Information
‘Action research brings together action and reflection, as well as theory and practice, in participation with others, in the pursuit of practical solutions to issues of pressing concern’ (Bradbury, 2015, p. 1).
Unlike other qualitative designs, the main aim of PAR is to produce social change and improve the quality of life in opressed and exploited communities (Stringer, 1999). Its unique feature is that the researcher and members of the community collaborate at all levels of the research process to help find a suitable solution for the social problem that significantly affects the community (Creswell et al., 2007, p. 255).
PAR is a social process in which the researcher deliberately explores the relationship between the individual and other people in order to find out how individual relationships are formed and reformed through social interaction. ’Participatory’ means that people are involved in examining their understandings, skills, and values, ’action’ relates to the aim of improving the lives of individuals by studying the problems they face.
There is no clear procedure for conducting this type of research. The request for the research might originate from the members of the community who ask the researchers to help them or from the researcher who is an active member of the community, and they establish a mutually respectful and collaborative relationship. Then they identify and define community problems, develop research questions to be explored, and discuss the resources needed to address the problems. Then the plan of research is developed, and data are collected. Community members are included in data analysis, and recommendations for policy changes are made, i.e. an action plan is designed, the implementation of which is afterwards monitored (Creswell et al., 2007, p. 258).
Watch the recording and identify seven activities the PAR usually includes:
