James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2001

ED5092:04

Action Research for Educational Development

Townsville

Flexible delivery. First and second semester.

Available to MEd students able to demonstrate appropriate community and employer support.

Staff: Individual supervision.

This subject develops the skills and understandings involved in community based educational action research as a means to school and community development. Key topics include: traditions in educational action research; critical review of research on consultative processes in educational development in culturally diverse contexts; situational analysis and assessment of educational needs in culturally diverse contexts; community consultation and cross cultural communication processes; collaborative goal setting, monitoring and evaluation. Collaborative partnerships between schools and Indigenous communities are particularly relevant to this subject. The subject will be developed through a collaborative educational action research project.

Learning Objectives:

  1. critically review research and practice in collaborative educational action research in culturally diverse settings;
  2. apply a collaborative action research process to an aspect of educational development;
  3. develop relevant skills of community consultation, situational and needs analysis, cross cultural communication, collaborative goal setting, monitoring and evaluation;
  4. develop and apply an educational action research project in consultation with school communities.

Assessment by action research project report (60%); critical review (40%).