CHAPTER EIGHT: EVALUATION OF THE
Action researchers acknowledge that one cannot understand a problem fully before investigating it (Wals, Beringer & Stapp, 1990). Therefore, one accepts, from an action research perspective, that it may sometimes be necessary to modify a research decision if, upon implementation and reflection,
it
appears unsound. In other forms of research such as surveys, once the pilot study has been completed, it is unusual for researchers to change their research strategies. Doing action research, I found that I discarded certain research tools during the project when I found that they were no longer consistent with my developing understanding of the research. However, it was the use of those tools and the reflection on their use that contributed to my developing understanding. I therefore did not consider the rejected approaches to be mistakes, but saw them rather as worthwhile stages in the development of the research project. I see this flexibility to respond to changing circumstances and new insights to be a strength of action research.Action research is often seen as a participatory form of research in which all involved in the situation under investigation discuss and reflect on developments. It was an advantage to consider the pupils, students and teachers with whom I worked to be co-researchers rather than subjects of the research. The pupils developed a critical approach, providing very useful evaluation to improve the project. The willingness of participants to discuss and evaluate the project may have been related to their role as co-researchers, a less threatening position than that of research subjects. This cooperative, participatory approach to research was consistent with the holistic, democratic approach to education which I hoped to encourage through Project WATER.
Action research into the development of an environmental education project provided an opportunity to experience research as praxis, where theory and practice are integrated and inform each other (Grundy, 1987). In addition to providing an opportunity for me to reflect on the process of. project development, action research also prompted me to reflect on the underlying assumptions motivating my decisions, making it a very personal approach to research.
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8.3 DIFFICULTIES WITH THE RESEARCH APPROACH:
I experienced a few problems with action research as an approach in my particular situation.
Firstly, lack of teacher involvement at some schools meant that dialogue concerning the educational potential of Project WATER was limited. Most students chose the project to help them do better science projects and were neither interested in the project as a 'tool for transforming education' nor were they in a position to influence school policy in the short term. Secondly, although Bassey (1986) believes that action research can be done quickly, this requires continuity and "quality time" (Hustler, Cassidy & Cuff, 1986: 15) which were not available to me as an occasional visitor to the schools.
Action research consists of overlapping spirals of planning, acting, observing and reflecting (Grundy & Kemmis, 1984). Discoveries and insights made during one spiral of research inform and influence the next stage of the research. In this way, the problem is redefined and understanding develops through continued involvement in the project. The time constraints of a half-thesis limited the possible number of research spirals. Because I was working within the school system, this was particularly problematic as opportunities for further development of Project WATER were linked to syllabus and project work, both of which were bound to an annual cycle (BoHt, 1992, pers. comm.).
One of my goals during the year was to encourage as many schools as possible to become involved with Project WATER. This resulted in my attempting to record project development in eight groups. This contributed to the limited time available with each group and resulted in a more superficial treatment of certain issues than would have been possible had I dealt with fewer groups in more detail.
8.4 RECOl\1MENDATIONS REGARDING THE RESEARCH:
Based on the experience I have gained of an action research case study, I feel that it would have been wiser to have worked with fewer groups in more depth. It would have been an advantage to have been able to meet with the group(s) on a regular basis, such as once a
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week, for at least six months. This would have enabled me to have developed a better relationship with the participants which would have facilitated more spontaneous dialogue and reflection. Working more closely with fewer participants might have enhanced their understanding of the purpose and nature of the research. Time and language constraints limited opportunities for dialogue and reflection with some participants, and this in turn limited the potential of Project WATER to develop from a school science or Wildlife Club project into a community action project. For these reasons, I feel that action research is an approach better suited to an 'insider' such as a teacher in a school than an 'outsider' with limited access to and understanding of a group.
Action research was not always a straightforward or 'comfortable' approach to research.
Being unaccustomed to educational research, I sometimes wished for the security of a more formally structured and predictable research approach. However, in retrospect, I believe that the advantages of the approach for my particular research project, such as enhanced understanding and responsiveness to changing situations, justified my choice of action research as an approach to inform the case study.