scholarly journals Reading lists – time for a reality check? An investigation into the use of reading lists as a pedagogical tool to support the development of information skills amongst Foundation Degree students

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (118) ◽  
pp. 52-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Siddall ◽  
Hannah Rose
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Reality Check ◽  
Information Skills

This article presents the results of an action research project exploring the use and value of reading lists for Foundation Degree students. The focus of the research was to look at the potential of reading lists to act as a pedagogical tool to support information skills development. The research methodology included focus groups with students, interviews with academic staff and reading list analysis. It was found that reading lists were being used by students to identify and find resources for their academic studies. Qualitative data from students and staff illustrate how reading lists are being used and the gaps between student and staff expectations of them. The article provides recommendations on how reading lists can be utilised to help students to develop their information skills.

scholarly journals Co-designing food waste services in the catering sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 2762-2777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Michalec ◽  
Martin Fodor ◽  
Enda Hayes ◽  
James Longhurst
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Waste Recycling

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present results from the action research project, where sustainability professionals, local businesses and academic researchers collaborated on exploring barriers for food waste recycling in SMEs food outlets in order to inform local policy and business practices in Bristol, UK. Design/methodology/approach The researchers conducted face-to-face, qualitative surveys of 79 catering businesses in three diverse areas of the city. The action research methodology was applied, where a range of co-researchers contributed towards study design and review. Findings The research reveals the main barriers to recycling and how such perceptions differ depending on whether the respondents do or do not recycle, with “convenience” and “cost” being the main issue according to the already recycling participants. On the other hand, participants who do not recycle state that their main reason is “not enough waste” and “lack of space”. Practical implications Participants recommended a range of measures, which could improve the current food waste services in Bristol. For example, they suggest that business engagement should address the barriers voiced by the participants applying the framings used by them, rather than assuming restaurants and cafes are not aware of the issue. By inviting a variety of non-academic stakeholders into the process of research design and analysis, the project addressed the imbalances in knowledge production and policy design. Originality/value Despite the local and qualitative focus of this paper, the results and research methodology could act as a useful guide for conducting food waste action research in the policy context.

scholarly journals Mixed or Complementary Messages: Making the Most of Unexpected Assessment Results

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Jones ◽  
Julia Bauder ◽  
Kevin Engel
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Research Literacy ◽  
Initial Results

Grinnell College participated in ACRL’s first cohort of Assessment in Action (AiA), undertaking a mixed-methods action research project to assess the effectiveness of librarian-led research literacy sessions in improving students’ research skills. The quantitative data showed that the quality of students’ sources did not markedly improve following a research literacy session, while the qualitative data indicated that many students were able to state and describe important research concepts they learned. This article profiles the development of Grinnell’s AiA project and discusses how Grinnell’s librarians responded when the initial results led to more questions rather than to satisfactory answers.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of Methods to Assess Team Research Consultations

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-58
Author(s):  
Ashlynn Kogut ◽  
Pauline Melgoza
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Team Process ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Technical Paper ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Project Deliverables ◽  
The One

