The Action Research Podcast

In this episode, our team welcomes Dr. Meghan McGlinn Manfra (Ph.D.). She is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. She is the author of Action Research for Classroom, Schools, and Communities (Sage) and editor of the Handbook of Social Studies Research (Wiley Press).Joe and Adam open up the conversation with a lightning round (2:54) aiming to ask-what is action research? What does action research look like in education? What has been the greatest challenge for you using AR in your research? Why is it important for teacher professional development? Based on Meghan’s response to some of the lightning round questions, Adam and Joe continue the conversation with Dr. Manfra to understand the process of integrating with the teacher community (8:48), building relationships and developing socially just power dynamics with teachers (10:21), and incorporating student voices in action research (17:39)? Tune in to listen more! ReferencesManfra, M.M. (2021). Action research for classrooms, schools, and communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Reviewed in Teacher’s College Record here {https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jj6dJKGLnaukNrfBwCKsolW3EhAzV4w6/view}Manfra, M. M. (2019). Action Research and Systematic, Intentional Change in Teaching Practice. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 163–196. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X18821132 **If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**CHECK THIS OUT- https://www.tcpress.com/student-voice-research-9780807767122Are you looking for an insightful resource to understand how to emphasize youth voice, specific conceptual tools to reflect on research bias, power dynamics, and relationship building in the meaning-making process? Marc Brasof and Joseph Levitan have developed a comprehensive must-have volume for anyone doing research about and with youth.  

If you haven’t listened to episode one of the series, find the link below!We are excited to bring the second episode of this mini-series that brings you “behind the scenes” of action research projects to demonstrate what action research looks like, in action. In this episode, Joe interviews Adam to get a general idea about what, when, why, and how of Adam’s project Café Orígenes in Calca Peru. Later, they dive into some meta-analysis of the project to understand the model of Café Orígenes from an action research perspective. Tune-in to learn more! Links for relevant episodesEpisode 1 of the series: https://the-action-research-pod.captivate.fm/episode/introducing-a-new-segment-voices-from-the-field-cafe-origenesEpisode 1-https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a3d61857-58c5-4bb8-bbcb-123361922b54Episode 2- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c235a206-9a43-4191-b3f0-c7b72bc73c07Episode 3- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1f8a6e3f-6e36-495a-ad7b-924c0f0804e0Music retrieved from pixabay: "Inspiring Epic Dubstep" and "Documentary" by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/users/coma-media-24399569/**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.** 

In this episode, our AR Pod team is excited to host Dr. Davin Carr-Chellman, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Dayton, as well as a third-generation watchmaker, a philosopher, and carpenter. This episode covers a range of topics that we reflect on in our daily lives as action researchers. For example, how do we build good relationships? How do we navigate our transformation from an outsider to an insider during an action research project? In navigating our role as a researcher/community participant, how do we reflect on our positionality in order to foster transformation? These topics are hard and time-consuming processes. In this episode, Adam, Davin and Joe reflect on some of these profound topics such as the researchers’ positionality (5:10), the role of trust within AR (5:23), transformation (of insider and outsider) (5:54), the idea of empowerment in AR (6:37), ecologies and systems of relationships in AR (19:54), and relationship building (26:26). To learn more, tune in!ReferencesDelgado-Gaitan, C. (1993). Researching Change and Changing the Researcher. Harvard Educational Review, 63(4), 389–412. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.63.4.b336053463h71081Davin's work:Wargo, E., Budge, K., Carr-Chellman D., & Canfield-Davis, K. (2021). Leadership for rural school district improvement: The case of one statewide research practice partnership. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.26209/jrre3701Levitan, J. & Carr-Chellman, D.J. (2018). Learning, selfhood, and pragmatic identity theory: Towards a practical and comprehensive framework of identity development in education. Journal of educational thought, 51(2).Levitan, J., Carr-Chellman, D., & Carr-Chellman, A. (2017). Accidental ethnography: A method for practitioner-based education research. Action Research, 1476750317709078.Carr-Chellman, D.J. & Kroth, M. (2017). The Spiritual disciplines as practices of transformation. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology. V.8, Issue 1Carr-Chellman, D.J. (2016). Freirean principles for e-learning. eLearn Magazine. vol. 2016, Issue 12. Doi: 10.1145/3022733.3026475**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**  

