There seems to be an assumption that an enhanced scientific foundation, in form of an application of research results, leads to better quality in schools and also to better student outcomes. The objective in this article is to explore how this demand can emerge in an action research project as well as in school principals' daily life. This is done…

This article reports on a two-year study of one principal's professional learning practices in "Transform," a professional learning program in Edmonton Catholic Schools, Alberta, Canada. Transform was designed to be a bottom-up, morally-oriented professional learning approach in which principals and teachers worked as partners on…

This paper draws upon empirical research to provide insights into current teacher learning practices under broader neoliberal conditions, and how the latter might be resisted. The paper contrasts neoliberal approaches to teachers' learning with the Nordic tradition of educational action research and "Bildung" as alternative resources to…

In school districts across the country, central office staff members are working to improve how they lead district-wide instructional improvement, but are finding few guides or supports for that work, what design researchers might call limited "designs" for their leadership. Superintendents frequently elevate school-based staff to…

The scholar-practitioner approach to leadership has the potential for effectiveness in developing countries through contextual understanding of unique circumstances. The purpose of this study was to survey leadership perceptions of principals in the Toledo District of Belize. This data, in the tradition of scholar-practitioner involvement, was…

Action research is a form of enquiry that enables practitioners everywhere to investigate and evaluate their work. This type of research allows the practitioner--whether classroom teacher, principal, or counselor--to take the lead in improving and better understanding the inner-workings of your classroom, school, or students. Conducting action…

Critical action research is contextualized in a low socioeconomic, multicultural urban school in Auckland, New Zealand. The writers are a university lecturer (mentor) and a school principal (critical action researcher). The research was part of a meta project which aimed to raise the achievement of Maori (indigenous) students. Research processes…

Outlines what research is, and what action research is. Describes the steps, evolution, and benefits of action research. Argues that action research is a viable and sound research strategy and an invaluable asset to solve real problems and lead to school-wide improvement. (SR)

The distinction between first-order and second-order research in action research is explored in the context of work on the Management for Organizational and Human Development (MOHD) project in Italy. Researchers worked with two groups of heads of primary schools in Italy to develop a path of reflection and research on their roles and functions and…

This case study tells the story of 19 educators and their facilitator who examined the processes and dilemmas of creating a special education curriculum through action research. During the 1994-95 school year, a group of teachers and a principal participated in a year-long project to develop a curriculum around issues of inclusion and transition…

This action research is targeted at academic researchers who facilitate the construction of communities of enquiry in school-university partnerships and are interested in understanding the process of such an enterprise as well as the knowledge constructed within such communities. Our action research study provides a possible road map for such a…

This book offers narrative accounts of action research carried out by teachers, administrators, and professors operating a school-university collaboration. Following a preface, "Navigating a New Mentoring Pathway: The Search Begins" (Carol A. Mullen), there are 18 chapters in 3 parts. Part 1, "Mentoring a New Culture,"…

The purpose of the Middle-Management Center (M-MC) is to engage educational organizations, individuals, and groups in the metropolitan New Orleans area in simultaneous research and action to facilitate the development of more productive and responsive schooling while focusing on the problemsolving processes and practices of management. The center…