Action Research for Institutional Change in Indonesian Higher Education

• In Event: How Indonesian Higher Education Institutions Use Action Research to Lead Change

Abstract

The purpose of the first paper is to situate the specific, institutional case studies of HELM action research in the principles of action research as applied to change management and leadership development in higher education. Key principles include collaborative, iterative processes for research, problem-solving, implementation and evaluation embedded in local HEI context by and with local people (McNiff, J., 2013; Stringer, E.T., 2013). It then introduces the USAID-funded Higher Education Leadership and Management project’s (HELM) Action Research Program for mid-level leaders engaged in designing and implementing collaborative strategies to effect change in their own institutions. The paper draws from direct engagement over the past three years with 25 HELM action research projects, occurring in 25 different universities and polytechnics across Indonesia. This work has generated quantitative and qualitative institutional, professional development, and evaluation data about both the projects and the research process. These data have emerged in direct collaboration with the lead researchers for each individual HELM action research project, during site visits to the HEIs, and from workshops held for gatherings of the ARP researchers. The data have been analyzed within and across institutions, forming the basis for this applied research overview. Finally, the paper highlights the challenges of introducing action research as a form of leadership development and change from within, in an environment accustomed to leadership and change from above.

Author

• Beth Leah Goldstein, University of Kentucky