Putting research in action

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

The word 'research' usually makes people think of something that's dry, theoretical, scientific, and probably out of touch. Action research is a way of changing the things that matter to you. 'Action researchers' are practitioners who select an area of their work to look at more closely, for their own professional development and to improve the quality of children's experiences and learning. For example, Vivian Gussin-Paley, an early years teacher working in America, tape-recorded conversations she had with the children in her kindergarten to learn more about how children's talking relates to their thinking, and to improve her own skills in developing conversations with children. She wanted to know what she should say to encourage children into extended conversations with her, and what types of questions or comments she should avoid.