Action research mentoring for supporting professional development of teachers as learners in Croatian educational context

 

Branko Bognar

Primary School “Vladimir Nazor” Slavonski Brod, Croatia

 

Summary

 

The role of a teacher as an action researcher in Croatia is still insufficiently appreciated and promoted both in the preparation of teachers' training school students and in the employed teachers’ professional post-qualification. In our country, the teachers are most frequently perceived as mediators or technicians whose task is to prepare and implement the tuition based on devised out-of-school expert instructions. Their role is more artisan-like, being less professional and creative.

Action research enables the teachers, along with other education-process participants (students, parents, expert confreres), to initiate the changes aiming at the improvement of educational practice as well as personal emancipation. Emancipation implies liberation of invisible limitations caused by prejudices, compulsion, and ideology.

To take the role of teachers as action researchers firstly they have to become reflective practitioners. In this effort teachers need help of their critical friends and mentors. Headmasters’ and pedagogues’ support is essentially important.

To change this situation in our context I invited 18 teachers from several elementary schools to join and start with action research project with main question: “How to help teachers to become reflective practitioner and action researcher?” Project started in spring 2000 years and officially finished in spring 2002 years. Unofficially we have never finished project. We divided project in two parts. In the first part we realized ten workshops which aim was teacher’s learning and practicing new skills. We dealt with themes just as Confrontation with the risk of change, Reflective teacher, Multiple intelligence, Vision of future school and so on. My role   during that period was predominant. This fact was in contradiction with my values (emancipation) but that was in the tune with the expectation of a teacher. During that period teachers visited each other lessons and discussed about that. They hesitated to speak honestly about problems which they observed. First part of the project was easier and more appropriate way of professional development for more teachers, but they were less responsible for preparation and realization of workshops. They participated in beforehand prepared activities. In the second part of the project we started with teacher’s action research projects.  The role of the action researcher was impossible for most members of the community, but in spite that some of them realized first hand action research where they freely made plans and improved their practice.

Our project gained the following results:

-     permanent teachers’ professional improvement,

-     critical thinking about existing school,

-     creating and realization shared pedagogical vision,

-     popularization of  the action research.

Realization of the action research is very hard job where a teacher need to be on professional higher level. Pedagogical values and visions of teachers are most important motivation in their action researches, but higher professional skill should be paid more.

 


1.             My professional career

 

I started my professional career in the fall of 1987 after two years of study as teacher in small school 50 km from Zagreb. The school building in which I was working was old and worn but that did not discourage me in creating a school with my 15 students, where children would go with happiness and not fear. In my teaching I used active methods of teaching and students had the opportunity of deciding about everything important that was going on in the school. On one occasion they decided to change the set up of the classroom which I organized to be suitable for accomplishing active teaching. They arranged desks and chares in three rows and transferred my modern classroom into a classroom for classical teaching. I accepted their ‘innovation’ with reserve, since I did not want to ruin democracy values which I regarded highly. Luckily for me, after week student realized how their classroom set up was interfering with active teaching which they preferred, and after classroom meeting we have changed the classroom in to the previous set up.

Despise my wish to improve quality of my teaching and beginning successes after two years I came across lack of new ideas. I have also realized how my formal education was only enough for surviving but not for inventing new possibilities. Besides that, since I worked by myself, I did not have professional communication with my colleges. That is why in 1989 I joined project of professional development in which of 30 teachers met once a month during two years. At those meetings university professors and other expert educators held seminars discussions and workshops with accent on different pedagogical topics. We also had the opportunity to attend one week long international seminar of Waldorf schools. That is when I realized the importance of continued professional development which can motivate teachers to break out of everyday rut pointing to different possibilities in education. Besides interesting and quality professional meetings, meeting my fallow teachers was very important as well. Those meeting resulted in friendship and professional contacts which were my support and additional motivation for creating my personal pedagogical career.

After the project ended I have decided to continue my pedagogical study and to improve my formal education. During my study I was exposed to different pedagogical theories, and I dedicated special attention to philosophical and methodological foundation of pedagogical science. After my pedagogy study, which I completed while I was working, I was hired as school pedagogue in primary school “Vladimir Nazor” in Slavonski Brod. In my new role as a pedagogue I have tried to assist teachers in introducing changes whose aim was to break from the boundaries of traditional teaching. I believed that the most important factor in accomplishing this task was continued professional development. In spite of the quality of different forms of professional development and teachers wishes for learning and changes, teaching practice did not changed significantly – teaching still retained the form in which teachers were oriented to meet official program with little effort to develop different children’s capabilities and especially their creativity. I realized how professional information, on which is professional development of teachers mostly reduced, is not sufficient for true educational changes. That is why I decided to start a project which would, in addition to professional information, include reflective approach in education, improve teacher’s capabilities, and assist them in creating their pedagogical vision, plan of changes and questioning their accomplishment based on gathered information. 

 


2.             Philosophical beginnings

 

My professional career can be described as a road with many intersections where I have to make decisions about which path to take before and not like a one way street that leads to a single destination. Decisions about which way to follow I based on more or less clear ideas and values. I consider values and living philosophy as guidelines which assist in making decisions in life. That is why, in the beginning, I would like to describe my elementary philosophical grounds without explaining them in great detail. My philosophical values are as foolows:

1.             education based on freedom

2.             future oriented education

3.             emancipational education

4.             communicational acting

 

2.1.      Education based on freedom

The idea of freedom has its roots in Biblical times, but its secular and promoting importance the idea of freedom gains in modernism. Modernism begins with the Renaissance (around 1500) but its self-enlightenment starts only around 1800. Important historical events that define modernism include the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the French revolution (Habermas, 1988, p. 22). The main characteristic of modernism is that it can not and will not take its values from another epoch, it has to create its own standards from itself (Habermas, 1988, p. 12).

Any school which does not include development of individual freedom in its education does not reach the level of the modernism and we can say that it belongs to some other time that should be behind us. The freedom is not conceived as natural education which was a goal for Jean Jacques Rousseau (1998) for example, but as an effort which would have to come from the participants of educational process so that a child would leave the world of nature and begin to create its human nature (culture). Education can be based on open communication between a child and an educator. Education process has to be autonomous and can not be predicted or regulated from outside. All concepts that try to prescribe, program or reform education without respecting the needs of all participants in the education process ignore that exact freedom as an important determinant of modern society. Should the school go below the historically achieved level, or should it be on its path at least?  

 

2.2.      Future oriented education

Traditional science deals with predicting possible results in existing trends which they often call laws. That is why, even when looking into the future, it is held in the past. In spite of that, the future orientation that I support starting from foundations of the existing culture creates a movement towards unrealized possibilities, towards future that does not evolve from inertia of series of events, but despite that. It sets its cause into the future and strives to reach it through the power of creation. Future approach is deeply aware of its involvement and responsibility for the world it creates. It does not look for excuses for problems that it encounters but tries to find possibilities for their improvement.    

The approach that I support motivates teachers to rethink and improve their performance, research, accepting risk, release spontaneity and encourage communication with children and other participants in the education process with the goal of achieving an agreement about shared pedagogical vision and possibility of its realization (Stoll & Fink, 2000; Ponder & Holmes, 1992). Vision is the seed of educational process which changes the existing school from its roots. Vision is not a puzzle which can be assembled from elements of existing picture. It is, opposite to that, what it still does not exist. It exists only in ideas of its creators, who act autonomously to change the world/mind. Ponder & Holmes consider that vision is 'operating model' not 'simply a vague idea of desired end'.

“The term ‘vision’ is used to describe a particular phenomenon. A mental image of the possible, a view of a realistic, credible, attractive future for an organization, a vision is a target that beckons and compels others to act; it demands change. It is not simply a vague idea of a desired end. Nor is it a clear picture of one, single aspect of an organization. A vision is an operating model of all aspects of the organization and the actual steps necessary to make that model a reality. A vision takes a picture of the whole that is more than a mere snapshot; it reflects on the process of picture-making as well as the end product.” (Ponder & Holmes, 1992, p. 2)

For me the 'operating model' is the strategic plan and the vision is just 'vague idea of a desired end'. I consider that we should not have precisely plans for everything what we intend to obtain. In the beginning it is important that we have an idea of desired end. That idea we could think out, create, and try during the time. When we have enough experience and if occasions are suitable we may transform our vision in operating model, then action, finally in visible results. My concept of vision is between 'general values' and the 'operating model'.

Every vision remains a utopia until it ‘lives’ in everyday life. Despite the fact that many pedagogical utopias disappeared in a clash with reality, it does not mean that they are irrelevant for the pedagogical science. That could mean that this reality is overwhelmed with violence. ‘Should we give up on the utopia or such reality?’ (Polić in Ambrosi-Randić, 2001, p. 49).

 

2.3.      Emancipational education

The future orientation implies the new role of a teacher who instead to be dutiful realizer is becoming emancipated person.

 “Emancipation is mostly defined as the predomination of such social relationships and the liberation from such social circumstances which are caused by some forms of human discrimination, i.e. by the loss of rights or by deprivation of rights on gender, racial, national, religious, or some other basis (e.g. age basis, which is on the other hand rarely mentioned). In this manner it is said about gender, racial, national, religious etc. emancipation as the liberation from matching forms of human discrimination. It is surely that the emancipation also means overcoming all forms of human discrimination, but it is more than that.” (Polić, 1997, p. 109) 

I could completely agree with the former quotation, especially with the statement that emancipation is more then overcoming all forms of human discrimination. For emancipation in its wider sense the following is important:

1.             the liberation from our personal limitation which restrains our development;

2.             freeing from ideological constraints and addiction to authorities;

3.             the development and expression of personal capabilities;

4.             the establishment of the communication community where we could find interlocutors and participants in the process of communicating our values and creating a shared vision.

