Principles and Methods of Transformative Action Research

A Half Century of Living and Doing Collaborative Inquiry

John A. Bilorusky

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000373127
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Research in Education

Principles and Methods of Transformative Action Research delves into both general principles and specific methods for basic steps in the action research process—asking questions, gathering and analyzing data, communicating findings, and pursuing action.

The role of collaboration is emphasized, with strategies of value to experts and engaged citizens in doing participatory research and community-based knowledge-building. Detailed attention is given to specific strategies of interviewing, participant observation, and judging and weighing evidence. The book draws on creative and critically minded elements of scientific traditions, such as transparency in telling the "story" of one's inquiry, identifying data that are "exceptions to the rule, " and the value of non-formulaic, improvisational designs. Quite distinctively, the book addresses how to write in one's own voice, how to integrate action-and-inquiry into one's everyday life, issues of ethics and social responsibility, and how to consider both immediate, practical needs and "bigger picture, " systemic challenges.

This book can serve as an undergraduate or graduate social sciences text on research methods. It is also a guidebook for action-oriented research by academics, professionals, and lay people, alike in community agencies, schools, and grassroots organizations, and for socially relevant academic research concerned with social justice, multiculturalism, and inclusiveness.

PART I

The foundations

This book is about “research,” “inquiry,” and “action,” and an overall perspective on methods for bringing those together in transformative ways to make a difference. Most people use “action research” to describe and discuss research that is used in conjunction with action, whether before, during or after the action taking place. The word “transformative” in “transformative action research” means several things.

First, action and research, or action-and-inquiry, transform each other, where each action-and-inquiry is a different emphasis, but still part of a yin-yang sort of whole. Consider for example, “imaginative and reflective action” which refers to inquiring aspects of action, or “engaged and involved inquiry” which refers to the action-oriented qualities of research and inquiry.

Second, “transformative action research” leads to some changes that “matter,” that are meaningful, valuable, and useful for an individual, a group, an organization, a community, and/or the larger society.

“Transformative” action research is not limited to cut-and-dried processes, but often uses improvised strategies, still based on solid principles of inquiry. Consequently, it may often lead to significant changes, for even if the changes are small, they may not merely be incremental ones along already well-known paths, but instead lead to fundamentally different directions and outcomes.

Further, “action research methods” often refer to a constellation of procedures, and considerations, to conduct a careful and well-designed study or project, most often culminating in a written product as well as perhaps some action steps. I’ve decided to use the terms “inquiry” and “action-and-inquiry” to refer to everyday activities, even if not part of a formally designed project. Any one of us can inquire into the meaning of something we notice or observe, read in the papers, or see on TV or the Internet. “Inquiry” often has the connotation of critical and/or imaginative thinking—not unlike Archimedes’ unanticipated insight in his bathtub, whereupon he reportedly ran down the street naked shouting “Eureka!” That is an example of action-and-inquiry—the action of stepping into the water, with the observation of the level of the water rising and this resulting in his insight about the solution of the problem of how to measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object.

In this book, I often use the word “transformative” to emphasize that I am especially interested in how action research and action-inquiry can be used to bring about fundamentally new insights, practices, and change—not unlike Archimedes’ everyday life breakthrough in solving a problem he had been pondering for some time. Each and every one of us can increase our likelihood of such “Eureka (I’ve found it!)” experiences by making a regular practice of trying to engage in transformative action-and-inquiry, whether in formal projects or as part of our everyday lives.

Action-and-inquiry during the Covid-19 pandemic

At the time, I’m writing this book, we’re in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and lots of ideas and information are swirling around regarding causes, and possible solutions, to an easily contagious virus that seems to act in ways that are very much outside the realm of what we experience with various strains of flu viruses. How do we “know” which information to pay the most attention to? What should we believe? Why? Experts say something one week, emphasizing that the main dangers are damage to our lungs, then a couple of weeks later, it seems a risk is blood clotting and even strokes. Maybe both are true—probably they are. How do we think about these unfolding “facts”—scientists and medical professionals themselves are challenged in their research laboratories, and those of us who are “lay people” have to decide which precautions to take—to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and strangers as well. These issues of “inquiry” have “action” implications, and inevitably we make decisions that are emotional—if I go outside to walk, or even jog, should I wear a face mask, or should I just keep my distance? Should we wait to go back to business as usual until there is a strongly proven treatment? And, if so, what does “strongly proven” mean? Should we wait until there is a proven vaccine? What’s “strongly proven” to one person may be tenuous to another. How do we decide? Some believe there is nothing to really worry about unless you’re over 60 or 70 or have a significant chronic health problem. Similarly, government leaders and policy makers must make decisions about what laws and guidelines to pass.