Abstract Objective – Due to the individualized nature of consultations and institutional constraints, research consultations can be challenging to assess. At Texas A&M University Libraries, subject librarians use research consultations to teach information literacy to upper-division engineering student teams working on a technical paper project. This paper describes an action research project designed to evaluate which assessment method for consultations with student teams would provide the most actionable data about the instruction and the consultation logistics as well as optimize librarian time. Methods – For three semesters, we simultaneously used up to four consultation assessment methods: one-minute papers, team process interviews, retrospective interviews, and questionnaires. We followed the action research cycle to plan the assessments, implement the assessments, reflect on the data collected and our experiences implementing the assessments, and revise the assessments for the next semester. Each assessment method was distributed to students enrolled in an engineering course at a different point in the technical paper project. The one-minute paper was given immediately after the consultation. The team process interviews occurred after project deliverables. The questionnaire was distributed in-person on the last day of class. Focus groups were planned for after the assignment was completed, but low participation meant that instead of focus groups we conducted retrospective interviews. We used three criteria to compare the assessments: information provided related to the effectiveness of the instruction, information provided about the logistics of the consultation, and suitability as an assessment method in our context. After comparing the results of the assessment methods and reflecting on our experiences implementing the assessments, we modified the consultation and the assessment methods for the next semester. Results – Each assessment method had strengths and weaknesses. The one-minute papers provided the best responses about the effectiveness of the instruction when questions were framed positively, but required the most staff buy-in to distribute. The team process interviews were time intensive, but provided an essential understanding of how students think about and prepare for each progress report. Recruiting for and scheduling the focus groups required more time and effort than the data collected about the instruction and logistics warranted. The questionnaire provided student perspectives about their learning after the assignment had been completed, collected feedback about the logistics of the consultations, was easy to modify each semester, and required minimal librarian time. Conclusion – Utilizing multiple assessment methods at the same time allowed us to determine what would work best in our context. The questionnaire, which allowed us to collect data on the instruction and consultation logistics, was the most suitable assessment method for us. The description of our assessment methods and our findings can assist other libraries with planning and implementing consultation assessment.

scholarly journals Re-Thinking the Boundaries of the Focus Group: A Reflexive Analysis on the Use and Legitimacy of Group Methodologies in Qualitative Research

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Angela Caretta ◽  
Elena Vacchelli
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Group A ◽  
Data Collection Technique ◽  
Qualitative Data Collection

This article aims at problematizing the boundaries of what counts as focus group and in so doing it identifies some continuity between focus group and workshop, especially when it comes to arts informed and activity laden focus groups. The workshop [1] is often marginalized as a legitimate method for qualitative data collection outside PAR (Participatory Action Research)-based methodologies. Using examples from our research projects in East Africa and in London we argue that there are areas of overlap between these two methods, yet we tend to use concepts and definitions associated with focus groups because of the lack of visibility of workshops in qualitative research methods academic literature. The article argues that focus groups and workshops present a series of intertwined features resulting in a blending of the two which needs further exploration. In problematizing the boundaries of focus groups and recognizing the increasing usage of art-based and activity-based processes for the production of qualitative data during focus groups, we argue that focus groups and workshop are increasingly converging. We use a specifically feminist epistemology in order to critically unveil the myth around the non-hierarchical nature of consensus and group interaction during focus group discussions and other multi-vocal qualitative methods and contend that more methodological research should be carried out on the workshop as a legitimate qualitative data collection technique situated outside the cycle of action research.

Building Knowledge Exchange Capacity in a Small UK University

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-263
Author(s):  
Sally Fowler Davis
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Initial Survey ◽  
Academic Workforce ◽  
The Uk

The UK's university sector is seeking to improve its participation in the knowledge economy and meet policy and financial imperatives. This paper reveals some of the opportunities and pitfalls in making that objective a reality in the context of a single university. The findings and organizational development resulting from an action research project undertaken in a small learning and teaching oriented university in the UK are outlined. The aim of the research was to facilitate an increased capacity for knowledge exchange and participation in enterprise activity. Action research was undertaken in a single organization and in collaboration with the university's academic workforce. The outcomes of an initial survey and a series of interviews were used to create a strategic proposal for developing knowledge exchange. The data revealed that a predominantly professionally-oriented academic staff was prepared to accept external engagement and was not averse to commercial outcomes for knowledge exchange. In contrast, the senior management was unwilling to establish systems and processes or enable organizational learning for knowledge exchange until a complete system restructure had been implemented; and this resulted in a very senior appointment (Pro Vice-Chancellor) being made, to lead external engagement.