We are excited to introduce you all, our listeners, to a new segment in the Action Research Podcast: Voices from the Field! In this segment we bring you “behind the scenes” of action research projects to demonstrate what action research looks like, in action. The aim of this series is to bring voices from the field to rethink the existence of knowledge in academia.In this trailer episode, Adam and Joe discuss the first of our Voices from the Field Projects. Co-led by our very own Adam Stieglitz, Café Orígenes in Calca Peru is an economic justice action research project with the goal of collaborating with farmers in the Andean highlands to earn a better income for their products. Adam and Joe introduce the first voice from the field, Aaron Ebner, who is the executive director and a co-founder of Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development, a social change organization. Tune in to learn more! Links for relevant episodesEpisode 1-https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a3d61857-58c5-4bb8-bbcb-123361922b54Episode 2- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c235a206-9a43-4191-b3f0-c7b72bc73c07Episode 3- https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1f8a6e3f-6e36-495a-ad7b-924c0f0804e0Open-source music retrieved from pixabay:"Inspiring Epic Dubstep" and "Documentary" by Coma-Media https://pixabay.com/users/coma-media-24399569/**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**

In this episode, our team has an insightful conversation with Dr. Danny Burns and Dr. Marina Apgar. Danny Burns is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) a think tank affiliated with the University of Sussex in England. He has directed more than 25 action research projects and programmes. His work focuses on participatory learning for social change with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and complexity. Marina Apgar is Research Fellow in the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change cluster at IDS. She is a human ecologist with 20 years experience working in the research-practice divide with marginalised communities in international development supporting learning and change in complex systems.Danny and Marina are working on a large-scale system-changing project called Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia [CLARISSA]. Started in 2016, CLARISSA has a team of more than 150 members. In this episode, Adam and Joe discuss what AR looks like on the ground, and specifically in a large-scale project. What does the creation process look like? How does this huge collaborative team work reflexively in this AR framework? This conversation starts with our classic lightning round where we dive into questions such as: what is systemic AR? (5:17) what does collaboration look like in systemic AR? (6:34) what is IDS? what makes IDS a fertile ground for this sort of AR? (7:40) And, what is your greatest critique of AR? (12:20).In the later segment, we dive deeper to learn more about CLARISSA, which is built on three core values (but not limited to them): 1. child-centred, 2. participation, and 3. being truly integrated (16:55). This is a really big project that involves a lot of stakeholders, participants, and organizations who work collaboratively in variety of different ways (26:57). How does the creation of processes look in this space? To understand this, Adam and Joe ask questions about how the planning process, facilitation and relationship building looks (36:11). Our team wraps up the conversation by raising one of the classic and significant question that we are trying to explore layer by layer in our podcast-Reflexivity! One of the core components of PAR is reflexivity. Find out how Marina and Danny engage reflexively in such a huge collaborative team in CLARISSA (48:00), by tuning in! ReferencesApgar, J. M., Allen, W., Albert, J., Douthwaite, B., Paz Ybarnegaray, R., & Lunda, J. (2017). Getting beneath the surface in program planning, monitoring and evaluation: Learning from use of participatory action research and theory of change in the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. Action Research, 15(1), 15–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750316673879Zimowski, P. F., Perry, D., Bales, D. K., Davis, D. T., Mattar, D. M. Y., Burrows, H., Moore, H., Ochen, V., Christopher, E., Jewell, S., Smiragina-Ingelström, P., Cockayne, D. J., Setter, C., Ariyo, D., Kumar, V., Otiende, S., Trodd, D. Z., McQuade, D. A., Greer, B. T., … Liwanga, R.-C. (2021). Child Labour Special Edition: JOURNAL OF MODERN SLAVERY A multidisciplinary exploration of human trafficking solutions. Publisher: SlaveFree Today. 6(4), 152.Other linkshttps://clarissa.global/https://clarissa.global/resource/designing-a-participatory-programme-at-scale/https://clarissa.global/resource/how-does-participatory-action-research-generate-innovation-findings-from-a-rapid-realist-review/**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**

