This document outlines an education and training project at the University of Derby. It includes an agenda for the project that covers introductions, professionalism, action research, and choosing an area of research. It provides guidance on selecting a research topic by considering issues in one's work, defining objectives and research questions, and determining appropriate research approaches and methods. The document discusses what research is, different types of research, and action research specifically. It also addresses research values and ethics. The goal of the project appears to be helping practitioners learn how to conduct action research on issues in their own work.

1. Education and Training Foundation Project
University of Derby
Siobhan Neary
Pete Scales
Jo Hutchinson
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

2. Programme



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Introductions and overview of project
Professionalism
Research practitioner
 Benefits to self and organisation
Action research
Focus for day 2
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

3. What’s
your
problem?

4. Choosing an area to research

Consider an issue affecting your work/workplace
 What could the objective of your study?
 What research question are you trying to answer?
 What type of research approach is best suited to your questions?
 What research methods will be appropriate to collect data?
 Who will you select to be part of your study?
 What constraints of ethical issues could your study raise?
(Scales, Pickering, Senior, Headley, Garner and Boulton, 2011).
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

5. Action research
What is research?
What does research look like?
What is action research?
Jo Hutchinson
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

6. What is research?
1.
The act of searching (closely or carefully) for or after a specified thing or
person.
2.
A search or investigation directed to the discovery of some fact by careful
consideration or study of a subject; a course of critical or scientific inquiry.
3.
Investigation or pursuit of a subject.
Oxford English Dictionary
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

7. Frascati Definition of Research


"Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative work
undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge,
including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of
knowledge to devise new applications."
"R&D is a term covering three activities: basic research, applied research,
and experimental development.
 Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to
acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and
observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
 Applied research is also original investigation undertaken to acquire new
knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific practical
aim or objective.
 Experimental development is systematic work, drawing on existing
knowledge gained from research and/or practical experience, that is
directed to producing new materials, products or devices, to installing
new processes, systems and services, or to improving substantially those
already produced or installed.“
 (Second chapter of the OECD 1993 Frascati Manual)

8. Researchers and scholars

Ernest Boyer
 The scholarship of discovery
 The scholarship of integration
 The scholarship of application
 The scholarship of teaching

See Boyer, E (1990) Scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriat,
Princeton Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

9. Question?
 Do you see yourself as a researcher or a scholar?
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

10. Action Research

Action research is a term which refers to a practical way of looking at your
own work to check that it is as you would like it to be. Because action
research is done by you, the practitioner, it is often referred to as practitioner
based research; and because it involves you thinking about and reflecting on
your work, it can also be called a form of self-reflective practice.

Action research is open ended. It does not begin with a fixed hypothesis. It
begins with an idea that you develop. The research process is the
developmental process of following through the idea, seeing how it goes, and
continually checking whether it is in line with what you wish to happen. Seen
in this way, action research is a form of self evaluation.
Jean McNiff, http://www.jeanmcniff.com/ar-booklet.asp
So it is a form of applied research, and because it relates to your
professional role in teaching it is also a form of scholarship of teaching.
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

11. What are research methods
Quantitative
Research methods
that explore things
which are
measurable (using
numbers)
e.g. surveys,
laboratory
analysis
Mixed
Qualitative
Research methods
that explore things
which are not
measurable (using
numbers)
e.g. interviews,
focus groups,
diaries, images

12. What does quantitative research involve?



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Surveys (paper surveys of those using survey software such as Google Docs
or Survey Monkey or Lime Survey)
Laboratory experiments
Formal methods such as econometrics
Numerical methods such as mathematical modelling
Network analysis (e.g. of internet data)

13. What does qualitative research involve?



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Interviews
Focus groups
Observations
Field work
Textual analysis
Journals or self-reflection
Image analysis

14. Action Research
 What issue am I interested in researching?
 Why do I want to research this issue?
 What kind of evidence can I gather to show why I am interested in
this issue?
 What can I do? What will I do?
 What kind of evidence can I gather to show that I am having an
influence?
 How can I explain that influence?
 How can I ensure that any judgements I might make are reasonably
fair and accurate?
 How will I change my practice in the light of my evaluation?
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

15. What issue am I interested in researching?
 What problem did you identify earlier?
 Is this something that you can reasonably be expected to have an
influence on?
 Is it tightly focussed?
What kind of evidence can I gather to show why I am
interested in this issue?
 How can you demonstrate to someone else that this is a problem?
 This requires some data gathering.
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

16. Example research problem
‘Youth clubs’ is not a research issue
‘What activities and other factors do young people enjoy engaging in at
youth clubs?’ is better
‘Examining the reasons why new recruits to Nottingham’s youth clubs
say that they started attending.” This is even more specific
We might even want to focus this on a particular group (NEETS? Young
women? A particular ethnicity?)

17. Activity: write your action research issue
 Write a research problem/question relating to your area of
interest.
 Write how you can demonstrate that this is an issue
2

18. Why do you want to research this?




To improve your practice?
To improve learning among your students?
To make the world a better place?
To improve equality of access?
 It is a reflection of your values.
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

19. Research Values and Research Ethics
Jo Hutchinson
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

20. Research Values – that underpin ethical research

21. Using frameworks in ethical thinking: a scenario

You are researching a new teaching method in a secondary school that
involves peer facilitated learning. The research is funded by a Research
Council. You have interviewed teachers – they like it. You have
interviewed students – they find it distracting and don’t like it. The teachers
have provided access to the students and know which individuals
participated. The students will soon do important in-school assessments.
You are expected to provide recommendations to the senior leadership
team.

Use the following three frameworks to help you think through what you
should do:
 Virtue (morally sound researchers will engage in morally sound
research)
 Consequentialism (the end can justify the means)
 Deontological (apply a set of rules to guide research)
j.hutchinson@derby.ac.uk

22. Key concepts derived from both frameworks
j.hutchinson@derby.ac.uk

23. Basic principles: Setting up





Obtain informed consent in advance
Avoid coercion and be aware of power relations e.g. doctorpatient/teacher pupil
Respect the right of individuals to make their own decisions about
participation
Incentives should not be unreasonable e.g. more than nominal
amounts of money, improving degree classification.
Don’t promise more than you can deliver e.g. anonymity and
confidentiality.

24. Basic principles: During the research




Process-based consent: Consent for participation in each part of the
research should be sought on an ongoing basis.
People should have the right to change their mind and opt out or not
take part in elements of the research without giving a reason.
No harm either physical or psychological
 to participants
 to researcher
Think about the reading age and complexity of written material.

25. Basic principles: personal safety
First and foremost the researcher should make sure that they look after
themselves.
Physically – Don’t put yourself into dangerous situations without
precautions.
Psychologically – Think about the psychological effects on yourself of
what you are going to find out.
Professionally – Your research should not require you to put your
professional life at risk.

26. Basic principles: after
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Researchers and participants should have an opportunity to debrief.
Don’t promise anonymity or confidentiality if you can’t give it.
Participants should be able to check and agree data and withdraw
consent.
Be aware of your commitments when you are writing up
 And when you are publishing your work

27. Back to action research….
 What issue am I interested in researching?
 Why do I want to research this issue?
 What kind of evidence can I gather to show why I am interested in
this issue?
 What can I do? What will I do?
 What kind of evidence can I gather to show that I am having an
influence?
 How can I explain that influence?
 How can I ensure that any judgements I might make are reasonably
fair and accurate?
 How will I change my practice in the light of my evaluation?
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

28. What can I do? What will I do?
 You should understand the dimensions of the problem a bit better
after going through the previous phase.
 So now its about thinking what you can do about it…
 Use Action Learning Set to help you imagine solutions.
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

29. The next stages in action research
 What kind of evidence can I gather to show that I am having an
influence?
 How can I explain that influence?
 How can I ensure that any judgements I might make are reasonably
fair and accurate?
 How will I change my practice in the light of my evaluation?
Action research evolves and develops so we’ll return to
this next time.
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

30. Activities for next session
The blog
• Make at least one entry (more are welcomed)
• Outline an area you wish to focus your research on
• What are the ethical issues you need to consider
Prepare an outline for your research which addresses the following:
 Topic of proposed study
 Aims and objectives
 Rationale for the study (What has prompted this topic area)
 Appropriate literature
 Outline of methods
 Resources you might need
 Ethical considerations- consent, deception, withdrawal, confidentiality, data
protection
( I will draft a proforma to guide you and upload it to the blog)
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs

31. Contact details
Pete Scales
 P.R.Scales@derby.ac.uk
 01332 591595
Siobhan Neary
 S.Neary@derby.ac.uk
 01332 591580
Jo Hutchinson
 J.Hutchinson@derby.ac.uk
 01332 591367
www.derby.ac.uk/ehs