This paper explores my role as co-convener of the Network for Educational Action Research in Ireland (NEARI). NEARI is a network where action researchers convene and engage in critical reflection and dialogue around their practice. They examine how they might enhance their practice and, in doing so, seek a way in which they might improve their…

Through a series of conversations, Fintan McCutcheon and Joanna Haynes explore McCutcheon's reflections on school leadership in the contexts of the Educate Together movement (in the Republic of Ireland) and, specifically, in his aspiration to build an optimally democratic school in Balbriggan. Much of the academic and professional literature on…

The article is principally written for adult educators. It models an auto-ethnographic approach situating this within a critical pedagogic orientation. As an adult educator working in the Republic of Ireland, I draw from two instances in my own life that helped me to re-think my racialised identity. By reflecting on discomforts in terms of my own…

The transition to Higher Education, while often exciting, is demanding for many students. Successful transition necessitates learning the conventions of scholarly conversation, including how to read and create work in an academic context. Knowledge of academic literacy practices is an important part of this process but these discourses and…

In this article the author opens up a space for reflective inquiry linked to her pedagogy with Student English Teachers and in conjunction with readings on embodiment and aesthetic experience. The author tries to deepen her practice as a teacher educator, 'looking back to travel forward' (Cremin et al. 2005:1) and looking forward in desire and…

This paper is about: developing critical understandings about the nature and origins of one's personal and professional identity; learning how to transform uncritically internalised and potentially damaging conceptualisations of identity and identity formation; saying why it is important to do so; and considering what kinds of texts can show the…

"No Longer Researching About Us Without Us" was an innovative national project which aimed to develop inclusive research with people with intellectual disabilities in the Republic of Ireland. This paper is my personal reflection as co-ordinator of this project on work undertaken by and with people with intellectual disabilities during…

In this paper I would like to outline some of the work I do around the world, developing and contributing to professional education programmes for practitioners across a range of professions, using an action research methodology. Here I especially focus on my work with teachers; and I highlight the point that some of the most problematic yet…

This article elaborates on the Inquiry Cycle as an appropriate model of learning for the digitally enhanced classroom. Its goal is to provide a useful link between theory and pedagogic practice. This involves taking a new look at the concept of digital literacy. The authors propose a conceptual framework connecting classroom practices and elements…

This article aims to answer the questions: (1) How can action learning aid in strategic change?; (2) What are the benefits of using action learning as part of a broader learning intervention?; (3) What are the issues to consider when introducing action learning into a corporate environment?; and (4) How can you engage people in reflection as a…

The Cultural Immersion Projects at Indiana University offer teacher education majors the opportunity to be placed in culturally-diverse settings, where full-time student teaching, required community participation, ongoing reflection, and academic reporting combine to provide experiences that go well beyond the common foci of conventional student…

In order to effectively meet the needs of families, this paper argues that there is a need for people working in the arena of family support to incorporate theory and research into their practice and to engage in a process of reflective practice. An inter-disciplinary cyclical model of training for experienced family support practitioners is…