In participatory action research (PAR), university-based researchers often take foundational concepts such as transformation, empowerment, critical consciousness, and mutual understanding for granted as desirable or necessary outcomes or achievements. We discuss the danger of this and suggest that researchers recognize these as processes that…

There is a common assumption that experienced educators will automatically be effective mentors. My experience indicates that building competence in mentoring others requires conscious intent and effort. This article is a self-study action research account that explores mentoring practice from the mentor's perspective. The study sets to explore…

In this paper, we attend to the pedagogical role of reflection within action research practices. We discuss educational considerations of the complex process of improving curriculum, while undertaking collaborative research in which reflection within the iterative process of action research became pedagogical. We draw upon our reflections from an…

This study explores the use of participatory action research (PAR) as pedagogy with adults to create dialog about their educational experiences connected with learning mathematics. The dialog, largely centered on race and poverty and how those aspects factored into their learning, produced the opportunity for critical reflection. This dialog gave…

The action research describes the process of how the Counselling Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (CS-EST) was developed and explores its suitability as a teaching and learning tool using a pilot study of 178 students at Tallinn University, Estonia. The study integrated action research, interdisciplinary project-based learning, scale development…

The senior year design students and I were dismayed when my linear teaching and their habitual rote learning failed in a Middle Eastern University. The gulf between the curricular objectives and our teaching-learning methods intrigued me. I turned this into an action research project that sought to answer the questions, 'What paradigm shift might…

This pilot study interviews three Business English language teachers before and after using EAQUALS' European profiling grid. The findings suggested that the EPG allowed the teachers to reflect on their profession as it helped develop a deeper consideration of the skills required to be a practitioner. It also found that perceptions about the ESL…

This article examines part of an action research project carried out in a Spanish public school. We explain the complex reality of an early childhood education classroom. Focusing on early childhood education, the project was developed in collaboration with a teacher from one of the classrooms of four year olds. Several of the children in the…

In this action research study, we describe how doctoral candidates conceptualize innovations for their dissertations and outline how we are using the results to improve the doctoral dissertation experience for our new cohort. Over the course of one academic year (2010/11) we documented our students' process of conceptualizing their…

This paper is a reflective account exploring the value of using action research in a relatively new context in the United Kingdom; the development of community renewable-energy projects. There is a strong rationale for using action research in this setting due to the synergies between the principles and practice of action research and localised…

This paper describes the outcomes of a self-study that we undertook as instructors of a capstone undergraduate leadership course. Using the framework of action inquiry and a variety of pedagogical approaches, we sought to create a course and classroom environment that was student-centered, empowering, and transformative. Three questions are…

The use of narratives in the social sciences has drastically increased throughout recent decades. They are mainly used as a way of collecting data and as a way of promoting professional development. This article sheds light on how a practitioner-researcher engaged in narrative writing and how this helped in what is hereby termed a reflective…

This paper describes and discusses an action research collaboration between a multi-disciplinary team of practice educators, a practice development nurse and a university lecturer in order to explore, evaluate and improve a dementia care training package developed for a range of staff providing care for people with dementia. Whilst it is…

A collaborative inquiry into how to improve the well-being of children was run over six months, as a partnership between Liverpool Hope University and a local authority Children's Services. The collaborative inquiry was based on a living theory approach to action research in which practitioners became increasingly aware and reflective of their…

The focus is a self-study of my own practice and how I investigated my educative practice in facilitating the professional learning of a group of teacher researchers. Two key questions are answered: How did I support teacher researchers with their inquiries? How did this contribution shape my professional identity as an educator? This self-study…