There are ethical dilemmas in many of our everyday actions, and right now, people are making decisions about how much to risk more deaths, as compared with increased unemployment, or alternatively, with a major decline in the stock market. For each of us, out of self-interests, concerns for our loved ones, or for the well-being of others in our community or the larger society, we have been thrown, out of necessity, into having to do action-and-inquiry. The alternatives are to go with our “gut instincts” or “personal beliefs and preferences” alone. To be sure, action research projects, and everyday action-and-inquiry, always also involve gut instincts, beliefs, and preferences, and of course our values and commitments. We needn’t deny or “eliminate” our emotions, beliefs, and values, but try to harness them and keep them in perspective, by using principles and methods of action research and inquiry to guide and aid us in gaining insights and making decisions.

About the first four chapters

In the introductory three chapters, I share highlights about my own history, especially the history of my collaborations with others. As I will emphasize throughout this book, collaboration is invaluable whether one is doing a formal action research project or engaged in everyday action-and-inquiry (see especially Chapter 8). I discuss how and why I see this book to be of potential value to people from many walks of life from academia to grassroots activism, to citizen participation, to school and agency improvement efforts, among others. I highlight some intellectual traditions that have been of special value—scientific traditions, qualitative and naturalistic research and grounded theory, human development, theories of adult learning and social learning, and epistemology and expert knowledge.

Transformative action-and-inquiry is very much about “learning,” and it works hand-in-glove with collaborative, improvisational, learner-centered education. Indeed, the tiny, very innovative degree-granting institution, the Western Institute for Social Research (https://www.wisr.edu) has been an “experimenting community” that has attracted many committed and inquisitive faculty and students over the years, and consequently, it has served as a collaborative, hospitable context for developing and refining methods of “transformative action research.” Chapter 4 explores some of the significant ways in which research and society impact one another.

How to approach reading this book

First, the reader should keep in mind that my epistemological, theoretical framework on action research methods is not one that I will neatly package and articulate in any one place in this book, but rather it is to be discerned by reading through this book to gain a holistic sense of the situationally variable, nuanced ways in which I, and others, have pursued and used transformative action research. Second, although I’ve included examples of applications of action research throughout this book, the strongly interested reader will find that there are many more illuminating examples in the companion book, Cases and Stories of Transformative Action Research: Five Decades of Collaborative Action and Learning (Bilorusky, 2021). The general principles, and various methods of Transformative Action Research become increasingly meaningful and useful as one examines a greater number of specific examples.

1

Introduction

About me and my colleagues

In this book on the transformative power of some approaches to action research, I am drawing on over 50 years of learning—as a student, a faculty member, and a community-engaged and inquiring citizen. I have been involved as a faculty member at the Western Institute for Social Research (WISR—https://www.wisr.edu/welcome) since founding it with three others in 1975. During the past 45 years, I have learned from and with WISR students and faculty more than I can ever put into words, but I will try to articulate some important lessons from the myriad of ways we have used action research. Together, we have learned much about transformative inquiry as a way of living—through our actions, heartfelt commitments, intellectual curiosity, and dedication to learning for both personal and societal transformations.

Going back to the 1960s, I have benefited from learning from, and with, many inspiring, open-hearted, socially responsible, and intellectually engaged people. I could not possibly name all those with whom I have had the good fortune to collaborate, but I will single out several people. The late Dr. Walter Weir (head of the honors program at the University of Colorado throughout the 1960s) taught and demonstrated the joy of learning and that ideas can matter and make a difference in our lives. As a graduate student I benefited from encouragement from Dr. Paul Heist (Professor of Higher Education at UC Berkeley) and Dr. Arlie Hochschild (then, a young faculty member in Sociology at UC Berkeley), who encouraged me to find my own voice, in matters of educational and societal transformation.

Immediately after finishing graduate school, I took a faculty position at the University of Cincinnati. There, with my colleague, the late Dr. Harry Butler, we tried to put into practice some of the principles of action-and-inquiry for transformative learning, during our two years together as faculty at the University of Cincinnati. Harry went on to become Dean of Social Work, San Diego State University, 1975–78. He then left academia and spent three decades in private practice as Licensed Clinical Social Worker in San Diego. We continued to exchange ideas and give one another mutual support as friends for almost 50 years, until his recent passing in December 2019.

My good friend and colleague, first at UC Berkeley and then at WISR, the late, Dr. Terry F. Lunsford, was always ready to pose questions and to engage in dialogue with me about matters of learning, action-inquiry, and social change. Further, I learned, or at least tried to learn, from his knack for articulating complex ideas in down-to-earth ways, without academic jargon. Terry was a key faculty member at WISR in the 1980s and 1990s, and we worked together on WISR’s U.S. Department of Education-funded nationwide demonstration project on how to extend the teaching and learning of action research methods throughout the larger community. Terry and I collaborated in writing curriculum materials for that project, many of which I have drawn on, by revising and updating them, in writing this book.

