出版社：LEARN (Leading English Education and Resource Network)
摘要：T he origins of action research have been attributed to American socialpsychologist Kurt Lewin, who developed a theory of action research in the1930s, which served as a basis for legitimizing this type of work (Adelman,1993). After a number of studies in neighbourhoods and factories, he posited thatparticipatory research, or what he termed action research—rather than top-downresearch—produces greater productivity and satisfaction among participants becauseit encourages involvement and, as a result, creates an ethical and democratic means formaking change. Lewin believed that action research, “develops the powers of reflectivethought, discussion, decision and action by ordinary people participating in collectiveresearch” in specific contexts (Adelman, 1993, p. 8). Action research in education cameabout in the late 1940s and early 1950s when it was used largely for addressing complexproblems such as inter-group relations and prejudices (McKernan, 1988). Subsequently,action research became the basis for the teacher research movement in the U.K. whichwas precipitated by Stenhouse in the 1970s. Proponents of this movement believed thatall teaching should be research based and carried out by teachers themselves. In thelate 1980s and the 1990s, the work of Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Susan Lytle did muchto develop the teacher research movement in the U.S. In their widely acclaimed bookentitled “Inside Outside: Teacher Research and Knowledge” (1993), they argued thatTeacher research is a form of social change wherein individuals and groups labourto understand and alter classrooms, schools, and school communities and thatthis project has important implications for research on teaching, preservice,and inservice teacher education … Because teacher research interrupts traditionalassumptions about knowers, knowing, and what can be known about teaching,it has the potential to redefine the notion of a knowledge base for teaching and tochallenge the university’s hegemony in the generation of expert knowledge for thefield.
