Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Key Ideas

• Practitioner action research, introduced by Lewin (1946,1948), is an approach used by practicing professionals for individual reflection and shared study related to important social issues.
• Although practitioner action research is often conducted as critical social action, interpretive practical reasoning is an equally common application for professionals.
• Practitioner research as practical reasoning is characterized by professional self-reflection, tight time frames, and a work-related focus that is intended to improve practice.
• One useful format for implementing practitioner research, adapted from Kemmis and McTaggart (1982), offers a sequence of focusing, planning, acting, observing, reflecting, and revising, ordinarily followed ...