Meeting my Research Director

I want to start by first writing two main features of action research, pointed out by Burns (1999):

• “It is evaluative and reflective as it aims to bring about change and improvement in practice”

• It is participatory as it provides for collaborative investigation by teams of colleagues, practitioners and researchers.”

This means that research is maximized when it is shared with a fellow. I found meeting my director a very enriching experience since another perspective was brought to my research process. In addition, research is not always a smooth and easy-going process; and you need someone who supports you, and encourages you to go further. Finally, it is when you share your ideas with others, that you refine and sharpen your insights and start constructing knowledge. We are after all, a culture that value “social interaction” and places it at the core of the learning experience.

Finally, it is important to think since the beginning of the project on how valid it is. Besides triangulation, one of the most common ways for validation, Burns (1999) mentions “peer examinations”, this processes entails finding a significant person who can debrief the data with the researcher in order to find commonalities in the analysis and interpretations. When the researcher’s findings are acknowledge by others, validity is increased.

Reference:

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.