Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Summary

Practitioner action research, an idea introduced by Lewin in the 1940s, was first used by community groups to address such important social problems as racism and poverty. In addition to its use in social action, practitioner action research has since been applied using traditional technical and practical reasoning approaches as a way for practitioners to conduct their own research without outside supervision or control.

One model adapted from Lewin's earlier work (1948) that practitioners can follow includes focusing, planning, acting, observing, reflecting, revising, and then refocusing (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1982). This research approach is characterized by practitioner self-reflection, short turnaround schedules, a focus on real-life ...