Complete thesis - Murdoch University

(1991): discussed in Section 4.1.4), the following approaches are included within the researchdesign, based on the discussion of Kock et al (2000):• the study is longitudinal: findings from each cycle are examined in subsequent cycles.These act to expand the project scope, analogous to choosing a wider ‘sample’ instatistical studies• data collection is broadly focussed: this lack of manipulation provides an advantage ingenerating relevant and valid knowledge for the context under investigation, minimisingbias created by artificial action on the part of the participants in response to a focuson predefined variables and links – the data ‘speaks’. This use of multiple sources alsofacilitates an effort to triangulate the data• learning is an explicit outcome: the study is conducted in the researcher’s culture. Theresearcher was involved in both in the planning and the practice of the interventions,as well as their evaluations. Thus, while I may be considered to have a stake in theapproaches taken, and hence exhibit ‘cultural blindness’, the personal involvement ofthe researcher is seen to provide valuable insight as ’cultural insider’ with regard to thecontext of the study. The iteration of cycles is also seen to assist in reducing potentialdistortions in the findings caused by over-involvement.In an environment that attempts to address the disparity between formal education in adiscipline and practitioners’ expectations of it, the characteristics of Action Research provideleverage.5.1 Framework for the studyAction Research within a discipline may be based on a choice from the variety of modelsdescribed in the literature of any of the following: the discipline, the organisational contextor research. In choosing models to apply in this study, an attempt was made to align thecomponents. The framework for this study is developed by integrating these componentmodels, and the evaluation to be undertaken:a model for Action Research Several models for undertaking Action Research in educationexist, all based on Lewin’s concept of a four-phase spiral. The model chosen isadapted from that developed in the work of Borg et al (1993). It is comprehensive inits expansion of Lewin’s phases, making more explicit purpose of each phase and thequestions to be addressed. In addition, it specifically addresses Action Research in aneducational environment213