Doing Action Research in Early Childhood Studies a step-by-step guide

by Mac Naughton, Glenda; Hughes, Patrick

• ISBN13: 9780335228621
• ISBN10: 0335228623
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Open Univ Pr

Summary

Written in a lively and accessible style, this is the essential step by step guide to conducting your own action research project. The book introduces and evaluates different approaches to action research and explores how they can be applied in early childhood settings to create positive change and to improve practice.

Author Biography

Glenda Mac Naughton is Professor in Early Childhood Studies and Director of the Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood in the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, Australia.

..Patrick Hughes is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood in the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, Australia..

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Introduction: the action research cycle	p. 1
Choosing to Change
Choose a social practice to change or improve	p. 7
Preparing to take Step 1	p. 8
a case from practice	p. 16
Taking your first step: your actions and reflections	p. 18
Further resources: going deeper	p. 19
Ask a question about your chosen social practice	p. 20
Preparing to take Step 2	p. 21
a case from practice	p. 32
Taking your second step: your actions and reflections	p. 33
Further resources: going deeper	p. 33
Planning for a Change
Learn more about the action research family	p. 37
Preparing to take Step 3	p. 38
a case from practice	p. 51
Taking your third step: your actions and reflections	p. 52
Further resources: going deeper	p. 53
Learn more about your topic from the literature	p. 55
What is a literature review?	p. 57
A literature review to meet your need	p. 58
Starting your literature review	p. 62
Analysing the results of your literature review	p. 70
Sharing the results of your literature review	p. 72
a case from practice	p. 73
Taking your fourth step: your actions and reflections	p. 75
Further resources: going deeper	p. 76
Learn more about your ethical responsibilities	p. 77
Introducing ethics	p. 78
Researchers' general ethical responsibilities	p. 79
Action researchers' specific ethical responsibilities	p. 82
Collaborative action researchers' specific ethical responsibilities	p. 84
Action researchers' specific ethical responsibilities in early childhood settings	p. 89
a case from practice	p. 92
Taking your fifth step: your actions and reflections	p. 94
Further Resources: going deeper	p. 95
Learn about reflection, critical reflection and practice	p. 96
Reflection and reflective practice	p. 97
Critical thinking and critically reflective practice	p. 99
Critical reflection in action research for professional change	p. 105
Critical reflection in action research for social change	p. 106
a case from practice	p. 109
Taking (and retaking) your sixth step: your actions and reflections	p. 110
Further Resources: going deeper	p. 110
Map the practicalities of researching in your context	p. 112
Find helpers and anticipate hindrances	p. 113
Inform relevant others about your project	p. 115
Plan your first steps	p. 116
a case from practice	p. 118
Taking your seventh step: your actions and reflections	p. 119
Further resources: going deeper	p. 119
Plan to make your research rigorous and valid	p. 121
Introducing rigour and validity	p. 122
'Fit-for-purpose' rigour and validity: considering scope and scale	p. 123
Scientific rigour	p. 123
Alternative forms of rigour	p. 124
Rigour in action research	p. 126
Approaches to validity	p. 128
Validity in action research	p. 129
a case from practice	p. 133
Taking the eighth step: your actions and reflections	p. 133
Further resources: going deeper	p. 133
Creating Change
Form an action research group	p. 137
Why research collaboratively?	p. 138
Forming a collaborative action research group	p. 138
Maintaining participation in a group	p. 139
Planning for diversity	p. 142
Maintaining critical reflections, maintaining relationships	p. 144
a case from practice	p. 145
Taking your ninth step: your actions and reflections	p. 147
Further resources: going deeper	p. 148
Gather 'baseline' data	p. 149
Defining our terms	p. 150
An appropriate data collection strategy	p. 155
Sources of data	p. 156
Documenting your data	p. 162
a case from practice	p. 165
Taking your tenth step: your actions and reflections	p. 166
Further resources: going deeper	p. 166
Create a change and collect data about its effects	p. 167
cases from practice	p. 168
Taking your eleventh step: your actions and reflections	p. 170
Further resources: going deeper	p. 170
Analyse your data	p. 171
What is 'data analysis'?	p. 172
Organizing the data for analysis	p. 172
Coding the data	p. 174
Sifting the data for patterns	p. 178
Analysing the data and displaying the results	p. 182
a case from practice	p. 188
Taking your twelfth step: your actions and reflections	p. 190
Further resources: going deeper	p. 190
Deepen and broaden your data and understandings	p. 192
Where next?	p. 192
Broadening and deepening your data	p. 195
Broadening and deepening your understandings	p. 197
a case from practice	p. 202
Taking your thirteenth step: your actions and reflections	p. 204
Further resources: going deeper	p. 204
Choose a further social practice to change or improve, perhaps guided by a new research question	p. 205
Choose another social practice to change or improve	p. 206
some cases from practice	p. 208
Taking your fourteenth step: your actions and reflections	p. 209
Further resources: going deeper	p. 212
Sharing the Lessons of Your Change
Draw Conclusions from your analysis	p. 215
The limits of general advice	p. 216
To conclude or not to conclude?	p. 216
How to conclude	p. 216
a case from practice	p. 221
Further Resources: going deeper	p. 222
Share the lessons of your project	p. 224
A formal, written project report	p. 225
An article in an academic, peer-reviewed journal	p. 229
A book chapter	p. 231
An Article in a specialist magazine	p. 232
A page on a project website	p. 233
A formal presentation to a conference	p. 233
An informal presentation to colleagues, children or parents	p. 235
Deciding how best to share the lessons	p. 236
a case from practice	p. 236
Further resources: going deeper	p. 238
References	p. 240
Author index	p. 247
Subject index	p. 249
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