Connecting to current work in the area of creative pedagogies, this paper reports findings of an exploratory study that sought to identify what characterises possibility thinking in young children's learning experiences and how teachers' pedagogical practice fosters this critical aspect of creativity. It focuses in particular on pedagogy, seeking…

This paper highlights perspectives on action research in education, health and social care and was originally presented as a keynote at the International Practitioner Research Conference and Collaborative Action Research Conference in 2005. The paper links with the other conference keynote given by Stephen Kemmis, co-author of "Becoming…

Elderly African Americans residing in rural areas have practiced and continue to practice indigenous healing practices for various reasons. In addition to the belief in the value of such practices, many of these individuals practice indigenous healing because it is cost effective. In this article information is presented on the history of research…

Twenty-three in-depth interviews with three women involved in leadership training and three "frentors" (mentor/supervisor/friend) revealed that issues of gender, ethnicity, and class affected their participation in training. The researcher faced several dilemmas: (1) having prior close connections with the interviewees; (2) disapproval…

A nongovernmental organization involved in community development in Cambodia adapted De Bono's six thinking hat model to build staff capacity and develop a framework for open-ended conversations. It proved useful for comprehensive analysis of problems and preventing conflicts. (SK)

Describes the preliminary study of a service learning program at Swarthmore College that paired students and college service staff in learning partnerships and as researchers of the program. Three primary questions were answered: How does service within a college campus count as service learning? How was the program community-shaping as well as…

Describes a participatory research project that involved adult education practitioners in the Caribbean in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. Explains how participatory research is the process by which knowledge is generated and skills are acquired, by both the researcher and the researched. (SK)

Criticisms of rational synoptic planning are that it is elitist, simplistic, and supportive of existing power relationships. An alternative, people-centered community planning, views the population to be studied as ideological and historical beings, uses knowledge of and by the people as a base, requires interpersonal as well as analytical skills,…

Examines the contributions that participants in studies employing deception can make to the development of standards for research with human participants. The paper discusses enhancing the protection of human subjects and illustrates the value of cost benefits and participant-investigator partnerships on the basis of three published studies that…

A Namibian project to train agricultural extension staff considered three approaches to curriculum development: content, product, and process. Use of participatory approaches brought new dimensions to the final product, but they cannot become an alternative to working with trainees on their own agenda. (SK)

The outcomes of social research, particularly that conducted with the participation of the target groups, can empower older South Africans who are members of disadvantaged populations. (SK)

Provides advice on conducting focus-group research in institutions of higher learning based on experiences with groups of university business-school students. Lists and discusses steps in focus group research, including determining research questions, determining sampling frames, selecting moderators, developing a discussion guide, recruiting…

Clarifies the characteristics of participatory research that distinguish it from other forms of research aimed at generating action. Discusses the role of ordinary people in motivating and sustaining research efforts, the nature of the knowledge generated, and the social-change mechanism embedded in participatory research. (Author/CCM)

Reflects on a researcher's journey while embarking on a study that was political in its intentions and participatory in its orientation. Discusses a doctoral-research study that was a critical ethnography of a school and community engaged in a socially critical approach to environmental education. (Author/CCM)

Explores the processes, impacts, and implications of initiating elementary preservice teachers into the realm of teacher-as-researcher. (Author/CCM)