In this episode, we invited Dr. Marc Brasof, an Associate Professor at the School of Education, Arcadia University to talk about student voice research and how this paradigm may interweave (or not) with Action Research. Dr. Brasof was a founding faculty member and history/social studies teacher at Constitution High School—Pennsylvania's only history- and civic-themed public school. We also have a special guest co-host, our very own Vanessa Gold, whose dissertation research focuses specifically on Student Voice and Action Research!We cover a range of themes centering student voice and action research in this episode, such as reflexivity, power dynamics, intersubjectivity, and contextualizing methods to the environment. The conversation starts with Vanessa asking hard hitting questions in our lightening round (5:11). She asks about Student Voice Research, some misconceptions about student voice, the importance of adults collaborating with youth in research, what high quality research with students looks like/does, and how student voice and action research may be aligned. Later in the episode, our hosts and Marc discuss four pillars of student voice research-reflexivity, power dynamics, intersubjectivity, and context/method selection; what is Reflexivity and how it evolves in student voice research(10:32), how does power dynamics look like considering researchers’ positionality (13:50), how researcher go about method selection with students? (37:16). Tune in to listen more!ReferencesBrasof, M. (2015). Student voice and school governance: Distributing leadership to youth and adults. Routledge. Brasof, M. (2018).Using Linkage Theory to Address the Student Voice Organizational Improvement Paradox. Journal of Ethical Educational Leadership, 1(Special Issue), 44–64. Brasof, M. (2011). Student Input Improves Behavior, Fosters Leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(2), 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171109300205Lareau, A. (2018). Journeys through ethnography: Realistic accounts of fieldwork. Routledge.To get in touch with Marc:Twitter handles:@brasof Twitter, @stereotytans IG and TwitterLink- http://stereotytans.com/the-band.html, https://www.facebook.com/brasof **If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**

In this episode, our AR Pod team is thrilled to host Dr. Kayla Johnson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation, and the Program Chair of International Education at the University of Kentucky. We invited Dr. Johnson to talk about one of the trickiest topics in the field of Action Research, collaboration!  What is Collaboration in Action Research? It is hard to define the term, but our trio tries to uncover some of the characteristics of collaboration in this episode. Adam and Joe start the discussion by thinking through collaboration using two lenses—top-down and bottom-up (3:46). Kayla and Joe further elaborate on what bottom-up collaboration looks like in the field (6:52), highlighting six traits: communication, humility, patience, socially just power dynamics, making sure people's voices are heard, and identifying people's strengths and ways to contribute in equitable ways, by bringing insights from their projects in Peru (find links to their work below!). Later in the episode, Adam and Joe ask some hard-hitting questions in our lightning round (19:02). Some of the topics discussed are communication in bottom-up collaboration, a sense of humility in the field, patience as an action researcher, and power dynamics in collaboration. Tune in to find out Kayla’s responses! ReferencesJohnson, K. M., & Levitan, J. (2021). Rural indigenous students in Peruvian Urban higher education: interweaving ecological systems of coloniality, community, barriers, and opportunities. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education, 1-22. Johnson, K. M., & Levitan, J. (2021). Exploring the Identities and Experiences of Rural First-Generation Indigenous Students Using Photo-Cued Interviewing. SAGE Publications Ltd.Levitan, J., & Johnson, K. M. (2020). Salir adelante: Collaboratively developing culturally grounded curriculum with marginalized communities. American Journal of Education, 126(2), 195-230.Levitan, J., & Johnson, K. M. (2020). Collaboratively developing culturally-grounded curriculum to foster social justice American Journal of Education, Forum. http://www.ajeforum.com/aje-featurecollaboratively-developing-culturally-grounded-curriculum-to-foster-social-justice-by-joseph-levitan-and-kayla-m-johnson/Johnson, K. M. (2020). Hotdog as metaphor: (Co)Developing stories of learning through photo-cued interviewing. Teachers College Record, 122(9), 1-38.Johnson, K. M., & Levitan, J. (2020). Identity, culture, and iterative curriculum development: Collaborating with girls from Indigenous communities to improve education. International Journal of Student Voice, 7, 1-30. Levitan, J. (2019). Ethical Relationship Building in Action Research: Getting out of Western Norms to Foster Equitable Collaboration. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 20(1), 10-29.Johnson, K. M. (2018). “Deliberate (Mis) Representations: A Case Study of Teacher Influence on Student Authenticity and Voice in Study Abroad Assessment. International Journal of Student Voice, 3(4), 1-58.**If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us a ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**   

