Action Research Action Research

• In Event: Activating Disruptive Power: Transformative Possibilities for Eco-Justice in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss an ongoing action research project that introduces students to action research both as a research method and as a way of engaging in disruptive social change and personal growth. I will describe the intentions of an action research assignment for a Masters’ level course titled “Educating for Environmental Citizenship,” and follow this with a discussion of my ongoing engagement in the process of trying to improve it.

A particular focus of the course is to consider how so called “internal factors,” like knowledge, beliefs, emotions, habits, attitudes, values, and behaviour, interact with each other (ex. Kollmus and Agyeman, 2002) and with “external factors,” like our natural, social, cultural, political, economic, and technological worlds, to make people more or less active in seeking positive change. I am clear that this is a very complex mental ecology that we are only beginning to identify, let alone understand; that there is no one-size-fits-all solution that will apply to each of us, or even in any one of us all the time; and that what facilitates action in one context might lead to apathy in another. I suggest that one possible solution might then be to develop the capacity to observe and reflect (individually and collectively) upon how these various factors interact within us, and in those who we live and work with. Students are asked to identify a sustainability issue and work in groups to plan (aims, tactics, division of labour, decision making process, etc.) and coordinate action on it. As students proceed, they are asked to pay particular attention to how various internal and external events and structures motivate or demotivate them over time, and are asked to work with their groups to help uncover and address these factors as needed. Finally, they are asked to explore how and if uncovering these factors facilitates their capacity to take action, and whether consulting relevant literature, action theories, successful struggles of the past, and testimonies of those who participated in them, can help (or hinder) engagement. As a result, action research is not merely about changing the external world but also about changing the self (Cahill, 2007). Indeed the aim is to overcome the dichotomy entirely, by recognizing the interconnections between each and in working on the relationship between them. Papers take the form of narrative descriptions of the unfolding process.

Throughout the process, I attempt to engage in the same sort of process I ask of my students. I reflect on the challenges and opportunities of creating a learning “assessment” that strives to disrupt power structures, and explore whether it is even possible to do this in a course assignment. I discuss with students my concerns and listen to theirs, and pay attention to how my emotions ebb and flow over time.

This paper is significant for educators and scholars seeking to understand the value of action research in helping students disrupt interlocking internal and external factors that contribute to the ecological crisis.

Author

• Ramsey Affifi, University of Edinburgh