public official who advocated collaborative research with Indigenous communities. His work in the 1930s helped develop participatory approaches to addressing social problems.
Quality improvement : A systematic effort to improve processes and outcomes through measurement, testing, and iterative change. Healthcare and service organizations use related cycles to test improvements in everyday work.
Ethnography : The study of people and social life through sustained engagement, observation, and interpretation in a setting. Ethnography primarily interprets cultural life, while action research couples inquiry with deliberate change.
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