The first two presumption of the emancipation may be termed the ‘critical element’, and the last two ‘affirmative part’ of the emancipation process. Through critical questioning of our own prejudices and ideological constraints of our social environment we provide the solid foundation for affirmation of our personal and thereby social potentials. In any case it is important that we take responsibility for achievement of emancipation presumptions. Therefore, the emancipation can not be assumed just as the existing of social circumstances – rights, but as the active contribution of each individual member of a community to create his/her personal and social values and visions.

Without emancipated teachers there can not be free education. A teacher, at best, could be an official; a student could be a customer, and education the official work. In this way the aim of education is reduced to getting a certificate (diploma), what is possible to obtain only if the customer (student) fulfils every demand which is given by the official (teacher) according to written and non written rules of the service. There is no word about creativity, communication and needs of a participant of that process because that could be obstructed or slowed down obtaining the main objective – receiving the certificate (diploma).

 

2.4.      The communicative action

  The individual freedom and subjectivity as the main principle of modernism made possible human appropriation of wealth which had spilt to sky before (Habermas, 1988, p. 13). On the other hand, the subjectivity which was abstractly understood could have been fulfilled only in the spirit of time or in the dominant nation, class and state as the collective subject. Individuals were alone against the spirit of the time and their power mostly have been reduced to participate in historical events as revolutions, wars but rarely to create communicative communities that used the power of argument as the criteria for changes, instead of arguments of the power. Instead of the subjectivity which founds ones own essence and in the same time loses them in uncritical acceptance of existing institutions and historical trends, Habermas offered communicative mind and communicative acting. Habermas revealed on the importance of communication which in the modern society has been neglected because, instead of the communication, coercion has been used as the most important instrument to preserve social cohesion and main argument to implement dominant ideas.

School could and should cultivate the communicative action, which gives opportunity to a teacher, children and their parents to make an agreement about the educational aims and ways of their implementation. In that process it is important to take in account the presence of various subcultures all of which have the right to exist and develop. School should not be the instrument of the dominant culture for generating assimilation. School can become place where children and adults together form learning communities with the main aim of learning and making their common culture. Such learning communities could not be reduced on programming children’ brains but their aim is to satisfy needs of all participants in educational process. Important precondition of making this new function of school is the communication between children and adults. Only in the open and symmetric communication we can identify particular and joint needs, and through deliberation and cooperation try to find ways to satisfy them. In that way a teacher ceases to be the official and becomes the autonomous person, who is responsible for improving his/her own professional practice and for development of students.

 


3.             The reflective practicum and action research

 

I managed to find the ways of implementation of my philosophical values in my practice and I found solutions which were almost completely matched.

First was Schön’s concept of the reflective practitioner who actively observes children’s behaviour, listens attentively their thoughts and feelings, notices their capabilities and tries to find adequate methods which can help their development. A reflective teacher permits them to be surprised with what the kid says or does, and manages with these unplanned situations in creative ways by using professional artistry, not one of proscribed methods.

“These explanations give the teacher the knowledge of the greatest possible number of methods, the ability to invent new methods and, above all, not a blind adherence to ONE method but the conviction that all methods are one-sided, and that the best method would be the one that would answer best to all the possible difficulties incurred by a pupil. That is, not a method, but an art and a talent. And this is teaching in the form of reflection-in-action. It involves a surprise, a response to surprise by thought turning back on itself, thinking what we’re doing as we do it, setting the problem of the situation anew, conducting an action experiment on the spot by which we seek to solve the new problems we’ve set, an experiment in which we test both our new way of seeing the situation, and also try to change that situation for the better. And reflection-in-action need not be an intellectual or verbalized activity.” (Schön, 1987b, p. 4)

For the reflective practitioner approach is much more important improvisation than the deliberate and planned intent to solve particular problem. McMahon considers that the reflective practitioner model of teaching and learning “can be used to identify problems, the action research can seek to provide solutions”. (McMahon, 1999, p. 168)

McNiff consider that at the moment three distinct developmental trends are visible in literature about action research: an interpretive[1], critical theoretic[2] and living theory approach of action research. Interpretive and critical theoretic approaches, according to McNiff, offer abstract models of social change and expect from other people to implement them in their circumstances. Unlike these approaches, the living action research demanded of us as the action researchers to place ourselves (the ‘living I’) in the centre of ours enquires and to recognise our potentiality as living contradictions. Process of social change begins with the personal change of involved practitioners. Action researchers can not afford themselves to just talk about action researches. ‘Action research means action, not by some, but by all.’ (McNiff, 2002, p. 22-25).

Whitehead argues for living approach to educational theory which is “growing in the living relationship between teachers, pupils and professional researchers and embodied within their forms of life.” (Whitehead, 1989a, p. 3) It is the value laden practical activity to difference of the traditional science approaches which intent to be of neutral value. Neglect of our values could impel us to undertake the action to change that situation. In the same time values serve as the criteria for assessing results of ours activities. (Whitehead, 1989b, p. 3)

For the living action research approach is very important concept of living contradiction:

By ‘I’ existing as a living contradiction, I am meaning that ‘I’ hold together values that are mutually exclusive opposites. For example, I experience myself as a living contradiction in those moments when I am conscious of holding certain values, whilst at the same time denying them in my practice (Whitehead, 1999, p. 78).

Whitehead points out that propositional forms of knowledge is communicated through statements while dialectical form is imbedded in, and communicated through, practice. This difference is obvious in case of contradiction:

In propositional theories, the contradictions are between statements. In dialectical theories the contradictions are experienced in practice (Whitehead, 1999, p. 80).

McNiff emphasises that the action research operates in cycles or spiral which is consisted of planning, executing and fact finding (McNiff, 1996, p. 22). But she considers that the real nature of the action research is embedded in spontaneous, self-reflective system of enquiry which can not be shown and explained by any model which confines that process. Process of action research could not be sequential or rational (Figure 1).

“It is possible to begin at one place and end up somewhere entirely unexpected. The visual metaphor I have developed is an iterative spiral of spirals, an exponential developmental process.” (McNiff, 2002, p. 56)

 

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

Figure 1.         A generative transformational evolutionary process

(Source: McNiff, 2002, p. 57)

 

I agree with McNiff that is not appropriate to create any model of the action research in prescriptive way, but I also agree with her when she states that action research cycles “are best for helping us to organise the research” (McNiff, 1996, p. 23). Therefore I made my own model of action research cycles (Figure 2) which helps us to organize our projects. 

 


 


Figure 2.        The action research or action learning[3] process

 

For me as the participant of the educational process (a learning community) the action research is our cooperative and communicative acting which starts from connecting with other people to discuss about our experiences, to identify our autonomous values and to obtain the shared vision, continues with the (self)critical questioning of existing conditions and identification of problems, proceed with planning, acting, observing and evaluating educational activities with the main aim to develop our professional skills and to improve our practice.

 


4.             Institutional context

 

Primary school[4] of “Vladimir Nazor”, where the action research project was realised, is located on the periphery of Slavonski Brod[5]. Besides the central school building, which is situated in the town, there are five schools in nearby villages. In the school year 2000/2001, when we started the project, it was one of the biggest schools in our town. There were 1265 students who were divided in 50 classes. There were 83 employees. Students who attend the school are from seven-year-old to fourteen-year-old and they are divided in eight grades. In central school teaching is organised in two shifts: the morning shift lasts from 7:30 to 12:35 and the afternoon shift lasts from 13:00 to 18:05. Students who live in villages can attend local school from the first to the fourth grade after that they travel by bus to central school.

Students spend the most time at regular classes which are mostly led by one teacher for students from the first to the fourth grade. Students from the fifth to the eighth grades are taught by the subject teacher. They have one teacher for each subject. Students spend four to six school hours[6] in school daily. Weekly norm to stay in school depend of their age. Students in the first grade have to stay in school about 20 school hours and seven and eight-grade students have to spend about 30 school hours. Teachers usually come to school 15 minutes before their teaching starts. After they have finished the teaching, they could go home. Teachers have to spend in school about 22 school hours during a week.

At that time there were 62 teachers (26 class teachers and 36 subject teachers) in school. Except teachers, there were four professional advisers: a psychologist, a pedagogue, a special teacher and a librarian. A headmaster is the administrative manager in school and the School Board is the highest collective body for management. It consists of representatives of teachers, parents and the local administration.

 

Table 1.          Number of class teachers and subject teachers

Teachers

Total

Women

Women (%)

Class teachers

26

24

92,31

Subject teachers

36

23

63,89

Total

62

47

75,81

 

In school prevailed teachers who finished higher school (their professional education lasted two years) as oposssit to teachers who finished high school or university (in the duration of four years professional education). There were few teachers without professional education (they just finished the secondary school) (Figure 3).

 

Figure 3.        Number of teacher by professional qualification

 

Teachers who predominated in the school had over 26 years of service? There were equally number of younger and middle age teachers (Figure 4).

 

Figure 4.        Number of teacher according to professional experience

 

In school prevailed the following characteristics of teaching:

·      the teaching is oriented towards the official program,

·      the predomination of a teacher’s activity (she/he lectures, assigns tasks, exams and assesses),

·      the teaching was viewed as lecturing,

·      classrooms were arranged to match the lecture oriented teaching (Figure 5),

·      teachers mostly used the blackboard and chalk in spite of the fact that they had at their disposal other teaching appliances - TV, video, the tape recorder and so on (Figure 6).

 

Figure 5.  The arrangement of the classroom

 

Figure 6.        The role of a teacher in the teaching process

 

The school was well equipped with modern technology (computers, digital camera and the camcorder). All of that equipment was at our disposal during the project.

Teachers have the obligation to realise their in-service ongoing development. The project participants said that except participation in our project, which they considered as the form of the professional development, they could read professional literature and go to seminars. Some of them emphasized that they did not have enough opportunity to go to seminars and if they had, some of seminars have no quality.