The sociology classroom as a pedagogical site of discomfort: Difficult knowledge and the emotional dynamics of teaching and learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Economic Institutions ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Sociological Knowledge ◽  
Dimensions Of Teaching ◽  
Theoretical Considerations ◽  
Affective Dimensions

While recent years have witnessed a growing recognition of the importance of attending to the complex affective dimensions of teaching and learning, emotion remains under-researched and under-theorised as an aspect of education. This paper explores what it means to engage with emotionality in the classroom, particularly in terms of how difficult (sociological) knowledge is experienced, felt and understood by learners, i.e. how they are affected by knowledge that is historically or socially traumatic and hence difficult to bear. Drawing on qualitative data gathered as part of an action research project undertaken during a postgraduate course on globalisation, it offers insights into how course participants felt, experienced and engaged with difficult knowledge about their participation in harmful global economic institutions and practices. The paper concludes by considering some of the theoretical considerations and pedagogical conditions that are necessary if we are to engage learners with difficult (sociological) knowledge which asks them to contemplate how they are implicated in their learning.

scholarly journals Fostering the Development of Written Argumentative Competence in ELT from a Critical Literacy Approach

2018 ◽  
pp. 159-184
Author(s):  
Diego Sánchez-Peña ◽  
Claudia Marcela Chapetón
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Argumentative Competence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Qualitative Data Collection

This article reports the findings of an action research which aimed at describing and analyzing the impact that the implementation of argumentative writing activities through a critical literacy approach may have on 4th semester pre-service teachers’ argumentative competence development. Participants belong to the B.A. program in English and Spanish teaching at Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. The article draws on qualitative data collection techniques such as questionnaires, focus groups, audio recordings of class sessions, and class artifacts. Findings indicate that adopting a critical literacy approach helped pre-service-teachers foster the development of their written argumentative competence. It was revealed that participants grew as argumentative writers as they were able to take a clear position and weigh their claims. Moreover, they were engaged in reflection that fostered awareness of their roles as future ELT educators which in turn empowered them to discover teaching as a tool for transformation.

scholarly journals An investigation into the undergraduate dissertation tutorial as a Personal Development Planning (PDP) process to support learner development

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Raiker
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Action Research Project

The investigation discussed in this paper was motivated by a finding revealed through analysis of the dissertation grades of final year undergraduates on an education honours degree. A third of dissertations received grades equating to third class honours or fails and this was viewed by the Faculty as being unacceptable. As a Fellow of the University’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with a focus on personal development, I was asked by the course leader to identify possible causes and suggest changes. My critical reflection on the dissertation suggested that its creation is predicated upon Personal Development Planning (PDP) processes practised through the mediation of the tutorial. I am investigating the effectiveness of the tutorial to support learner development over a two year period, contributing to an overarching action research project undertaken by the National Action Research Network (NARN). This paper presents the outcomes of the first cycle of my action research, involving the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from students and dissertation supervisors. At this stage it appears that the design of the dissertation meets the needs of some students but not all, particularly the lower third of the sample cohort. Furthermore some students, including a number of thirds and fails, do not perceive tutorial support as essential for the successful completion of their dissertations. Overall, it appears that the tutorial process requires review in order to support the autonomous and/or collaborative learning needed for effective learner development.

scholarly journals Faglig og språklig utvikling hos studenter med norsk som andrespråk i Akademisk språkkafé – praktisk medvirkningsbasert aksjonsforskning

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-417
Author(s):  
Hjørdis Frisnes ◽  
Beate Lie Sverre ◽  
Marit Gjone Sandsleth ◽  
Anne Stenhammer ◽  
Liv Helene Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Linguistic Development ◽  
Action Research Approach

In this chapter, we present a practical participative action research project. The context of this study is the bachelor’s program in nursing, which, like other higher education programs in Norway, has increased the proportion of students from different age, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This is a resource in the universities, but on the other hand it is necessary to understand the challenges these students may have with studying in a foreign language. In the article, we have explored Norwegian and international research and found a need for new initiatives that can strengthen the academic and linguistic development of nursing students with Norwegian as a second language. Based on socio-cultural learning theory and principles of action research in our own organization, the purpose of this chapter is to show how students, academic staff and university librarians collaborated through cyclic learning and research processes to develop learning activities that can enhance academic and linguistic development in students with Norwegian as a second language. In the meta-reflections, we found that the combination of linguistic and professional learning and collaborative relationships was of significant importance in the learning processes. The predictable and cyclical structure of the action research approach strengthened the development of practical knowledge.

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