In this episode, the Ar Pod team welcomes Dr. Rajesh Tandon, an internationally acclaimed leader and practitioner of participatory research and development. In 1982 Dr. Tandon founded the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), a voluntary organisation providing support to grassroots initiatives in South Asia and continues to be its Chief Functionary. He also holds a UNESCO Chair on Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education since 2012. He is a prolific writer and scholar and is highly decorated.The conversation opens with an introduction of Dr. Tandon and the story behind PRIA (2:02), followed by a lightening round of questions (8:29), where Joe and Adam ask about the mission and vision of PRIA, a recent project with domestic workers, definitions of community based participatory research and, how is participatory research different from community-based participatory action research. Later in the episode, Adam asks what have been some of the more effective mechanisms or processes that you have used to catalyze participation in the field as it relates to participatory research (19:16). Dr. Tandon responds by placing emphasis on building trust among the stakeholders, facilitating conversation with the community and finding a local trusted organisation. How might a budding scholar identify those local organisations? How can these local organisations be trusted? (26:28). To find out, tune in!ReferencesPRIA. (2019). Knowledge, Voice, Participation Participatory Settlement Enumeration for Sanitation Services in AJMER. Participatory Research in Asia. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://pria.org/knowledge_resources.php?id=24&pid=54&start=150&pageuurrll=&cid=&mkey=&field_name=&asc_desc=.PRIA. (2021, February). Participatory Research and Gender in PRIA’s Projects: An Exploration. Retrieved from https://www.pria.org/knowledge_resource/1613564340_Participatory%20Research%20and%20Gender%20in%20PRIAs%20Projects%20An%20Exploration.pdf.Tandon, R., & Hall, B. L. (n.d.). The Power of Collaboration, Creativity and Art in Knowledge Mobilization: Reflections from International Work. Retrieved from https://www.unescochair-cbrsr.org/wp content/uploads/2020/08/Tandon_CCU_SSHRC_KMb.pdf. **To know more about PRIA, visit https://www.pria.org/****If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to shareany feedback, contact us on Twitter@The_ARpod or write to us atActionResearchPod@gmail.com.** 

We are back with Season 2- The Action Research Podcast. The first podcast dedicated solely to action research. Last season, Joe and Adam dive deeper into the lives, experiences, philosophies, and investigations of the action researchers in the field. We discussed more pedagogical implications of action research- what, why and how of AR, researcher’s reflexivity, rigour, feminism in AR, community-based participatory action research, participatory action research and many more. We will continue to have pedagogical contributions in season 2, but with a twist. Hear Joe and Adam to know what to expect from season 2. Tune in!The Action Research Team:Adam Stieglitz. Co-HostJoe Levitan, Co-hostShikha Diwakar, Production ManagerVanessa Gold, Sound technician and voice-over specialist

In this episode, the AR Pod Team welcomes Dr. Alfredo Ortiz Aragón, an Action-Researcher and Associate Professor in the Graduate Program at the Dreeben School of Education, University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, Texas, and co-author of Action Research (Fifth Edition) with Ernie Stringer. What does rigor mean in Action Research? Is this term even appropriate for what action researchers do? To discuss these important questions the AR Pod team has a “critically casual” conversation with Alfredo about issues of rigor, quality and what makes good action research. The conversation starts with a quote by Alfredo about the problem with using the term rigor in action research (2:00), which raises a lot of hard-hitting questions, such as: “How might narrow understandings of rigor negatively affect Action Research practice?” and “Should action research be rigorous, or should it simply be responsible? (18:34) Our trio gets critical on the rigid nature of the term rigor to make the point that one needs to be mindful of the moments in action research processes where they should be rigorous and when they should not. Join us in this conversation!  SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: If you are interested in Action Research, be sure to sign up for the 2021 Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) Annual Conference to be held (Virtually) on the 3, 10 and 17 of June. For more details you can go to their website: https://arnawebsite.org/Also, if you are interested in learning more about Community-Based Participatory Action Research, check out this mini-course at the University of Kentucky that will be co-facilitated by Joe! https://education.uky.edu/learning-series/ ReferencesCHECKLAND, P. & HOLWELL, S. 1998. Action Research: Its Nature and Validity Systemic Practice and Action Research, 11, 12.Ortiz Aragón, A., & Giles Macedo, J. C. (2015). Radical epistemology as caffeine for social change. In H. Bradbury (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of action research (3rd ed. pp. 681–690). SAGE.Melrose, M. J. (2001). Maximizing the Rigor of Action Research: Why Would You Want To? How Could You? Field Methods, 13(2), 160–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X0101300203 **If you have your own questions about Action Research or want to share any feedback, contact us on Twitter @The_ARpod or write to us at ActionResearchPod@gmail.com.**