Vesna (class teacher): Firstly, I certainly would, since it’s still fresh in my mind, (say) that for me, the most acceptable, the most interesting, the most useful form of (the professional) development is that which we realised at our meetings, companionships with teachers from others schools… It’s most relevant because there we exchange (our) experiences; here we understand what others do. That is the form of (the professional) development which I prefer.

I also read literature, some newspapers… but it is not so effective and does not have such reflection on my work as that (our project)… Here my work is practically connected with changes which I have (gain), and changes which others have (gain). It’s the ideal way of the professional development. (Vesna - Intervju 1.avi[7], 00:02:08 - 00:03:30)

 

Interpretation

Since there were a lot of students we could say that it is so called ‘mammoth school’ in which is very hard to organise anything else except regular class. Such school is similar to railway station then to an educational institution which takes care of particular student’s needs.

Teachers of female gender predominated in our school. That fact by itself does not mean anything special for quality of teaching. But the trend of feminisation teacher’s profession in Croatia has gone shoulder to shoulder with the deprofessionalization. Men have chosen the profession in which they were more paid and which have provided more opportunities for promotion, while women have tried to find their place in professions, as teachers is, which was less paid, but which have provided them the opportunity to earn some money and to be a housewife in the same time (Polić, 1993). Since anyone demands more professional engagement especially out of the teaching time their teaching is reduced to traditional lectures which is more and more in discordance with demands of modern post-industrial economy for which quality education represents the beginning of production[8]. The deprofessionalization of education which is partly manifested in feminization was not the positive circumstance for the realisation of the project which tries to increase the professionalism of its participants.

The Figure 3 reveals that teachers had low professional qualification. It is connected with their age structure (see Figure 4) because in the past the teacher's education mostly lasted just two years. That indicates a deficient level of the teacher’s professionalism especially if we know that they were educated to be craftsman rather than autonomous and creative professionals who strive all the time to improve one’s own practice. Certainly, that problem was not in accordance with my values.

Material and spatial conditions were advantage rather then obstacle. For the project it was very important to have computers and audio-video equipment at our disposal. We could use these devices for data gathering, analysing and publishing. School library was the ideal place for our meetings.

Earlier unsatisfactory professional development was the most important obstacle which we wanted to overcome. I supposed that for improving teacher’s practice it is important to improve teacher’s professional development which has to be permanent, consistent, future oriented, oriented to activity of practitioners, founded on symmetrical communication of attendees, directed to changes and new roles of teachers (e.g. the reflective practitioner, the action researcher), oriented to satisfy their needs and empower them, creative, participatory, modern and interesting. We wanted to realise some of those tasks through our project.

 


5.             My living contradiction and how could I improve my practice as pedagogue (professional adviser)

 

My role of pedagogue – professional adviser has not often been in accordance with my values: freedom, future oriented, emancipated and communicational education. When I started to work as the pedagogue I was confronted with series of problems which I inherited from my predecessors (two of them were my headmasters). Namely, they accepted and realised administrative and supervisor’s jobs and they expected from me to proceed. Except that, in our big school always appear various tasks which someone has to do. My knowledge of informatics was not my advantage, but rather obstacle because I got new administrative tasks which my predecessors did not have. At that time I lost my time dealt with timetables, statistics, servicing the computers, writing letters and reports. In this manner my values were neglected in my practice. Obviously, it was my living contradiction[9]. This project was opportunity to fully realize my values in practice. I started from the question:

“How can I help teachers and myself to undertake, in our circumstances, the new role of the reflective practitioner and the action researcher who is capable to improve one's own practice?”

 

6.             Methods and instruments of data gathering and analysing

 

6.1.      Methods of data gathering

I used various instruments and methods of data gathering.

a)         Video and audio recordings

I used VHS camcorder and Dictaphone to record various activities during the project. I made many audio and video recordings of teaching practice, students' activities, interviews, discourses, and workshops. Most of them were digitalized and prepared for computer analyse.

b)         Qualitative interview

Qualitative interviews were used to allow participants to express their point of view. Patton outlines four types of interviews: a) an informal conversational interview[10], b) interview guide approaches[11], c) a standardized open-ended interview[12] and d) closed quantitative interviews.

1.             I used the informal conversational interview during meetings at our learning community. I asked them about various things which were connected with the topic of discourse. I also applied this form of interview after visiting the teaching.

2.             Interview guide approach I realised at the end of the first part of the project with few participants to find out what they think and recommend about the project.

3.             Standardized open-ended interview was realised at the end of the project with the most participants. All interviews were recorded by the camcorder or by the Dictaphone. I digitalized and save those recordings on CD or hard disc of my computer.

c)         Documentation

I used the following documentation as the source of data:

·      E-mails were used during the second part of the project when I corresponded with teachers who realised their own action researches. E-mails were shown as the economical and interesting source of data.

·      Reflective diaries were kept by some of the teachers who realised their own action researches.

·      Teachers who realized their action research wrote action research reports. Reports were the important source of data about their understanding the action research and about results they obtained.

d)         Other data sources

As other sources of data I could mention pictures of classrooms, school environment, teachers' and students' activities, meetings of learning community and students' creations.

b)         Flanders Interaction Analyses Categories

 I used these categories to identify congruence of teachers’ and my espoused theory (values) and theory (values)-in-use (Schön, 1987, p. 255). It was realised by the computer program which has the option to code small video or audio segments.

 

6.2.      Computer program for qualitative analyses

 

Figure 7.        The main window of the program for data analyses

Qualitative analysis is a time-consuming process which has to be well organized, previewed and to allow easy locating of necessary data. At the moment, a computer could make it easier for researcher but it can not be done instead of him/her. Computer programs could have the following function for qualitative analyses: coding, adding notes and comments, connecting data, searching, theory making, data presentation, graphical editing (Miles i Huberman, 1994, p. 312-313).

I wrote program ‘QA’ (see Figure 7) to make easier qualitative analyses in this action research. Program has the following opportunities:

·        making previewed lists of codes and sub-codes with related explanations;

·        coding various forms of data (video, audio, textual);

·        adding notes and comments;

·        organisation of coded data according researching questions;

·        analyses, searching and preview of data;

·        data filtering;

·        quantification of coded data;

·        graphical and tabular presentation of numerical data;

·        literature analyses.

I wrote the program in professional version of Delphi 4.0 and it could be used on MS Windows systems.

 

7.             The process of project realisation

 

7.1.      How did we start?

 The project was started as a part of my postgraduate study. Before the beginning I had elaborated my philosophical values which I wanted to affirm in my practice. The traditional research methodology, which dominates at Croatian universities, did not fit to my value system so I searched for the approach which would not be against my principles. The Internet was shown as very useful for the purpose of searching of essential literature, particularly in Croatian educational context where evident lack of the professional literature was. I found vast texts about reflective practice and action researches. Soon I realised that these concepts, especially action researches, have been matched with my philosophy and I decided with much enthusiasm that it would be the area of my postgraduate research.

We began the work on the project in the autumn of 2000, but the preparation had begun earlier, in the spring of the same year. I invited each potential participants and explained them what they could expect of the project, and what were expected of them. In order to help them to make the decision about their participation in the project I wrote and distributed them the draft of the project where theoretical foundation and the plan of action were explained. I encouraged them to express their point of view and their expectation of the project. I emphasized that I expected them to take the active role especially during action researches. In spite of consultation with potential participants, I made all the preparing alone (consulting literature, writing the draft of the project, organisation of meetings and invitation of potential participant). I did not want to attract a lot of followers, I strived to involve teachers who were ready to take active part in the project and improve their own practice. Success of the project depended on participants' willingness to learn and their awareness that it is the precondition to their quality teaching.

Jasna: I’d prefer that way of work. I mean, if I don’t learn anything I feel that I’ve somehow lost my time. I’d like to learn. I don’t know what other (means). Here today I’ve learnt something. I would not like that we teachers, usually when we talk, that we start to talk about children, but I rather would like to talk about ourselves, that I pay attention how to improve myself. So certainly, I teach my children during that, and I’m better teacher if I improve myself. (RP - Uvodni dogovor - 3.3.2000_3.mp3, 00:08:23 - 00:09:06)

18 participants were involved in the project. More of them were class teachers (12 participants), there were three subject teachers and three professional advisers (one psychologist and two pedagogues). Most of them had between 11 and 25 years of professional experience (Figure 8). Seven of them had less then ten years of professional experience, and two had more than 25 years.

 

Figure 8.        Professional experience of participant of learning community

 

Interpretation

My dominant role at the beginning of the project was not in accordance with my initial values but it was in accordance with reality. It was hard to expect that teachers, who for years were habituated to take passive part in their job, could immediately take an active part and responsibility for their professional development. I was aware that I had to take dominant role. It was not my aim, but rather the contradiction which I tried to overcome. Therefore, before the beginning of the project I had realised what Whitehead meant by concept ‘living contradiction’. I also knew that living contradiction is not our weakness, but rather the incentive for critical deliberation of the existing circumstances with the aim to improve them. (Whitehead, 1999)

Potential participants did not know much about theoretical background of the project but they were ready to learn and some of them were prepared to change themselves. From my dominant role we could realised that for the initiation of the action research project we do not need the whole bunch of experts but just few well motivated and energetic individuals who could invite others to associate them with the aim to begin with learning and changing their practice.

According to the professional experience it is obvious that this group was not representative for the school context where the research was realised. But this fact is not so important for the action research approach where we try to improve our practice, not to generalise some theory outside of one specific context. It just meant that we could not expect changes in wider institutional context.

 

7.2.         Plan of the action

We planned to divide the project in two parts: the reflective practicum and the action research.

