While critical realist (CR) ontological and epistemological perspectives and research approaches are becoming more widely adopted by higher education researchers, the scope of research is relatively limited, and novice researchers in the area still struggle to create rich, in-depth, and critical accounts of these approaches 'in action'. This…

Although education research has shown collaboration to be of the utmost importance, schools continue to lack the necessary means to help them incorporate communities of practice (CoPs) to facilitate and sustain their development and growth. We analysed the process by which CoPs were successfully implemented, under the guidance of a…

This paper reports on an Action Research project that investigated the integration of Aboriginal and Western knowledge into science learning in a Montessori classroom in regional Queensland, Australia. Drawing on the local knowledge of fauna of community members, the study explored the teaching of science to 12 year 8-9 students in an Aboriginal…

This paper draws on the experiences of a doctoral student undertaking a cross-cultural, cross-language participatory action research (PAR) project in rural Cambodia. Cambodia is a largely Buddhist country with a complex history of religion, invasion, colonisation, war and oppression. Despite a democratic constitution, political control and fear of…

Many universities in different parts of the world are seeking to enhance the cultural diversity of their staff and student body and yet repeated studies have shown that good integration can be difficult to achieve. Although several studies have examined the reasons why such integration is difficult, there has been very little research into the…

The purpose of this article is to provide an educational, theoretical, and methodological framework for using a special kind of action research, namely PALAR (participatory action learning and action research). This integrated methodology of lifelong action learning (AL) and participatory action research (PAR) has been developed over the past…

Building positive relationships with students and employing relevant pedagogy informed by Community Cultural Wealth will undoubtedly contribute to a more engaged community of learners that are vested in their community and academics. Aronson and Laughter (2015) amongst many others, studied and analyzed over 200 studies on the topic of culturally…

The purpose of this action research study was to link together theory and educational leaders' practice to give form to and improve their ability to make ethically sound decisions. The questions that guided the study included: 1. How can I, as a superintendent, lead the principals I work with to use all four ethical paradigms in their own decision…

Science education faces monumental changes in terms of curriculum design and approach brought about by the challenges of globalization and diversifying educational landscapes. This study sought to test the effects of Biology Learning Station Strategy (BLISS) to the academic achievement and attitude of junior high school Science students. This…

While transition from primary to secondary school is an exhaustively researched area, there is limited research into how the ideas and insights of children, particularly those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), could inform or guide successful school transition planning. The current article presents the final stage of an action research project…

Drawing on conceptual resources that underpin arts integration, drama-based and embodied teaching approaches, and embodied mathematical cognition, the authors developed a fresh professional learning model for teachers to use with their mathematics classes. This article discusses how "Creative and Body-based Learning" (CBL), the authors'…

Too often youth from vulnerable communities see themselves talked about in academic research, but are rarely involved as co-researchers or co-authors of research. The purpose of this article is to share our reflections on engaging youth, their experiences and their perspectives on the multi-levels of impact of participatory action research…

A critical pedagogy stance involving reflexivity and critique of Aotearoa New Zealand's history curriculum informed a participatory action research methodology of "problematised history pedagogy" (PHP). Conceptualised as layered and reciprocal, the PHP was nested as a 'case' of action research at the heart of narrative inquiry. The PHP…

This article reports on a community engagement project by the University of South Africa's Department of Adult Basic Education to address the challenges faced by new literates in establishing and managing projects and small businesses. The main objective of the article was to assess how capacity and training workshops have been used as tools to…

Action research is participative research, involving all stakeholders in the research process on a voluntary basis. Its main objective is to create practical knowledge, which supports stakeholders in everyday professional processes. The creation and utilization of this kind of knowledge, the facilitation of individual and group level action…