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Title: |
How can self study enquiries in the
generation of living educational theories be validated in creating a future
for educational research? |
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Abstract: Please do not
enter authors or affiliations on this form as the abstracts are being
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Context of the domain of
enquiry In the first issue of Educational
Theory Kilpatrick (1951) claimed that educational theory was a form of
dialogue that had implications for the future of society. The context of this
enquiry is what counts as valid educational theory in the Academy in Britain
and elsewhere. Focus of enquiry In 1993 the American
Educational Research Association founded the self-study in teacher-education
practices group Special Interest Group and in 2003 BERA established the
Practitioner-Researcher Special Interest Group. The focus of the enquiry is
on the desirability of legitimating the idea that individual's can generating
their own living educational theories in enquiries of the kind, 'How do I
improve what I am doing?' It includes evidence from some 19 living theory
doctorates, legitimated in the Academy over the past ten years that shows how
self-study enquiries in the generation of living educational theories can be
validated in creating a future for educational research. Data collection methods or
mapping of literature The data archive can be
accessed from the living theory section of http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/
. It consists of some 19 living
theory doctoral and other theses legitimated in the Academy over the past ten
years. The methods used to collect data within the doctoral research
programmes include observation schedules, interviews, questionnaires,
autobiography, appreciative inquiry, narrative enquiry, triangulation, action
reflection cycles. Mapping the literature moves from Eisner's (1997) ideas on
forms of representation in educational research, to Snow's (2001) plea for
practitioners to make public their professional knowledge base to McNiff's
and Whitehead's (2005) ideas on the transformation of educational theory
using a generative approach to action research. Theoretical framework The living educational theories
are distinguished with Whitehead's (1989) idea that individuals can create
these theories as explanations for their educational influence in their own
learning and in the learning of others as they ask, research and answer
questions of the kind, 'How am I improving what I am doing?' In the
generation of living educational theories, insights are drawn from theories
of education drawn from the philosophy, psychology, sociology, theology,
management, economics, politics and leadership of education. These include
Habermas' (1987) theory of communicative action, Rawls' (1971) Theory of
Justice, Sen's (1999) Economic Theory of Human Capability, Buber's (1937)
Theory of the Relation in Education, Murray's (2006) Postcolonial Theorising
and Bernstein's (2000) Theory of Pedagogy, Culture and Identity. Contribution to educational
knowledge. This is focused on legitimating
the living critical standards of judgement used by practitioner-researchers
in their educational theories that can explain their educational influences
in their own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of
social formations. Drawing on the work of Naidoo (2005) on an emergent living
theory of responsive and inclusion practice, it will be shown how ontological
values, such as a passion for compassion, can be expressed, clarified and
validated in the academy as living critical standards of judgement. Using
multi-media communications of educational relationships between educators and
their students new living and collaborative standards of judgement will be
presented from Chinese action researchers in the creation of their
collaborative living educational theories. References
Bernstein, R. (2000) Pedagogy,
Symbolic Control and Identity: Theory, Research, Critique. Lanham, Rowman
& Littlefield. Buber (1937) I and Thou. Trans. R. G. Smith.
Edinburgh, T.& T. Clark. Eisner (1997) 'The promise and
perils of alternative forms of data representation', Educational Researcher 26 (6): 4–10. Habermas (1987) The Theory
of Communicative Action, Volume Two: The Critique of Functionalist Reason. Oxford, Polity. Kilpatrick, W. (1951) 'Critical
issues in current educational theory', Educational Theory 1 (1):
1–8. McNiff and Whitehead (2005) All
You Need to Know about Action Research. London, Sage. Murray, Y. P. (2006) Welcome to my multiracial and
inclusive Postcolonial Living Education Theory - practice, research and
becoming. Retrieved 19 January 2005 from http://www.royagcol.ac.uk/~paul_murray/default.htm Naidoo, M. (2005) I am because
we are (a never ending story). An emergent living theory of inclusional and
responsive practice. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Bath. Retrieved 19 January
2005 from http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/naidoo.shtml Rawls (1971) A Theory of
Justice. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Sen (1999) Development as
Freedom. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Snow, C. (2001) 'Knowing what
we know: children, teachers, researchers', Educational Researcher 30 (7): 3–9. Whitehead (1989) 'Creating a
living educational theory from questions of the kind, "How do I improve my
practice?"', Cambridge Journal of Education 19 (1); 137–153. |