 

7.2.1.      Plan of the reflective practicum

We planed to realize the following tasks through the reflective practicum:

1.             Increasing readiness for changing one’s own practice – what means taking the risk of possible negative results (Carter & Curtis, 1994; Craft, 1997).

2.             Improving the teaching artistry – their spontaneous reactions in unplanned teaching situations (Schön, 1987; Fish, 1997).

3.             Child oriented teaching – finding sense and meaning in children’s activities, the identification of theirs needs and capabilities (Schön, 1987; Carter & Curtis, 1994; Armstrong, 1994; Miljak, 1996).

4.             Identification of teachers’ values (Anderson, 1997; Stoll i Fink, 2000).

5.             Informing about various theories and comparing them mutually.

6.             Critical deliberation of teaching activities with the aim to improve them continuously.

7.             Enabling teachers for data gathering in their professional practice.

8.             Creating shared educational vision (Stoll i Fink, 2000).

Purpose of that part of the project was not so in determination of solutions as in insight and identification of problems and in the determination of the shared vision from which we would start with the second part of the researching – the action research which aim was to find solutions of some identified problems. We planed to realize specified tasks through about ten workshops during the first semester of school year 2000/2001. We intended to maintain our meetings two times in a month. Except workshops, we had a reciprocal arrangement whereby teachers visited each other’s lessons. My intention was to initiate the role of critical friends[13] which is important for the action research process.

 

7.2.2.      Plan of practitioners’ action researches

We planned to identify the problem of the action research after the determination of the shared vision and critical deliberation of the existing circumstances in our schools. In that part the project participants’ role should have been more active both in planning and realisation of the project tasks. We intended to jointly gather data. Our plan was that each of the participants got the draft about the action researches before they started their researches. This part of the project should last from February to June of 2001.

7.3.          The process of realization of reflective practicum

Table 2.          Schedule of workshops during the reflective practicum

 

 

Workshop’s topic

Date of realization

Type of data

1.      

Coping with risk of change

11 October 2000

Video recording

2.      

Data gathering           

25 October 2000

Video recording

3.      

Teachers’ values

8 November 2000

Video recording

4.      

Teachers’ artistry       

22 November 2000

Video recording

5.      

Importance of children’s independence

6 December 2000

Video recording

6.      

Without defined topic

20 December 2000

Video recording

7.      

Child oriented teaching         

17 January 2001

Video recording

8.      

Critical consideration of various theoretical approaches

31 January  2001

Video recording

9.      
Critical analysis of existing school

14 February 2001

Writing material

10.   
Vision of future school

28 February 2001

Participants’ records of vision and audio recording

 

We initiated the reflective practicum at the beginning of October 2000. At that time we realized the first workshops with the main topic “Coping with risk of change”. The last workshop was actualized at the end of February 2001. During that time were realized ten workshops (see Table 2) and 9 co-workers’ visits of teachers’ lessons.

At video recordings and photos it is obvious that workshops already almost started with the informal association between participants. They were joking, chatting and drinking coffee or juice. (e.g. RADIONICA1_1.avi, 00:00:07 - 00:01:50; Figure 9).

 

 

 

Figure 9. Informal association of participant at the beginnings of workshops

 

At the end of the project I asked the participants the following question:

If you should imagine that you need to describe what did occur in the first part of our project – during the first ten workshops. What would you say to them?

They pointed out that for each workshop one actual theme was prepared in advance about which they discussed. After the discussion they realised the particular tasks which were connected with the topic working in group. Spokeswomen presented what they did and we finished our meetings with discussion.

Participants had the opportunity to say what they want, and they also could hear what others thought about the particular theme. Most of them consider that the communication was free what was favoured with pleasant and relaxed climate. They felt nice, relaxed, free, pleasant and unburdened but not all of them. Vesna was confused at the beginning and Ivanka was unmotivated.

Željka (classteacher): I don’t know, we were relaxed in pleasant atmosphere, we discussed freely, and in the same time exercised to listen and respect different ideas, to criticize constructively, propose something – maybe improvement or extension of particular ideas. We were relaxed, unburdened and free at our meetings and conversations. (Intervju sa Željkom1.mp3, 00:13:58 - 00:14:35)

Jasna (classteacher): I would say that I felt nicely at these workshops. (Intervju s Jasnom_A1.mp3, 00:14:53 - 00:15:35)

My feelings were divided. I felt responsibility for maintaining planned activities and sometimes I was overburdened, but at the same time I was pleasantly surprised at the teachers’ willingness to regularly participate in the workshops. Before the end I became dissatisfied with my dominant role and lack of teachers’ responsibility for maintaining and developing the project.

Workshops were educative for the most participants, because they could hear something new and exchange experiences with co-workers. Themes were lively and made possible to connect theory and practice. They said that my role were dominant. I dictated tempo, prepared and led meetings. They pointed out that I informed them about literature which they could not acquire. They respected me as the expert – person on higher professional level. For Vesna, I was pretty demanding because I expected of them to invest additional effort.

Danijela (classteacher): It was very interesting companionship where we had you as the leader who came with clearly determined tasks. (Intervju s Danijelom.mp3, 00:10:31 - 00:11:06)

Ruža (subject teacher): At each workshop some of themes were  realized  which were in advance prepared and each of them were followed by some literature – extracts from some authors’ (book) which we could not or knew how to find,  talking about modern school and relationship between students and teachers.  (Intervju s Ružom1.mp3, 00:26:53 - 00:28:27)

Vesna (classteacher) However, there you were… Not you, then our facilitator, if I talk to somebody else, it was really, well, absolutely at some bigger hill and he saw much more of us, but we bravely tried to follow him and involve, wrote, draw and after that looked what we drew. (Vesna - Intervju 1.avi, 00:17:04 - 00:18:37)

Common expression of that part of the project participants describe with words: interesting, concrete, useful, educative, dynamic, supported with materials and attractive. But there were some opposite opinion. Ivanka could not accept that part because there was not everything clear to her. She pointed out that her friends also shared her opinion. Therefore, they were not enough motivated for participation. Vesna was disturbed with the fact that the leader was well-informed, and others were uninformed so she had to strive to comprehend what was expected of her. Until then, she had been habituated to get exact directions what to do, which here were not present so she was confused.

Most important result of that part of the project was our shared educational vision which we created during the last workshop. This workshop was attended by 11 participants. At the beginning of the workshop two teachers (Marica and Blanka, classr) informed us about the occasion when they visited their ex-students who were in higher grades (fifth grade). They requested students to write an essay about their vision of the future school. Blanka read several students’ works to us.

The main activity was realized as the variant of Delphi technique. In our approach, participants had to write desirable characteristic of the future school, unlike the ‘standard’ concept that focuses on predicting the future. Each teacher should write one’s own vision. They also should explain why that is important to them. They should not talk then just wrote. After they had finished the writing I read their notes without mentioning their names. Ruža (the teacher of technique education) wrote particular visions on a sheet of paper. Participants did not comment presented ideas, they just listened. When all ideas were written, participants again wrote their visions which could be expanded with ideas of other teachers. They should write an explanation if they left out the particular idea. That procedure was repeated five times as long as the participants agreed about the most part of shared vision.

 


Box 1. Teachers’ shared vision of the future school

 


1.         Curriculum planning

·       Students and teachers together arrange their work.

·       There exist the possibility of choosing issues and level of knowledge acquiring.

·       Obliged program is around 50-60% and the rest means creative agreeing with parents, social environment and children.

·       Freedom of choosing issues and ways of teaching.

2.         Orientation towards child’s needs

·       School beginning from child’s needs.

·       Child-oriented, not textbook and content-oriented approach.

·       Intrinsic motivation.

q      School should not be obliged – students attend school according their needs.*

3.         Teaching methods

·       Learning and teaching is realized in the approachable way.

·       School which develops researching teaches through play, educate a person, and form versatility.

·       Thematic teaching without strict division into subjects.

·       Teaching outside the classroom.

·       Modern teaching methods.

4.         Observing and assessment

·       School without assessment – just observing the interests and achievements.

·       Self-assessment.

5.         Teaching equipment

·       Avoiding obliged textbooks – independently choosing the knowledge sources.

·       Modern teaching technology (ICT).

6.         Material conditions of work

·       Material side for students and their teachers is satisfied.

7.         Organisational and professional conditions of work

·       Small classes – about 20 students.

·       A complete professional team.

·       Student’s groups with equal capabilities.

q      Flexible working hours.

8.         Developing the teachers professionalism

·       Teachers work with love.

·       Teachers make arrangement, cooperate and change unsatisfied circumstances.

·       A teacher competence – professionalism.

·       Permanent professional development for the quality of teaching.

·       Openness of teachers.

·       Teachers enjoy and feel a sense of happiness through their working.

·       Teachers dedicate to their work.

·       School with equal number of teachers both gender.

·       Possibility of promotion for everyone who wants that.

q      Teachers without vice.

9.         Partnership between school and family

·       School as continuing of family education and re-education in some circumstances.

·       Better cooperation between teachers and parents.

q      Teachers spend summer or winter vacation with parents and students.

10.      Quality control of teaching

·       Efficiently measures against rude and unprofessional behaviour towards students.

·       Students’ opportunity to choose a teacher.

·       Eliminate the outside monitoring of teachers.

·       Better evaluation of work.

11.      School management

·       Headmasters who are educated to work with people.

·       Relationships which are grounded on leadership qualities, not on control and coercion.

12.      Human relation

·       Mutual appreciation between teachers.

·       Solving problems and conflicts by agreement and in a cultural way.

·       Spontaneous human relation.

q      Warm human relation.

13.      School climate

·       Aesthetic arrangement of the classroom to be as the family home.

14.      Overall values

·       Freedom, responsibility, teachers and students creativity, independence, critical and self-critic, tolerance, consistency, democracy, modernity, innovative, comprehension, freedom of biases, respecting of personality and individuality.


 

*The statements about which teachers could not make agreement are written in italic type.

After the vision was finished we continued with the conversation about possibilities of its realisation. Vesna (class-teacher) asked: “Who is that who our snowball, which we made, may transform in avalanche.” (Vizija.mp3, 00:00:00 – 00:00:15) I answered that we should not expect from somebody else to realize what we set up as our vision. I also emphasized the importance of our public actions which are in the same time message to the others to join us and cooperate in similar projects. (Vizija.mp3, 00:00:35 – 00:00:58). Marica said that she just partly agreed with me because she thought that Vesna wants to say that somebody ‘above’ have to do something in starting of that avalanche. Vesna said: “Exactly.” I said that we could present our ideas at professional meetings, publish texts in professional journals, participate in different projects and cooperate with similar groups both at home and abroad. Katica agreed with me but Marica said: “We are so lazy for that (writing).” At the end I emphasized that the realization of vision is a very hard job which includes permanent work on oneself. (Vizija.mp3, 00:16:50 – 00:17:38)

 

Interpretation

Reflective practicum was realised through 10 workshops. For most teachers it represented the opportunity to associate with their colleagues in the pleasant atmosphere and to discuss about the professional topic. At our school where the professional development is pretty neglected and contacts between teachers are reduced to short conversations in holes or in the teachers’ room, it is completely understandable that for participants it was new and pleasant experience, especially because they were not responsible for preparing and realisation of workshops. We could agree with Zins at al. (in Salovey i Sluyter, 1999, p. 346) that for the professional development it is important to exist a group for pear support.

My role was dominant and crucial for the realization of the project. Planning, preparing and leading of workshops were completely in my concern. Other participants just participated in prepared activities. In that way the project realization was not in accordance with my values. I supposed that they would take more active and responsible role in their own professional development. It could be said that the role of leadership was mostly authoritarian but I wonder could we survive without that. I supposed that insisting on responsibility of all members, which is the most important precondition of democratic and collective styles of group leadership (Dimbleby i Burton, 1998, p. 111-112), could cause mess, anarchy, and maybe withdrawing from the project. I believe that keeping existing patterns of relationships (in that case autocratic style of leadership) is sometimes necessary for maintaining of the process in its very beginning. But it should not become the aim, than just transitional period until the improvement of personal capabilities, responsibilities and cooperation. The other side of the truth is that any change can not happen without crises and difficulties so if there were not too many problems it means that nothing important was changed. Changes in school imply personal engagement about something what we want to improve. It also means that teachers have to be active in a process of change. It is sometimes hard but in the other hand it could be very interesting, stimulating and full of passion.

In spite of some disadvantages the first part of the project was interesting and pleasant way of the professional meeting where they could say what they think, exchange ideas and learn something new.

Various authors emphasize the shared vision as the one of the preconditions for school successfulness (Dryden & Vos, 2001, p. 151; Sammons at al. in Hopkins, 2001, p. 45; Stoll & Fink, 2000, p. 81) but it is not clear how to obtain the shared vision. The shared vision can not be common if it does not originate in the process of agreement where each participant can present his/her particular vision. Presentation of particular visions does not guarantee democracy, because it could be easy transformed into lightly accepting of ideas of those participants who are most influential or just the loudest. Therefore we decided to use face to face variant of Delphi method which is the simplified procedure that preserves feedback to the participants, their anonymity and repetition of process (Dick, 2000; Morrison in Cohen at al., 2000, p. 237-238).

Such way of realization shared vision was resulted with diverse suggestions and participants activity. Participants made agreement about most elements of the vision, but not all. We consider that it is not important to insist on agreement around each part of the shared vision because the vision is just sign post which we put to lead us on our journey towards changes. In this matter the vision is not unchangeable but it is liable to critical questioning and changing. Later, in the process of change, those ideas which in the beginning were in minority could be fruitful and acceptable for the most participants.

The shared vision only lists the desired ends which can not be realised if the teacher is not ready to take the responsibility for changes in the process. From our conversation it is obvious that it was not clear to the project participants.  They were not ready to take the responsibility for the realization of their vision, because they expected of somebody else (‘above’) to do that instead of them. This expectation indicates that authoritarian patterns in their minds were very strong. It was the most important obstacle for quality and autonomous changes. Other possible explanation of their rejection of the responsibility for change could be connected with their feelings of empowerment (Stoll i Fink, 2000, p. 82). The teacher could not get that feeling just through participation in this project. Feeling of empowerment depends on school culture which has to be oriented on critical reflection and changes (Day, 1999; Stoll & Fink, 2000; Bruner, 2001). Since this climate did not exist, a participant felt that realization of their vision would be hardly realized. In spite of that I consider that the existing traditional context could not be changed without the individual attempts to make things different.

 

7.4.      Realization of practitioners' action researches

 

7.4.1.   Beginning of the action research process

The second part of the project was started on 14th March 2001 with the topic “Identification of problems”. In that part of the project we realized 20 meetings of the researching team, and five teachers finished their action research projects.

At the third meeting which was held on 4th April 2001 I invited participants to write down what they knew or just supposed to know about action researches and to ask whatever they want to know. After they finished the writing I gave them the lecture about what I know about action researches and at the next meeting I distributed them the draft paper about action researches.

At the beginning I pointed to the problem of my domination in the first part of the project and suggested that we make exchange in facilitator’s role. Teachers agreed with that so Jasna and Željka took responsibility to prepare the next meeting. We agreed that they prepare something about a child-oriented teaching. Few days before that meeting I telephoned Jasna to ask what occurs. Željka was with her. Jasna answered that they talked things over with each other. I offered help but Željka rejected my offer. Jasna was not sure but she did not insist.

The meeting[14] started with the delay because Željka and Jasna were late. When they came they said that they could not agree how to realize this meeting. Jasna said that everyone should said what they thought, because if they said what they thought it could be intrusion of their point of view and Željka did not agree with that. Marica said them to say what they have and we would say what we want but we did not find out their point of view, except that Jasna wished to talk about the need for power (Glasser, 2000), and Željka wanted to organize work in pairs or groups where everyone may say what they think about particular needs.

After that I again took responsibility for the facilitation of our next meeting where they should consider what they could improve in their practice. At the following meeting they could not agree about the topic of their research. Half of them wished to research something about children’s play and others wanted to deal with school which satisfies children’s needs so we broke into two groups.

The group which decided to research possibilities of satisfying children’s needs gathered on 23rd May 2001 to make the plan of their research. Marica was the facilitator of that meeting. In the informal part of the meeting the participants complained about the overloading and deficiency of time. One teacher announced her abandonment in participating in the project. At the beginning I commended Marica because she sent me her plan of the action research by e-mail. In her text she emphasized the problem of the official demand and her wish to satisfy children’s need. She realised that this is opposite sides and she could not adjust them.

Marica (read her text): Yesterday some of our students wanted to show us their dance improvisation. While they danced, most of other children carefully listened and shake on the spot in rhythm with song. At the end they, surely, applauded and were very satisfied. What would I write to school book? (Bilješka nakon susreta 23. svibnja.doc, str. 3)

I said that her text is not the plan yet because she should concretized what she wanted to improve but it was very interesting kind of reflective diary. Marica asked other participants what they prepared for this meeting. Nobody get ready anything they just excused. Jasna said that she felt how our project was diluted during several previous meetings. I said them to stop excuses and put forward the suggestion that someone should be icebreaker who would realize one circle of the action research and then the others would say: “It is not so hard, we could do it”, or they would say: “It is too complicated, we couldn’t do this.” Marica said that she knew what the main problem was.

Marica (clasteacher): Branko, I know what the problem is, now I’ll tell you, because I know what the essential problem is. We don’t have the idea where to start from and what to start. (Bilješka nakon susreta 23. svibnja.doc, str. 5)

Željka said that for a long time she felt she did action researches but she did not write anything. Marica agreed with her and said that the action research is not anything new because “each ordinary teacher is the action researcher because he/her always thinks new things over.” (Bilješka nakon susreta 23. svibnja.doc, p. 9) I emphasized that the action research is the systematic enquire of educational activities and because of that it is different from the ordinary teaching.

At the end of the meeting Jasna and Marica declared that they would realize their action researches. Željka said that she would not promise anything. Ana complained that she had registration of new students and others did not say anything.

 

Interpretation

If I should name previously described meetings, its name could be ‘developmental crises’. There were evident how, in our case, teachers could not took the active role in preparing and facilitating our meetings and independently think out and realize the action research. Worst of all, except Marica and Jasna nobody was ready even to try to realize the action research. They rather strive to find reasons to do nothing, or they accused the project which was diluted, or me who did not explain them enough what to do.

 

What have I learnt from the problems?

1.             Teachers, who were not ready to start with the realization of the action research, predominate in group. Therefore the group lost the main purpose which was the support of participants in their efforts to maintain the action researcher. On the contrary, its influence was discouraging even for the teachers who have the intention to actively participate in the action research.

2.             Meetings of the group and discourse provided shelter to participants who were not ready to take the active role in that process. They just hoped that somebody would prepare something. If someone demanded active involvement in realization of project’s aims, rest of teachers always could use the excuse that they did not know what to do or that they did not have enough time.

3.             In our case, participants (me too) really did not know enough what should we do because it was our first action research project. Also, in Croatia, the action researches in school context are not appreciated well.

4.             It would be suitably that in each group which starts with the action research project is involved at least one experienced action researcher.

5.             Each of us could take the responsibility to obtain some professional role (e.g. facilitation of professional meeting or realization of action research) as much as we are professionally and personally capable. It does not depend only on the individual decision; it rather depends on the level we have reached in our individual and professional development. But we could always take the responsibility for learning to improve our capabilities which is necessary for the responsible maintaining of some professional role.

6.             The realisation of the action research always demands a lot of time so it is not suitable to start them closely to the end of the school year, as we did, or at a time when the participants are overburdened with other tasks or worries.

7.             In our group appeared as the true statement of Barica Marentič-Požarnik that between our teachers and professional collaborators predominate low level of personal responsibility for their professional improvement which is contributed by forms of the professional development where prevail the lectures with little possibilities of discussion, direct advices and critics, the detail instructions to implement some procedures (e.g. the execution plan of teaching hours), schematic forms for teaching preparing, analyses with the position ‘exclusively right’ approaches etc. (Marentič-Požarnik, 1993, p. 352)

8.             My expectation that my role of facilitator would be of lesser importance in the second part of the project showed up as the unrealized wish. It was more important then before. I realised that anyone of teachers who were present there could not obtain their action researchers without the assistance of the mentor. I agree with Sue Johston’s (1994) statement that “action research will not occur naturally and thus needs such external stimuli or incentives to provide the momentum for its incorporation into teachers’ routines.” (Johnston, 1994, p. 42)

9.             I also agree with Sue Johnston that the potential barriers preventing the teacher's initiating action research: institutional separation of educational research and practice, absence of critical inquiry approaches in both educational research and practice, lack of time, lack of research skills. (Johnston, 1994, p. 42) In our case, we faced with two new barriers: absence of the action research approach at Croatian universities and schools and lack of literature about the action researches in Croatian.

10.          Initiating of the action researches have its emotional dimension which is sometimes in opposite with self-confidence and resoluteness of critical-emancipation philosophy. It was appeared that participants of our project were mostly confused, undecided and they hardly took responsibility for obtaining their action researches.

 

7.4.2.   The action research mentoring

I continued cooperate individually with teachers who decided to obtain their action researches (Jasna, Vesna, Marica and Danijela[15]) thorough individual conversation and e-mailing. Marica sent to me first seriously contribution on 21st May 2001. It was her reflective diary where she described one day in her practice. At the end she explained why she kept record of her practice.


21. 05. 2001.

It is obvious that I described one working day in my first grade. Why did I describe all of that and which is connection with the action researches? I wish to identify what is happening now and what is the source of my dissatisfaction. We decided in our group about the needs of a child and I think what we officially realize do not satisfy the needs of children and do not satisfy my vision of school. (e-mail, send: Marica Zovko,  sent: Mon 21 May 2001, 22:29)

 

 

Figure 10.      Marica’s classroom

 

Marica defined what she wants to improve in her practice:

How could I improve my work on satisfying the needs of individual student if I plan school living in which I improve multiple intelligence? (e-mail, send: Marica Zovko, sent: Mon 21st May 2001, 22:29)

She defined what she planed to do and how she would gather data.

2.  What could I do in respect to children’s needs within the framework of multiple intelligence? I’ll write one thing and work another until circumstances were not changed. It dissatisfied me, but I’ll try to keep those feelings under control.

·      I’ll continue to expand repertoire of teaching strategies with new strategies of cooperative learning and development of critical thinking – diversity. 

·      Clearly define differences between teachers with regard to learning style: cooperation with parents.

·      Develop the self-confidence.

·      Motivate students to recognize their capabilities in particular type of intelligence.

·      Improve the solving of problems and critical thinking through a question of higher order.

·      Organize various activity at the school while listen attentively to students.

·      Continue with present arrangement of classroom.

·      Enable students to plan their time.

·      Continue with the practice of expressing one’s own opinions and decisions with clear explanation of one’s own attitude.

·      Permit students to think or work in different manner if they have clear reasons and if that does not endanger the rest of students. (e-mail, send: Marica Zovko,  sent: Mon 21 May 2001, 22:29)

She planed to gather the following data: audio recordings of some parts of teaching, informal conversational interview about students’ attitudes, opinions, activities and teaching, group interview, reflective diary, critical friend’s records.

I answer to her:

Super!!!!

Finally someone succeeded to write few pages of coherent text which is a great step to elaborate of action research. Frankly, I really have sweated last few days and I started to suspect in everything what we do. It does not seem to me that it is too complicated to some teachers, who want to change something in their work, can not write few pages of text according to the defined model: what do we recognise as the problem, what do we think that could be done and which are possibilities in gathering data. Our teachers show chronic lack of systematism, self-incentive and self-confidence. They simply can not go over the abyss which divides us from the professionalism in our vocation. I’d like to encourage you in your ideas and I have to say that you have beautified my day and a whole month.

And here are my thoughts about your letter:

The action research means systematic approach in all parts so it is not wrong that you write, except your present experience, what you know about the topic,  which you intend to deal with, from literature or different seminars – it means that you should give theoretical presentation of the theme you intent to research. The elaboration of your plan should be more concrete. Maybe at the beginning, you should not take too much activities, elect something from your plan, but specify what you intend to do (e.g. if you want to enable the students to make a plan, you should say what you exactly mean by that or if you intent to motivate students to recognise their capabilities within the framework of multiple intelligence then you have to say how do you plan to do this).

Except the plan of activities (what to do) there should exist the schedule (when to do that). After that you should plan data gathering. Clearly, you should not numerically determine satisfaction or dissatisfaction, but you may recognise it and in communication with children determine how much do they satisfy.

The circle of the action research lasts depending on your plan what to do. If you plan to register some changes till the end of the school year, then your circle lasts one month, or less. It is important to start with the first circle of the action research and break ice and serious results will come in forthcoming circle.

In any way you are at the right track and just go on!!!!

I expect that we continue with the communication such as this is and I go on with our project with more confidence. You are the first icebreaker in our group. Maybe it can not be easy to you, but I believe that you have bravery and mind to do this first step over abyss.

Warm regards and see you tomorrow! (e-mail, send: Branko Bognar,  receive: Marica Zovko,  sent: Tue 22 May 2001, 13:29)

We did not have bigger problems during mentoring process. But once Vesna become angry at me when I insisted that she should analyse gathered data. While we argued I found that she did not know how to statistically analyse questioners and how to present data on computer. Except that she had some family problems so she did not accept well my advices. I promised to help her and we analysed data and learnt to present them on MS Excel which lasted all day. But in the same time we solved our problem.

We have continued with the correspondence until now. Today, except e-mail, we use The Internet forum where we exchange our messages, experiences, questions and everything connected with our action researches.

I asked teachers who made their own action researches (Marica, Jasna, Vesna, Danijela) to describe this part of our project. They described my mentoring as stimulating and encouraging process which helped them to clear up attitudes, define problems and start their action researches. They especially emphasized the importance of written communication and its significance for the realization of a new professional role – the role of the teacher action researcher. My regularly and exhaustive answering was very important to the participants. It helped them to get self-confidence and to maintain in the realization of the action research process.

 

Jasna: E-mailing with the mentor during the action research was significant for me and was a very stimulating for me. Since I had defined the problem and the theme of my action research I was aware how much that way of communication helped in clearing of my thoughts and attitudes. Though I spoke a lot of the research with the facilitator and others participants in the project, as with those who follow us in that – my pedagogue and family, especially important to me was the correspondence through Internet. When I started the research, I kept record in my action research diary every day, and I sent these writings to the mentor. He answered me very exhaustively almost every day.

It was very significant and encouraging for me that he followed me in my idea, he helped me to better understand what I thought and what I wrote without attempt to impose some of his solutions or ideas. He ‘listened’  to me actively. Something else delighted me and gave the importance to my records. Branko analysed each of my sentences and commented them. He conducted towards my records as it was literary or philosophical creation. All of that stimulated me to write regularly my diary and wait the answer, which was not often just an answer to my letter, than it was the answer to my inner, unexpressed questions.  (e-mail, send: Jasna Zubčić, sent: Tue 07th May 2002, 23:07)

 

Interpretation

John Buttcher (2000) points out three different explanation of mentoring. The first “view of mentoring sees it as framework of positive support by the skilled and experienced practitioners to other practitioners who need to acquire complex skills” (p. 97). In another approach the mentor is perceived as an instructor, trainer or coach “who systematically and actively helps a student teacher reach a threshold in a set of pre-defined professional competences” (p. 98). A third view of mentoring is focused on learning rather then teaching. There mentor participate “in co-enquiry to encourage reflection on teaching as a process.” This model endeavours to move the teacher form novice to expert status. (In Moon, Butcher & Bird, ed., 2000, p. 97-98) My approach of mentoring was very similar to the third view which is mentioned by Butcher because I stimulated the teacher reflection on their teaching process and I participated in cooperative inquiry.

After problems which appeared during the meetings, the mentoring was completely different experience. Things shifted from dead line and it was not pointlessly arrangement between participants who were not willing to involve in action research. There teachers get down to planning and realisation of their action researches. It was very motivational and substantive process as for them as for me. It seems that we achieved much more in the realization of our values during one month of mentoring than for several months before.

From my participation in the mentoring process I have learnt the following:

1.             Mentoring seems to be better the solution for involving teachers in the action research than the group meetings.

2.             Mentoring satisfied teachers’ needs for encouraging and supporting (Stoll & Fink, 2000, p. 209).

3.             I realised that for qualitative mentoring number of novice action researcher should not be more than five, because all of them need enough attention which is difficult to sustain with a lot of mentees.

4.             The feedback is very important for teachers who participate in mentoring, but not any and whenever. It is important that the mentor answers in a short time. In the action research things occur very fast so if teachers wait too long to the answer maybe it has not the importance for them because new problems appear or they are cooled down for the previous problem or for the research in all. Answers should be incentive. It means that teachers should be encouraged, understood and advised. The action research is emotionally very exciting process and it is important that answers would not be official and distant because teachers could realise that the mentor is not interested in their researches[16]. Critics should be balanced and explained. Advices which mentor offers should not be too extensive and too much expertly, because it could inhibit initiative of novice action researchers.

5.             Mentoring is always a risky job because in some moments critics and advices which we say could make our interlocutor angry, upset or hurt. It is especially possible if the teacher because of other tasks put the action research in the second plan or if he/she does not know something how to do. Then it is better to delay the mentoring process and find out what the teacher is worried about, and than agree with him/her what to do.

6.             E-mail manifested as the successful way of mentoring.

7.             Writing is the process which much more impels teachers on thinking than speaking. Except that, written word stay as permanent document which may be used in a different phase of the research?

8.             Written answers were much more important for teachers then spoken, because their thoughts and activities obtain the value.

9.             Participants of the action research need to talk about their work. They usually speak with co-workers or professional adviser but also with the members of family.

10.          Mentoring could be successful only if both side (mentor and mentee) learn from each others. In that way the mentoring could not be reduced on the transmission of knowledge or skills as it is usually defined[17] in the business field. It is rather the process where both sides are involved in the process of research with the aim to improve their practice (Flatcher, 2000; Holden, 2002, p. 20; Mullen, 1999, p. 13).

11.          The mentoring process in action research could be ended with new mentor’s role - the role of critical friend.

The fact that in that time only five teachers decided to obtain their action researches did not discourage me. I was aware that it was great change in their earlier professional practice and it could be naive to expect that most of teachers easy accept the new professional role. In that moment it was important that few teachers broke ice and obtained their action researches. Their action researches could have been used as an example for others teacher to do the same.

 

7.4.3.   The Realisation of the second circle of teachers’ action researches

Teachers continued with the realization of their action researches during the school year 2001/2002. We assembled just occasionally to validate action research reports at the end of each research circle (Figure 11), but we continued to communicate individually, by phone or e-mail. At that time I was occupied with writing the computer program for data analyses and with writing reports about my dissertation so I in some way neglected my mentor’s duties but teachers action researcher were enough empowered that they could obtain their action research more independently than earlier.

Vesna’s research was connected with improving children’s creativity through socio-dramatic plays. Her first circle of the action research was not the action research in rigorous sense of the word, because she did not fully acquire action research approach. However, it was important that she started with researching which was resulted with clearer and more systematic methodology in the second circle. She intended to deal with same topic as in the first circle. In her reports she emphasised the following problem of the research:

 

My dissatisfaction with earlier practice in realization of issues connected with the dramatisation of a literary text, a fair tail or a fable has several causes: strictly following the determined steps in the realisation of teaching units or schedule of lessons, insufficiently knowing of theatrical lows. It emphasized incongruence between the present situation and something what I want to obtain. That impels me to try change and improve my former practice.

I found theoretical foundation in three-day seminar, Pirandello’s anti drama “Six faces look for author” and in cooperation with leaders of theatrical groups.

I consider vary important to emphasize that I obtain this research with children and not on them. Namely, children were actively involved in all phases of the research: planning, gathering the data and reflection. (Vesna’s report of action research,  p. 2)

 

Figure 11.      Validation of second circle of Vesna’s action research

 

She wrote about our cooperation in the realization of her action research the following:

Considering the cooperation with my mentor I realise that it was necessary, incentive and useful. In that cooperation I enriched my own knowledge and I am more ready to tend and impel cooperative relationship between students and co-workers. At the beginning of the work (project) I expected that I will deal with determined, dictated theme, under the mentor’s control, that he will “grade and assess”. Actually, he leaded us with plenty of freedom, but with responsibility to choose a theme, a problem, research questions, schedule and the way of research. During the work we communicated personally, by phone or by e-mail.

I welcomed articles and books which he sent to me on time. I appreciated his help to me to use computer, which is still continued. The mentor did not impel addictive or too much dependent relationship between teacher and mentor. But, he did not forsake when something stuck (e.g. working on qualitative analyses). I was disturbed and inhibited by his constant recording every meeting, conversation, interview by Dictaphone, camcorder or camera. I liked his friendly, well-intentioned, critical relation, like relation that arouses self-confidence, trust and activity (e-mail: send: Vesna Šimić, sent: Mon 13 May 2003, 13:20)

Jasna decided to deal with the team teaching. She sent me her action research report on 15 January 2002. There was one page of the text where she describes her experience about the application of team teaching. The text was without theoretical introduction, clearly defined problem and a plan of research. Her conclusions were not embedded in data. It was interesting reflective text about using the team teaching, but not the action research report. I wrote to her following:

Text which you sent me is your reflections about what you do, but it is not the action research report. In your text there are interesting ideas and it is a good starting point for the action research, but it is not the action research report. I do not know, did you gather any data. If you did not, or if you did not have enough data, then it could be the beginning of action research, but it is in no way analyses. Analyse is realized on data, not on ideas. Ideas are a starting position, the action is their implementation, and the data used as feedback which we through analyse bring to the conclusions and new problems and continue with the new circle of research. You are not forced to finish your action research until next Wednesday. Therefore, let that be the beginning of your real action research which is founded on DATA. (e-mail, send: Branko Bognar, sent:Thu 17 Jan 2002, 02:07)

Jasna accepted my critical comments and she got down to researching until she finished her real action research. She wrote action research report and sent it to other participants in advance.

 

Figure 12.      Validation of Jasna’s action research report

 

We realized the validation of Jasna’s action research at her school and in her classroom (Figure 12). The meeting was attended by participants of the project, several teachers from her school, her headmaster and pedagogue. The meeting was facilitated at all by Jasna. I was just the participant. Almost all participants were involved in conversation especially Željka. Jasna and Željka argued about the type of cooperative tasks and their suitability for developing the cooperative relationships. They presented theoretical and practical knowledge of topic of the conversation.

Jasna said that she too much leaned on me as mentor at the beginning, but in this circle of her action research she did alone almost everything. She emphasized that she realized that the action research was her concerned, not mine. Jasna said that it was the emancipation. Ana congratulate her on success. Jasna’s pedagogue Lucija announced that the action researches in their school would be continued. She said that they would become one small learning community.

The project finished but our action researches are not finished for us. We continue to improve our practice and our research methodology. We also try to popularize the action researches in Croatia. We presented our action research at almost twenty seminars in different parts of our country. We realize the new project “Network of learning communities” and help ours students in theirs action researches. Our intention is to connect with other action researchers all over the world.

 

Interpretation

During this phase of the project a few teachers dissociated from the rest of participants who were just spectator of their obtaining of action researches. Anyone of the rest of the participants did not express the wish to be involved in the action research. There were important mentor’s support but it was not so intensively as at the beginning of teachers’ action researches. I consider as the biggest result that teachers – action researchers took responsibility for maintaining and quality of their research.

We can accept Dick’s statement that “action research often starts with a fuzzy question and methodology; but provided each cycle adds to the clarity.” (Dick, 1993, p. 12) He explained that with the nature of social system where it is not possible to predict everything, especially needs of our clients.

In our action research I have noticed the following improvements:

1.              Teachers – action researches clearly defined problems,

2.              They used literature and knowledge which they acquired at professional meetings,

3.              They used different methods to gather data,

4.              They wrote reports,

5.              They prepared and led their validation meetings.

I realised that the changing is not linear process because we sometimes have to withdraw from our values. In that time we might question values, or wait until the situation becomes ripe for changes. In our case, I could not change my dominant role, until other participants became ready to take responsibility for realisation of the project. When Jasna became ready to take the role of the facilitator she did it almost subtly.

The action research never ends. Its main value is not in answers but in questions and problems which arise from the process of change. The action research does not change the whole world but just individuals. That is its advantage in relation to the approaches which attempt to change whole world often failed in changing the individuals. We can not learn the action research from the book (Marentič-Požarnik, 1993, p. 354) because it is not just the scientific approach, philosophy, but it is the creative answer to the challenges of improving our educational practice.

 


8.      New projects and visions

This action research project opened numerous new problems which may be researched. I would extract just several which are at the moment our ongoing projects.

1.             After this project we started with the new one which connects several groups of teachers from eight schools. Some of the facilitators of these groups were participants in the project which is described in this paper. This new project is called “Network of learning communities”. Groups of teachers assemble in their school where teachers could communicate and learn face to face with their co-workers. But the communication and sharing the learning materials are realized through Virtual Space of Collaboration (VSC) which is consisted of tools as forums, archives, columns etc.

 

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

Figure 13.      Web space of the new project “Network of learning communities” (http://mzu.sbnet.hr)

 

2.             The part of this new project is the cooperation of several teachers - action researchers from several schools who realized their own action research project and mainly communicate through forum on VSC. Our aim is to improve educational practice and in the same time popularize the action researches. We are going to publish a book about the action researches which could be used as a guide to other teachers who want to realize the action researches in their practice. Also we try to popularize the action researches at various professional meetings in different parts of our country.

3.             We try to cooperate with the action researchers from abroad. I joined in Living Action Research List (http://www.living-action-research.net) where I can communicate with lot of action researchers from different parts of the world about various topics. For me is especially important the cooperation with Sarah Flatcher who help me to deeply understand importance of mentoring at the beginning of the action research projects.

4.             Our last project was dedicated to children’s action researches. Marica who was the participant at the first action research project took the role of the mentor in the action researches projects which were realized by her ten-year-old children.

 

Figure 14.      Children as action researchers – presentation of action research project

 

Regarding to possibilities of teacher's professional development through action researches the situation in Croatia is not rosy. Our example is not rule. The action researchers in Croatia do not receive any financial support from our government; we just can use school resources if a headmaster is friendly disposed to our projects. Luckily for educators who want to improve the situation, the Government applied to join Europe Union. One of the main preconditions in obtaining the positive response from Europe Union is connected with the education. We have to improve radically our old-fashioned educational system. In regard to this tendency I see our opportunity that our individual efforts become good example and impulse the other ones. At the time we just could change ourselves and hope that the others will recognize the worth of our efforts and do the same or something better.

The action researches in teachers’ professional development are not occasional professional information, but it is rather the way of life which offers happiness of the creation to teachers but also demand of them to take the responsibility for the results which they gain. Only emancipated, competent, creative and (self)critical teachers may realize school of higher quality.


References

 

1.     Altricher, Herbert, Kemmis, Stephen, McTaggart, Robin & Zuber-Skerritt Ortrun (2002) The concept of action research, The Learning Organization, 9 (3), 125-131.

2.     Ambrosi-Randić, Neala (2001) Razgovori o nasilju nad djecom (Pula, Društvo “Naša djeca”)

3.     Anderson, Liane (1997) Argyris and Schon's theory on congruence and learning, Avaliable at: http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/argyris.html  (29th August 2004)

4.     Armstrong, Thomas (1994) Multiple intelligences in the classroom (Alexandria, ASCD).

5.     Bruner, Jerome (2000) Kultura obrazovanja (Zagreb, Educa).

6.     Carter, Margie i Curtis, Deb (1994) Training teachers: harvest of theory and practice (St. Paul, Redleaf Press).

7.     Craft, Anna (1997) Identity and creativity: educating teachers for postmodernism?, Teacher Development, 1 (1),  83-96.

8.     Day, Christopher (1999) Developing teachers: the challenges of lifelong learning (London, Falmer Press).

9.     Dick, Bob (1993) You want to do an action research thesis, Avaliable at:  
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/art/arthesis.html  (29th August 2004)

10.  Dimbleby, Richard i Burton, Greame (1998) More than words: an introduction to communication (London, New York, Routledge).

11.  Fish, Della (1997) Appreciating teaching as a basis for professional development, Teacher Development, 1 (1), 21-34.

12.  Fletcher, Sarah (2000) Mentoring in schools (London, Kogan Page).

13.  Glasser, William (2000) Teorija izbora: nova psihologija osobne slobode (Zagreb, Alinea).

  1. Habermas, Jürgen (1988) Filozofski diskurs moderne (Zagreb: Globus).

15.  Johnston, Sue (1994) Is action research a ‘natural’ process for teachers?, Educational Action Research, 2, (1),  39-48.

16.  Marentič-Požarnik, Barica (1993) Akcijsko raziskovanje – spodbujanje učiteljevega razmišljanja in profesionalne rasti. Sodobna pedagogika, 7-8,  347-359.

17.  McMahon, Tim (1999) Is Reflective Practice Synonymous with Action Research. Educational Action Research, 7 (1),  163-169.

18.  McNiff, Jean (2002) Action Research: Principles and Practice (New York, Routledge/Flamer).

19.  McNiff, Jean; Lomax, Pamela & Whitehead, Jack (1996) You and your action research project (London & New York: Routledge/Falmer).

20.  Miles, Matthew B. i Huberman, Michael A.  (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis (London, SAGE Publications).

21.  Miljak, Arjana (1996) Humanistički pristup teoriji i praksi predškolskog odgoja: model Izvor (Zagreb, Persona).

22.  Moon, Bob, Butcher, John i Bird, Elizabeth (2000) Leading professional development in education (London & New York, Routledege/Flamer).

23.  Mullen, Carol (eds) (1999) New Directions in Mentoring: Creating Culture of Synergy (New York, Falmer Press).

24.  Patton, Michael Q. (1990) Qualitative evaluation and research methods (Newbury Park, London, New Delhi, SAGE Publications).

25.  Polić, Milan (1997) Čovjek – odgoj – svijet (Zagreb, KruZak).

26.  Polić, Milan (1993) Odgoj i svije(s)t (Zagreb, Hrvatsko filozofsko društvo).

27.  Ponder, Gerald A. & Holmes, Kathleen M. (1992) Purpose, Products, and Visions: The Creation of New Schools. The Educational Forum, 56 (4), 405-418.

28.  Salovey, Peter & Sluyter, David J. (eds.) (1999) Emocionalni razvoj i emocionalna inteligencija: pedagoške implikacije (Zagreb, Educa).

29.  Schön, Donald (1987a) Educating the reflective practitioner (San Francisco, Oxford, Jossey-Bass).

30.  Schön, Donald (1987b) Educating the reflective practitioner, Presentation to the 1987 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC, Avaliable at:  http://educ.queensu.ca/~ar/schon87.htm (29 th August 2004)

31.  Sullivan, Cheryl Granade (2004) How to mentor in the midst of change (Alexandria, ASCD).

32.  Stoll, Louise & Fink, Dean (2000) Mijenjajmo naše škole (Zagreb, Educa).

33.  Veenman, Simon (1998) Evaluation of a coaching programme for mentors of beginning teachers, Journal of In-service Education, 24 (3), 411-431.

34.  Whitehead, Jack (1989a) How do we Improve Research-based Professionalism in Education?-A question which includes action research, educational theory and the politics of educational knowledge, British Educational Research Journal, 15 (1), 3-17.

35.  Whitehead, Jack (1989b) Creating a Living Educational Theory from Questions of the Kind, 'How do I Improve My Practice?', Cambridge Journal of Education, 19 (1), 41-52.

36.  Whitehead, Jack (1999) Educative Relations in a New Era, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 7 (1), 73-90.

  1. Zuber-Skerritt, Orturn (2002) The concept of action learning. The Learning Organization, 9 (3), 114-124.


[1]           “Action research aims at solving specific problems within a program, organisation, or community. Action research explicitly and purposefully becomes part of the change process by engaging the people in the program or organization in studying their own problems in order to solve those problems (Whyte, 1989). As a result, the distinction between research and action becomes quite blurred and the research methods tend to be less systematic, more informal, and quite specific to the problem, people, and organization for which the research is undertaken.” (Patton, 1990, p. 157)

[2]           According to Kemmis and McTaggart “action research is a form of collective, selfreflective inquiry that participants in social situations undertake to improve:

(1) the rationality and justice of their own social or educational practices;

(2) the participants' understanding of these practices and the situations in which they carry out these practices.” (Altrichter, Kemmis, McTaggart and Zuber-Skeritt, 2002, p.125-126)

 

[3]           “Action learning, in brief, is learning from concrete experience and critical reflection on that experience - through group discussion, trial and error, discovery, and learning from and with each other. It is a process by which groups of people (whether managers, academics, teachers, students, or "learners" generally) address actual workplace issues or problems, in complex situations and conditions.” (Zuber-Skerritt, 2002, p. 114-115)

 

[4]           Primary school in Croatia is in the same time compulsory school and lasts eight years.

[5]           The city of Slavonski Brod is situated in the East part of Croatia that is called Slavonija. It is the center of one of the six districts in Slavonia About 60000 inhabitants live there.

[6]           School hour lasts 45 minutes.

[7]           Each reference is labelled with the original name of the documents which type depends of extension (e.g. ‘.doc’ is textual, ‘.avi’ is video and ‘.mp3’ is audio document. Numbers denote the starting and the ending position of the clip in the original document.

[8]           At the moment the production much more implies the production of ideas then the production of stuff.

[9]           Certainly, not all my values were neglected. I’ve done many jobs which were in accordance with my values. For example I’ve organised workshops, helped teachers to improve their teaching, helped teachers and students in using the computers etc.

[10]            Informal conversational interview is based on completely spontaneous asking question in natural conversation. This form of interview is especially adequate for participatory fieldwork because questions arise from immediate context of happening. Questions in interview are changed depending on the situation and could be individualized to achieve deeper communication.  (Patton, 1991, p. 281-282)

[11]          “An interview guide is the list of questions or issues that are to be explored in the course of an interview… Thus the interviewer remains free to build a conversation within the particular subject area, to word questions spontaneously, and to establish a conversational style – but with the focus on a particular subject that has been predetermined.” (Patton, 1991, p. 283) Interviewer asks questions in order and in particular ways which he/she considers as appropriate for specific situation of interviewing. (p. 283-284)

[12]          Standardized open-ended interview implies asking the equal question to all respondents in the same order. Asking the open question means that researchers allow respondents to express their point of view.  (Patton, 1991, p. 289)

[13]         “The idea of a ‘critical friend’ or ‘a critical colleague’ was first recommended by Stenhouse (1975) as a ‘partner’ who can give advice and is working with the teacher–researcher in the action research. Instead of perceiving the role as an advisor or consultant, the ‘critical friends’ see themselves as the ‘friend’ of the teacher–researcher. There is a ‘dual’ or ‘overlapping’ role to facilitate the progress of research by developing the reflective and learning capacity of the teacher–researcher, in a supportive, cooperative manner.” (Kember et al, 1997, p. 464)

            It is particularly interesting to know how ten-year-old children, who conducted their action researches, define the role of critical friends:

“Girl1:   He/she tells you what you haven't done too well, what you can do better, not just commend you: "Oh that's great, oh that's wonderful".

Girl2:    A critical friend is always with you and he/she will always give you, he/she will always tell you what is missing or what not to do and what to do, he/she always says…

Boy1:    It is a friend who gives you advice about the things you didn't do right in your plan and the things that you did and what you could improve” (A student interview transcript based on a video recording recorded on 3rd February 2004).

 

 

 

[14]          25th April 2001.

[15]          Željka decided to obtain her action research alone without my help.

[16]          “Willingness to laugh and cry—that is, to include emotion as a part of the relationship—may help both mentor and protege keep alive some of their visions about what education can be. It may improve morale and relieve stress as pressure mounts during times of rapid change.” (Sullivan, 2004, p. 40)

[17]          “In the business field, the term is frequently used to describe a method for helping people learn new skills and probably derives from the concept of apprenticeship where experienced masters passed on their knowledge and skills to the apprentices.” (Veenman at al., 1998, p. 414)