Action Research in Practice Partnership for Social Justice in Education

This book presents a collection of stories from action research projects in schools and a university. This collection is more than simply an illustration of the scope of action research in education - it shows how projects that differ on a variety of dimensions can raise similar themes, problems and issues. The book begins with theme chapters discussing action research, social justice and partnerships in research. The case study chapters cover topics such as: * school environment - how to make a school a healthier place to be * parents - how to involve them more in decision-making * students as action researchers * a state system - a collaborative effort between university staff and a state education department * gender - how to promote gender equity in schools * improving assessment in the social sciences * staff development planning * doing a PhD through action research * writing up action research projects.

Preface: The story of the book PART 1 The project 1 PARAPET: from meta-project to network PART 2 Common themes 2 Participatory action research and the study of practice 3 Research partnerships: principles and possibilities 4 Some thoughts on contemporary theories of social justice 5 Parents as partners for educational change: the Ashgrove Healthy School Environment Project 6 Bridges and broken fingernails 7 Students as action researchers: partnerships for social justice PART 4 Partners supporting schools change 8 A journey into a learning partnership: a university and a state system working together for curriculum change 9 Change in schools: practice and vision 10 Action research for professional development on gender issues 11 Collaborative action research: learnings from a social sciences project in a secondary school PART 5 Partnerships within the university 12 Action research as reflective collaboration 13 Occasional visits to the kingdom: part-time university teaching 14 A pathway for postgraduate teaching 15 Academic growth through action research: A doctoral student’s narrative 16 Collaborative writing in participatory action research

Bill Atweh is at the Queensland University of Technology, Stephen Kemmis is at the University of Ballarat, and Patricia Weeks is at Queensland University of Technology.