ACTION RESEARCH

Characteristics

Is participatory and democratic.

Helps researcher examines the everyday and policy making

Enhances learning and policy making

Uses

Real situations rather than experimental studies due to the fact that it focuses on solving real problems.


Situations that imply flexibility, participants' involvement and immediate changes.

Components

Change

Concern

Commitment

Collaboration

Consideration

Epistemological bases

Structuralism

This focuses on knowledge and theory as two sharpy separated domains. It means real objects exist independently of knowledge, and knowledge occurs by itself.

Pragmatism


This verifies the union of knowledge and reality based on experimental practice

This views on production of knowledge related to specific historical and social contexts. It follows that reality changes constantly, then knowledge is an understanding of these changes

Dialectical materialism

This views on production of knowledge related to specific historical and social contexts. It follows that reality changes constantly, then knowledge is an understanding of these changes

Logical positivism

This begins with the postulation of a hypothesis which has to be tested rigorously. There can be more than one interpretation of the reality, but all variables have to be controlled.

Empiricism

This maintains that man produces knowledge by the direct and neutral observation of reality.

Definition

Is a "form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices