The Action Research Podcast

Adam Stieglitz & Joe Levitan

In the first podcast dedicated solely to Action Research, Adam and Joe do a deep dive into the lives, experiences, philosophies, and - of course - investigations of the most well respected action researchers in the field. Hear about their greatest successes and failures, and learn about what makes Action Research unique. If you are passionate about social change, engage in research, or are a budding scholar then this is the perfect podcast for you. Intended mostly for those interested in research and social change, The Action Research Podcast aims to offer unique and valuable insights for the field through accessible and engaging conversations about the “what” “why” and “how” of Action Research. The Action Research Team: Adam Stieglitz, Co-host Joe Levitan, Co-host Shikha Diwakar, Production Manager Vanessa Gold, Sound technician and voice-over specialist read less
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Episodes

Youth Participatory Action Research and Art (Part 2), with Drs. Kristen Goessling, Dana Wright, Amanda Wager, and Marit Dewhurst
29-03-2024
Youth Participatory Action Research and Art (Part 2), with Drs. Kristen Goessling, Dana Wright, Amanda Wager, and Marit Dewhurst
In the exciting second part of our discussion on YPAR and arts-based methods, new grad student co-hosts Shikha and Cory continue their conversation with Dr Kristen Goessling, Dr Dana Wright, Dr Amanda Wager and Dr. Marit Dewhurst, researchers and editors of Engaging youth in critical arts pedagogies and creative research for social justice: Opportunities and challenges of arts-based work and research with young people that came out in 2021. First, in our lightning round, we continue learning about our guests as we ask them about their pet peeves in collaboration–which are quite funny and enlightening! [1:15]. We also talk about an outline of common stages or phases in a YPAR project [2:16]. Some highlights include a discussion on relationship building as a design process [6:40] and building group dynamics [9:20] through participatory arts-based methods, like mapping and collage. In their projects, we can really see “PAR as a verb” in terms of supporting adults who work with young people as “PAR-ing” [11:48].  Throughout, our guests emphasize the pedagogical dimensions of YPAR because YPAR insists on sharing and learning skills together and democratizing knowledge production. For example, Amanda draws on theatre-based activities like the  ”hot seat” to rehearse data collection methods like interviewing. YPAR challenges adultism with its “misconceptions about young people” and pushes adults to take youth seriously [15:25]. At its heart, “PAR is essentially doing two research projects at once: You are engaging in a process that you are studying because you are studying the praxis and so that you can hone it, refine it, and make it more effective; and you are studying the subject at hand” [18:48]. While navigating these layers, our YPAR guests explore navigating power dynamics [20:35] and participants shifting energies and motivations with and among youth [24:09]. Finally, [31:57] our guests offer advice to novice YPAR researchers on how to push the bar on meaningful participation in working with youth. They each share some encouragement and remind us that, ultimately, “anyone [who] has any designs on working with young people should be prepared that [young people] are the smartest people in the room and they will know if you are authentic or if you are trustworthy […] so it's best to bring your authentic self” [39:37].Here is the citation for their book on YPAR and arts-based methods:  Goessling, K. P., Wright, D. E., Wager, A. C., & Dewhurst, Marit. (2021). Engaging youth in critical arts pedagogies and creative research for social justice opportunities and challenges of arts-based work and research with young people. Routledge; WorldCat.org. http://public.eblib.com/choice/PublicFullRecord.aspx?p=6469802Here are the YPAR handbooks mentioned in our conversationCommunity Futures, Community Lore: Learn to use youth participatory action research (YPAR), community mapping, public data and cultural organizing to generate solutions for our collective future.Berkeley YPAR hub: This hub features expansive curriculum and resources to  enrich YPAR projects.Here are other publications by our guests:Goessling, K. P., Wright, D., Wager, A. C., & Dewhurst, M. (2020). A critical mixtape for the movement: Reflecting on creative and critical youth practices in research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 33(1), 1-7.Goessling, K. P., Wright, D. E., Wager, A. C., & Dewhurst, M. (2021)....
Youth Participatory Action Research and Art (Part 1), with Drs. Kristen Goessling, Dana Wright, Amanda Wager, and Marit Dewhurst
27-02-2024
Youth Participatory Action Research and Art (Part 1), with Drs. Kristen Goessling, Dana Wright, Amanda Wager, and Marit Dewhurst
In the first episode led by our new co-hosts(!) Cory and Shikha sit down with Dr Kristen Goessling, Dr Dana Wright, Dr Amanda Wager, and Dr. Marit Dewhurst, researchers and editors of Engaging youth in critical arts pedagogies and creative research for social justice: Opportunities and challenges of arts-based work and research with young people, which came out in 2021. This special two-part series begins with our lightning round to get to know our guests. They give us lots of interesting soundbites for defining Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)! Highlights from our discussions in PART 1 include: common assumptions about art-based research rigor and subjectivity; the continuum of arts-based methods; the importance of power-sharing, building trust and centering youth perspectives. The guests emphasize process over product, democratizing research through art, tapping different ways of knowing, and art as freedom for imagination and social change. The heart of their work involves further examining subjective dimensions of research, assessing arts-based methods, and implementing creative techniques to build relationships and share power with youth researchers. It was super interesting, and as co-hosts we learned a lot, so tune in!Our guests have a lot of important ideas to share, so after listening to this episode,  join us in our next episode “Part 2 with Dana, Kristen, Amanda and Marit” where we dig into more of the “what and why” of YPAR.  Here is the citation for their book on YPAR and arts-based methods:  Goessling, K. P., Wright, D. E., Wager, A. C., & Dewhurst, Marit. (2021). Engaging youth in critical arts pedagogies and creative research for social justice opportunities and challenges of arts-based work and research with young people. Routledge; WorldCat.org. http://public.eblib.com/choice/PublicFullRecord.aspx?p=6469802
Welcome to Season 4 with Some Big News!
30-01-2024
Welcome to Season 4 with Some Big News!
Welcome to Season 4 of the Action Research Podcast. In this launch episode for Season 4, we find out what the team has been up to during their fall pause. (Hint, it was some time to consider new goals and orientations for our podcast, and bring in more voices!)Join Joe and Adam who welcome Shikha and Cory to the table as new co-hosts alongside their roles as producers. Now that Adam is exploring life after completing a PhD, Shikha and Cory take on the role of grad students helping ask the questions.[2:06] In this episode, we get to know a bit more about them, and then they turn the tables on Joe and Adam by putting them into the hot seat with questions.During this conversation, the 4 co-host discuss the role of podcasting in the world of action research. For example, one of the issues with academic publications is that they are well polished descriptions of research designs. While that leads to valuable discussion and analysis, it may not always offer the information that budding researchers and practitioners need and want. So, through this podcast we have the opportunity to lean into the messiness of action research that makes each of our guests relatable and the opportunity to dig into the stories of what doesn’t always make it into published findings. [12:27] As an example, Shikha and Cory also ask Joe and Adam to describe how they have responded to emerging messiness in their own work–a discussion with surprises![24:40] Tune in for this and more as Adam and Joe also offer some advice on what they have learned about hosting a podcast. [26:20] Then, listen to the team share what to expect in the rest of the season and, most importantly, we hope you take our invitation at the end to get involved with our team.How have you found yourself in the world of action research? Want to be interviewed or share one of your projects? Get in touch with us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.
Debrief: The Action Research Podcast
28-07-2023
Debrief: The Action Research Podcast
In this episode, our team of hosts and producers debrief Season 3 of the Action Research Podcast. (2:33) Co-producers Shikha and Cory introduce themselves as students in different stages of their PhD work while working on this podcast and (5:09) discuss lessons from the podcast influencing their research—especially when it comes to the productive messiness of the AR process. (9:47) Adam and Joe reflect on the evolution of the podcast since Season 1 and the various formats the team has been developing. From basic introductions to key concepts, to guest hosts sharing the nuanced details of diverse AR projects, to the struggles of developing “Voices from the Field” segments, the podcast is an emerging process much like AR. Adam looks forward to “creating more formats and pushing the limits of how an academic podcast can be considered empirical work.” Joe talks about the importance of students working on air and behind the scenes “so that our podcast stays relevant.” (16:10) Shikha reflects on how important discussions on the podcast, such as the importance of relationship building in AR, are mirroring developing conversations in the field. (17:09) The debrief turns to a discussion of the role of podcasts in literature reviews and ways that podcasts can be recognized as legitimate academic media. In a “publish or perish type environment,” Joe discusses a “hierarchy of knowledge,” the gold standard of double-blind peer-viewed articles and the potential role of podcasts in contributing to much needed procedural knowledge.  [22:55] “Podcasts are an excellent space for thinking through method, and [they] add to the pantheon of what it means to engage in knowledge construction.” So for Season 4, building on Season 3’s theme of communication and action research, with an eye to increase engagement with podcast audiences, [29:27] Cory and Shikha suggest bringing on more students as guest hosts to engage with practitioners and scholars in the field, to dig in deeper to the messiness of AR cycles.A shout out to Vanessa Gold who was missing in this conversation, but whose hard work and insights  have been invaluable to the growth of the podcast. Vanessa also set the bar for being a great student-host in Season 2 Episode 3 “Student Voice and Action Research with Marc I. Brasof”.
More on Systemic Action Research with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar
27-06-2023
More on Systemic Action Research with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar
In this episode, our team follows up with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar who first joined us in Episode 4 to discuss systemic action research. Danny Burns is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) a think tank affiliated with the University of Sussex in England. He has directed more than 25 action research projects and programmes. His work focuses on participatory learning for social change with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and complexity. Marina Apgar is Research Fellow in the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change cluster at IDS. She is a human ecologist with 20 years experience working in the research-practice divide with marginalized communities in international development supporting learning and change in complex systems.[02:38] Marina reminds listeners about their large-scale system-changing project called Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia [CLARISSA]. Started in 2016, CLARISSA has a team of more than 150 members. In this episode, [06:13] Joe asks our guests to update on developments and any changes in light of shifts in pandemic policies. Danny and Marina describe in further depth the first phase of their work with children in the worst forms of child labor. They share experience of the team working with stakeholders in the adult entertainment sector in Nepal and leather supply chain in Bangladesh (such as the employers of the children, business owners, parents and guardians). For Marina and Danny, action research can be an implementation modality that can help co-researchers respond to complex problems such as these. Our guests describe some of the ways the project went about understanding issues based on the lived experience of the children—starting with an extensive life story collection and analysis project. Through this process “the children actually themselves do a causal analysis of their experience, building a systemic picture of the issue of child labor. And then they decide what the intervention points are in the system.” [09:44] Danny describes children’s involvement in mapping the streets and identifying where the businesses were, through a process called A Day in the Life. This work provided an important “evidential base” because it allowed them to challenge a lot of assumptions which proved to be critical to the starting point of 13 action research groups. In fact, [17:45] this process evidenced “ how children actually reflecting on an issue from their own experience can create a different narrative.” [20:19] Reflecting on procedural knowledge, Marina discusses how the work in this first phase is also providing evidence for other important and central questions in this program: How is trust built? How does participation work, and how can it be sustained? [25:57] Danny offers some thoughts on safeguarding and relevance, and [29:29] Marina reflects on the evolution of expected outputs in the process of this research. [32:37] Danny picks up on these points and talks about policy work, in the context of generalizable vs transferable knowledge. [35:17] Marina is thankful that “even in the evaluation community, we're moving much more to transferability as being a core criteria. And action research, like a lot of qualitative and case-based kind of methods, is really well placed to do that.” Towards the end of the podcast, [37:19] Danny and Marina reflect on the need for a participatory management to go with any large-scale participatory process.After some discussion among the podcast team, we were curious to follow up on some of the ethics approval process and finer details in some of the methods used in the Clarissa project. We look forward to continuing our discussion with Danny and Marina, and we encourage you to keep an eye on...
The What and Why of Research in Action Research with Alfredo Ortiz Aragon (Part 2)
26-05-2023
The What and Why of Research in Action Research with Alfredo Ortiz Aragon (Part 2)
Part 2 of this two part episode concludes the conversation between Adam, Joe and our guest Alfredo about the “what?” and “why?” of research in action research. Dr Alfredo Ortiz Aragón is an Action-Researcher and Associate Professor in the PhD Program at the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, and co-author of Action Research (Fifth Edition) with Ernie Stringer. In the last episode, Part 1, the conversation turned toward the ways theories bridge research and practice. In this episode, Part 2, Adam, Joe and Alfredo pick up the conversation by reflecting on the place of writing and reading in their own projects. We jump back in here with Adam who’s reflecting on the audience of action research. Adam recently finished his dissertation and is thinking about his work outside of the context of PhD research. [03:03] Alfredo looks at how theorizing in some of his projects helps him appreciate the influence of storytelling and story-based knowledge outside of publishing research. [06:09] Joe situates the work of research and the role of theorizing in the contexts of procedural and declarative knowledge and begins making the case for the value of action research in generating procedural knowledge. [08:23] Alfredo agrees and, through reflecting on his experience editing journals and sharing more projects he’s worked on, see this orientation toward procedural knowledge as an area of growth for action research: “Honoring people's expert knowledge, but turning it into a form that other people can see the expertise in it.” At this point, [13:33] Adam questions the role of the literature review in action research. [16:12] Alfredo makes the familiar case that literature reviews can be useful to action research projects, but argues that literature, and theories, should be at the service of the problems in “the real world,” and not the other way around. [20:04] Joe backs this up with his experiences doing action research with teachers in Peru. But… when do practitioners have time to do lit reviews? [23:50] Perhaps the controversial part of this episode, Joe and Alfredo explore division of labor, roles, and the suggestion that academics can provide a “knowledge service,” where “we come in, and help to document more of local practitioner knowledge, community knowledge literally as a service.”  Wrapping up, [30:14] Alfredo insists that action research does really challenge dominant notions of research: “Research is working with people on the ground, hearing their stories, creating avenues for that processing, finding ways to turn them into creative visual form, turning stories into evidence… spending time with people.”If you are interested in Alfredo’s work here are a few citations and links:  Stringer, E. T., & Aragón, A. O. (2021). Action research (Fifth edition). Sage publications.Community-engaged participatory action research (PAR): Rewriting the script for equitable healthcare https://www.partners4healthequity.com/resource-library/community-engaged-participatory-action-research-par-rewriting-script-equitable**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
The What and Why of Research in Action Research with Alfredo Ortiz Aragon (Part 1)
30-04-2023
The What and Why of Research in Action Research with Alfredo Ortiz Aragon (Part 1)
In this episode, Adam and Joe speak again with Adam’s close friend, professor, and mentor, Dr Alfredo Ortiz Aragón, an Action-Researcher and Associate Professor in the PhD Program at the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, and co-author of Action Research (Fifth Edition) with Ernie Stringer. This episode explores the “what?” and “why?” of research in action research. Adam, Joe and Alfredo all went into their PhDs already working as practitioners and the conversation steers first toward the specific impact of their PhDs on their practice. Adam [7:15] thinks about the process and impact of his literature review on his work and Alfredo [9:20] reflects on how his PhD process opened his eyes to new ways of thinking about practice. Listen to Alfredo elaborate on the PhD as a period of discovering “meaningful methodology” and “amazing theories” (e.g., soft systems theory) that would energize his work and speak directly to frustrations he was having with “linear ways of thinking” in the field. The conversation turns toward the ways theories bridge research and practice. Joe [15:45] picks up on research’s ability to help practitioners “draw the curtains back” and help us see things more clearly. But it’s not “a one-way street,” since the practitioner-researcher contributes back to developing theories. Alfredo [18:15] offers some tough love by challenging doctoral students who might use theories uncritically to validate their work rather than engage with them dynamically as tools in tension with other theories in their projects. He gives us an example of how the dynamic tension between soft system theory and complexity theory enriched his own work: “Those two theories don't like each other, but I needed both of them to be able to explain how the things that I was doing were helping or not.” Here, Joe [21:05] echoes Alfredo’s argument by drawing insights from an article he wrote “The Danger of a Single Theory” on his work with youth in a student voice project.To close Part 1 of this conversation, Adam [22:35] asks Alfredo if he is still working with theories from his dissertation. Alfredo uses his work in The Community Health and Wellbeing Project and The Breastfeeding Women Project to bring back into focus the role of stakeholders in action research: “Whether or not you're bringing in a formal theoretical framework or not, we are treating people's experiences as a source of knowledge and evidence, and trying to get them involved in doing so. That is only happening because I learned something about action research.”We have more to say, so join us in our next episode “Part 2 with Alfredo” where we dig into more of the “what and why” of research in action research.  If you are interested in Joe’s article or  Aldredo’s (with Ernie Stringer) book on Action Research, the citations are below:  Levitan, J. A. S. (2018). The danger of a single theory: Understanding students’ voices and social justice in the Peruvian Andes. Teachers College Record, 120(2). WorldCat.org.Stringer, E. T., & Aragón, A. O. (2021). Action research (Fifth edition). Sage publications **If you have your own questionsabout Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us atActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Rethinking the Communication of Action Research with Patricia Canto and Miren Larrea
30-12-2022
Rethinking the Communication of Action Research with Patricia Canto and Miren Larrea
In this episode, we welcome two guests, Patricia Canto andMiren Larrea, who recently published a paper together titled “Rethinking the Communication of Action Research: Can we Make it Dialogic?” Adam and Joe bring you an enriching conversation with the authors. Patricia Canto is a researcher at Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences from University of Deusto. She investigates the role that communication plays in articulating academic knowledge in territorial development processes and international knowledge networks. Her research areas include the social impact of research, scholarly publishing and communication, and universities’ role in regional socioeconomic development. Miren Larrea is a senior researcher at Orkestra. She began her professional career as a research assistant at the University of Deusto, where she wrote her doctoral thesis on the local production systems of the Basque Country. After a decade dedicated to teaching and research, she worked for six years at a local development agency, where she combined her experience as a regional development professional with her work as a university researcher.The episode starts with a “Lightning Round”, asking questions like, What is AR? What is the most important component of Action Research? What is a major consideration when communicating AR? What distinguishes AR from other forms of research? (4:15). Later in the episode, our guests share the story behind the collaboration that led to the article (6:46), along with discussion about some important themes highlighted in the paper such as: how do you hold true to AR principles like dialogue in the communication of your research findings (10:23)? Why do linear formats in AR communication reduce its potential to transform society (11:39)? How do we make action research dialogic and inclusive with all the stakeholders involved (21:01)? Tune in to listen! Links https://dgroups.org/groups/perfadtReferencesCanto-Farachala, P., & Larrea, M. (2022). Rethinking the communication of action research: Can we make it dialogic? Action Research, 20(2), 199–218**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research with Joe (Part-2)
01-12-2022
Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research with Joe (Part-2)
Welcome back to Part 2 of the episode; Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research with Joe. In this episode, we are continuing our conversation from last season on ethical relationship building based on an article that Joe published. If you haven’t heard that one, it is episode 10 of season 2. It’s great when friends of the podcast engage with our conversations, and in this episode, our good friend Alfredo Ortiz Aragon sent us some great insights about thinking through some of the implications of the ideas in the first episode and trying to find different ways to contextualize some points. Joe, Vanessa, & Adam start the conversation with responding to Ortiz’s comments (2:13). They then carefully articulate their thoughts on themes such as role of emotions in research (8:11), how emotions can manifest in the field (11:25), how relationship building through reflexivity is both internal and external process (22:57), and how we can build ethical relationships while navigating the complexities in the AR process (29:01). Tune in to listen to this wholesome episode with our trio Joe, Vanessa and Adam.  ReferencesLevitan, J.(2019). Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research: Getting Out ofWestern Norms to Foster Equitable Collaboration. The Canadian Journal of ActionResearch. 21 (1), 11-29.Levitan, J., & Johnson, K. M. (2020). Salir adelante: Collaboratively developing culturally grounded curriculum with marginalized communities. American Journal of Education, 126(2), 195-230.Levitan, J. (2018). The danger of a single theory: Understanding students’ voices and social justice in the Peruvian Andes. Teachers College Record, 120(2), 1-36.**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Special Episode! Book talk: Student Voice  Research: Theory, Methods, and Innovations From the Field with Marc & Joe
27-10-2022
Special Episode! Book talk: Student Voice Research: Theory, Methods, and Innovations From the Field with Marc & Joe
In this special episode, the AR Pod team discusses an amazing new book by our very own Joe Levitan and friend of the Podcast, Marc Brasof. The book, Student Voice Research: Theory, Methods, and Innovations from the Field, discusses the “how” of useful and quality student voice research to make schools better places to learn. The book has a lot of overlaps with Action Research.  This firsthand conversation by the editors of the book delves into why not only the theoretical understanding of student voice research is important but also practical knowledge from the field. Joe, Adam and Marc, bring highlights about the process of this collaboration, how this book came into existence, and some comments about the field. The book is not just relevant for students but also practitioners in action research who would like to include youth in change processes and research. Many of these paradigms, methodologies, or ways of thinking about information and decision-making need more of procedural knowledge which this book offers. Alright, no more spoilers, listen to the episode to know more about the book from editors themselves!Also, a special shout out to Vanessa Gold, co-producer of this podcast, who co-authored one of the chapters in this book!Here’s the link to the book:https://www.amazon.com/Student-Voice-Research-Methods-Innovations/dp/0807767131**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Ethical Relationship building in Action Research with Joe Levitan (Part 1)
28-06-2022
Ethical Relationship building in Action Research with Joe Levitan (Part 1)
Welcome to our last episode of season two where the host becomes the guest!For this season finale, we put Joe on the hot seat to discuss his amazing article published in 2019 on Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research. Vanessa, Shikha, and Cory, the production team of the podcast (and Joe’s supervisees), take this opportunity to ask Joe some hard-hitting questions. The discussion opens with the lightning round (2:14): What is ethical relationship building? Why is ethical relationship building in action research important? What’s the number one thing researchers can do to support ethical relationship building in their work? What’s theoretical orthodoxy? Why is interrogating theoretical orthodoxy important in Action Research?Later in the episode, we start to dig deeper into Joe’s responses to the lightning round questions. We ask: what are the major turns in the relationship building in the AR process? (5:22), how might Action Researchers build an ethical relationship with the diversity within a community? (15:10) how might an Action Researcher create a meaningful space for communicating difficult emotions? (20:29)? Tune in to listen more! Then, stay tuned for Season 3 of the Action Research Podcast coming out in September 2022! You will hear more about building ethical relationships in action research (Part 2 of this series), and hear more voices from the field! ReferencesLevitan, J. (2019). Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research: Getting Out of Western Norms to Foster Equitable Collaboration. The Canadian Journal of Action Research. 21 (1), 11-29.Levitan, J., & Johnson, K. M. (2020). Salir adelante: Collaboratively developing culturally grounded curriculum with marginalized communities. American Journal of Education, 126(2), 195-230.Levitan, J. (2018). The danger of a single theory: Understanding students’ voices and social justice in the Peruvian Andes. Teachers College Record, 120(2), 1-36.**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Action Research with Ernie Stringer
31-05-2022
Action Research with Ernie Stringer
This episode brings you stories of action research from one of the most renowned authors in the field, Ernest T Stringer. He is the author of Action Research (Sage, 2007), Action Research in Education (Pearson, 2008), Action Research in Health (with Bill Genat; Pearson, 2004), and Action Research in Human Services (with Rosalie Dwyer; Pearson, 2005). Starting his career as a primary teacher and school principal, Ernie was a lecturer in education at the Curtin University of Technology in Australia. From the mid-1980s, based at Curtin’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies, he worked collaboratively with Aboriginal staff and community people to develop a wide variety of innovative and highly successful education and community development programs and services. This episode consists of a rich discussion around the story of Ernie Stringer and how he got involved with action research (3:33), as well as two of his more recent projects: the Breakfast Club, and the center for Aboriginal studies at Curtin University (13:02). The group then moves on to and the road ahead for action research (38:28). Later in the lightning round segment, Joe and Adam raised our all-time favorite questions around the what, how, and why of the action research (43:30). Tune in to listen to the full episode!  ReferencesStringer, E. T., & Aragón, A. O. (2020). Action research. Sage publications. 5thed.Stringer, E. T. (2014). Action research (4th edition). SAGE.Stringer, E. T. (2007). Action research (3rd edition). Sage Publications.Stringer, E. T. (2008). Action research in education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Teaching Inquiry and Action Research with Dr. Meghan McGlinn Manfra
28-04-2022
Teaching Inquiry and Action Research with Dr. Meghan McGlinn Manfra
In this episode, our team welcomes Dr. Meghan McGlinn Manfra (Ph.D.). She is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. She is the author of Action Research for Classroom, Schools, and Communities (Sage) and editor of the Handbook of Social Studies Research (Wiley Press).Joe and Adam open up the conversation with a lightning round (2:54) aiming to ask-what is action research? What does action research look like in education? What has been the greatest challenge for you using AR in your research? Why is it important for teacher professional development? Based on Meghan’s response to some of the lightning round questions, Adam and Joe continue the conversation with Dr. Manfra to understand the process of integrating with the teacher community (8:48), building relationships and developing socially just power dynamics with teachers (10:21), and incorporating student voices in action research (17:39)? Tune in to listen more! ReferencesManfra, M.M. (2021). Action research for classrooms, schools, and communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Reviewed in Teacher’s College Record here {https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jj6dJKGLnaukNrfBwCKsolW3EhAzV4w6/view}Manfra, M. M. (2019). Action Research and Systematic, Intentional Change in Teaching Practice. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 163–196. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X18821132 **If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**CHECK THIS OUT- https://www.tcpress.com/student-voice-research-9780807767122Are you looking for an insightful resource to understand how to emphasize youth voice, specific conceptual tools to reflect on research bias, power dynamics, and relationship building in the meaning-making process? Marc Brasof and Joseph Levitan have developed a comprehensive must-have volume for anyone doing research about and with youth.
Action Research and Transformation with Dr, Davin Carr-Chellman
28-02-2022
Action Research and Transformation with Dr, Davin Carr-Chellman
In this episode, our AR Pod team is excited to host Dr. Davin Carr-Chellman, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Dayton, as well as a third-generation watchmaker, a philosopher, and carpenter. This episode covers a range of topics that we reflect on in our daily lives as action researchers. For example, how do we build good relationships? How do we navigate our transformation from an outsider to an insider during an action research project? In navigating our role as a researcher/community participant, how do we reflect on our positionality in order to foster transformation? These topics are hard and time-consuming processes. In this episode, Adam, Davin and Joe reflect on some of these profound topics such as the researchers’ positionality (5:10), the role of trust within AR (5:23), transformation (of insider and outsider) (5:54), the idea of empowerment in AR (6:37), ecologies and systems of relationships in AR (19:54), and relationship building (26:26). To learn more, tune in!ReferencesDelgado-Gaitan, C. (1993). Researching Change and Changing the Researcher. Harvard Educational Review, 63(4), 389–412. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.63.4.b336053463h71081Davin's work:Wargo, E., Budge, K., Carr-Chellman D., & Canfield-Davis, K. (2021). Leadership for rural school district improvement: The case of one statewide research practice partnership. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.26209/jrre3701Levitan, J. & Carr-Chellman, D.J. (2018). Learning, selfhood, and pragmatic identity theory: Towards a practical and comprehensive framework of identity development in education. Journal of educational thought, 51(2).Levitan, J., Carr-Chellman, D., & Carr-Chellman, A. (2017). Accidental ethnography: A method for practitioner-based education research. Action Research, 1476750317709078.Carr-Chellman, D.J. & Kroth, M. (2017). The Spiritual disciplines as practices of transformation. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology. V.8, Issue 1Carr-Chellman, D.J. (2016). Freirean principles for e-learning. eLearn Magazine. vol. 2016, Issue 12. Doi: 10.1145/3022733.3026475**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Introducing a New Segment: Voices from the field- Café Orígenes
31-01-2022
Introducing a New Segment: Voices from the field- Café Orígenes
We are excited to introduce you all, our listeners, to a new segment in the Action Research Podcast: Voices from the Field! In this segment we bring you “behind the scenes” of action research projects to demonstrate what action research looks like, in action. The aim of this series is to bring voices from the field to rethink the existence of knowledge in academia.In this trailer episode, Adam and Joe discuss the first of our Voices from the Field Projects. Co-led by our very own Adam Stieglitz, Café Orígenes in Calca Peru is an economic justice action research project with the goal of collaborating with farmers in the Andean highlands to earn a better income for their products. Adam and Joe introduce the first voice from the field, Aaron Ebner, who is the executive director and a co-founder of Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development, a social change organization. Tune in to learn more! Links for relevant episodesEpisode 1-https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a3d61857-58c5-4bb8-bbcb-123361922b54Episode 2- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c235a206-9a43-4191-b3f0-c7b72bc73c07Episode 3- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1f8a6e3f-6e36-495a-ad7b-924c0f0804e0Open-source music retrieved from pixabay:"Inspiring Epic Dubstep" and "Documentary" by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/users/coma-media-24399569/**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**
Systemic Action Research with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar
23-12-2021
Systemic Action Research with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar
In this episode, our team has an insightful conversation with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar. Danny Burns is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) a think tank affiliated with the University of Sussex in England. He has directed more than 25 action research projects and programmes. His work focuses on participatory learning for social change with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and complexity. Marina Apgar is Research Fellow in the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change cluster at IDS. She is a human ecologist with 20 years experience working in the research-practice divide with marginalised communities in international development supporting learning and change in complex systems.Danny and Marina are working on a large-scale system-changing project called Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia [CLARISSA]. Started in 2016, CLARISSA has a team of more than 150 members. In this episode, Adam and Joe discuss what AR looks like on the ground, and specifically in a large-scale project. What does the creation process look like? How does this huge collaborative team work reflexively in this AR framework? This conversation starts with our classic lightning round where we dive into questions such as: what is systemic AR? (5:17) what does collaboration look like in systemic AR? (6:34) what is IDS? what makes IDS a fertile ground for this sort of AR? (7:40) And, what is your greatest critique of AR? (12:20).In the later segment, we dive deeper to learn more about CLARISSA, which is built on three core values (but not limited to them): 1. child-centred, 2. participation, and 3. being truly integrated (16:55). This is a really big project that involves a lot of stakeholders, participants, and organizations who work collaboratively in variety of different ways (26:57). How does the creation of processes look in this space? To understand this, Adam and Joe ask questions about how the planning process, facilitation and relationship building looks (36:11). Our team wraps up the conversation by raising one of the classic and significant question that we are trying to explore layer by layer in our podcast-Reflexivity! One of the core components of PAR is reflexivity. Find out how Marina and Danny engage reflexively in such a huge collaborative team in CLARISSA (48:00), by tuning in! ReferencesApgar, J. M., Allen, W., Albert, J., Douthwaite, B., Paz Ybarnegaray, R., & Lunda, J. (2017). Getting beneath the surface in program planning, monitoring and evaluation: Learning from use of participatory action research and theory of change in the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. Action Research, 15(1), 15–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750316673879Zimowski, P. F., Perry, D., Bales, D. K., Davis, D. T., Mattar, D. M. Y., Burrows, H., Moore, H., Ochen, V., Christopher, E., Jewell, S., Smiragina-Ingelström, P., Cockayne, D. J., Setter, C., Ariyo, D., Kumar, V., Otiende, S., Trodd, D. Z., McQuade, D. A., Greer, B. T., … Liwanga, R.-C. (2021). Child Labour Special Edition: JOURNAL OF MODERN SLAVERY A multidisciplinary exploration of human trafficking solutions. Publisher: SlaveFree Today. 6(4), 152.Other linkshttps://clarissa.global/https://clarissa.global/resource/designing-a-participatory-programme-at-scale/