Terry brought to our collaboration expertise in law, organizational dynamics, and sociology. He had a JD from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Sociology from UC Berkeley. He was a skillful in understanding and communicating how to combine theory and practice in the social sciences. Terry taught at UC Berkeley for four years, where he also was Chair of the Social Sciences Integrated Courses and Field Major, and then became Academic Director of the Field Studies Program there. At Berkeley, he was also a professional researcher at the Center for the Study of Higher Education, at the Health and Medical Sciences Program, and at the Institute for the Study of Social Change. He was involved in the early years of studying the social and legal impacts of genetic research. He used his expertise in law and his extensive experience in and knowledge of interviewing when he worked on the National Jury Project in Oakland, training lawyers in methods for interviewing prospective jurors. Beyond the breadth and depth of his knowledge, Terry was always open to dialogue and collaboration. His sensibilities and nuanced understanding of the many uses of action research are in evidence throughout this book.

Quite especially, I have learned much about transformative action-and-inquiry, as an integral quality in the pursuit of social change, community improvements, learner-centered education, and inclusiveness, by continually discussing ideas and strategies for promoting transformative learning with my WISR colleague and friend of 40 years, Dr. Cynthia Lawrence. I had the good fortune to begin our collaboration while she was a doctoral student at WISR in the early1980s. At that time, she was also a full-time faculty member in Teacher Education at the University of California, San Diego, following her many years as a schoolteacher focusing on alternative education, multicultural education, and the development of language skills. Soon after completing her WISR PhD, she joined WISR’s faculty for over 20 years until her retirement. Cynthia was also, like most students and faculty at WISR, very involved in her community. In San Diego, she conducted workshops on interracial issues, was one year’s Grand Marshall for the Gay Freedom Day parade and served on the San Diego Human Relations Commission in the early 1990s.

Our collaboration was built on a valuable combination of having much in common (intangible ways of seeing the world and thinking about things), and by contrast, of having many life experiences that were quite different. White males, even those of us who are not particular affluent, have privileges that easily go unnoticed, and an extremely talented and well-educated African American woman, who identifies as lesbian, faces many layers of obstacles and challenges, not to mention everyday insults, that are not so easy for the rest of us to understand. Together, we forged a partnership in working with students, and in advancing WISR’s distinctive learning methods (including the transformative action research methods). We valued those quite unusual moments when we would see things differently, for it was then that we knew that with further discussion we could gain deeper insights.

Other faculty and students at WISR have been invaluable colleagues as well, and there are literally dozens who have helped me to learn about action research and about living life engaged in action-and-inquiry, that is about learning. These friends, family, and colleagues have contributed to the meaning I have found in my work for a half century now, and beyond that to my life. My mother, Arzelia Bilorusky, who lived in every decade of the 20th century, gave me a foundation for transformative learning by modeling and teaching me the importance of caring for others, using conversation to think things through and to envision new possibilities, and to have an eagerness always to learn more.¹ Finally, and not at all insignificantly, my entire family—my three children, Clark, Kyle, Nicole, and my wife, Janet, have given me love, support, opportunities to learn and grow. One of the important messages of this book is that collaboration and learning with others is critical to transformative inquiry, as well as to a joyful and meaningful life!

Aims of this book

This book is designed to engage the reader in two ways to use “transformative action research” or as I sometimes refer to it, “transformative action-and inquiry”:

• first, for “living life” and continually learning, especially in collaboration with others (i.e., pursuing transformative action-and-inquiry), and
• second, for “doing” a research project” or doing transformative action research.

So, “transformative action-inquiry” may be seen as a way of living, and learning, of combining thinking and acting in one’s life, in order to bring about personal and/or societal transformations. Many things must go together—getting information, having rich experiences, or making observations must go along with critical reflection, collaboration, and dialogue with others. To this we must add imaginatively asking new questions and making concerted efforts to try out in action our emerging insights. Much more can be extremely valuable—looking at both the immediate tasks and the bigger picture, probing beneath the surface of first appearances, participating in one’s community or group, identifying and sharing insightful stories and illustrative experiences, and engaging in improvisations from one’s initially scripted methods, and using paradigms as springboards for transformative efforts, rather than being bound by them. I will discuss these qualities in greater depth and detail throughout the book.

Further, I hope that this book will provide valuable guidance for those who want to “do” action research. We will consider different “steps” of action research methodology. Although these “stages” or steps are analytically useful, they do not necessarily need to be done in the neat sequence outlined here, and in the precise sequence that some texts present as the “right” way to do action research. We will almost always ne...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• About the author
• Contributing colleagues
• PART I: The foundations
• PART II: Methods of action research—steps in the process
• PART III: Important considerations in doing transformative action research
• References
• Index