COURSE NUMBER: R 7038
COURSE NAME: Action Research
TERM: Spring I 2008
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Phyllis AndersonPHONE:
630-261-1884EMAIL:
FAX:
ALT PHONE:
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title / Doing action research in your own organizationAuthor(s) / Caghlan, D., & Brannick, T.
Copyright / 2005
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 1412902479
Edition
Title / The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty.
Author(s) / Herr, K. & Anderson, G.
Copyright / 2005
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 0761929916
Edition
RECOMMENDED TEXTS FOR ALL PROGRAMS
Title / Action Research: A Handbook for PractitionersAuthor(s) / Stringer, E.T
Copyright / 1996
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 0761900640
Edition
Title / Action Research
Author(s) / Stringer, E.T
Copyright / 1999
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 0761917136
Edition / 2nd
RECOMMENDED READINGS FOR BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
Title / Action Research in Human ServicesAuthor(s) / Stringer, E.T. & Dwyer, R
Copyright / 2005
Publisher / Pearson Education
ISBN / 0130974234
Edition
RECOMMENDED READINGS FOR BUSINESS
Foundations for Learning, Change, and Theoretical Development
Author(s) / Adler, N., Shani, A.B., & Styhre, A
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 0761928626
Edition
RECOMMENDED READINGS FOR EDUCATION
Title / Action Research in Education.Author(s) / Stringer, E.T
Copyright / 2004
Publisher / Sage
ISBN / 0130974250
Edition
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO
R7038
Action Research - Syllabus
Instructor / Dr. Phyllis Anderson / E-mail /Phone / 630-261-1884 / Office Hours
Office
Faculty Biography:
Dr. Phyllis Anderson, Ph.D. Management, MBA. Taught at several higher-ed institutions and various business courses. Received a University Excellence Award. Plus has several years’ work experience in the private sector including with B. F. Goodrich, Continental Can, and United States Steel. Dr. Anderson has authored several publications and is a members of numerous management associations.
Course Description:
The course advances the proposition that the action research approach is a useful paradigm in the field and worthwhile model for dissertation work. Historical, philosophical and theoretical foundations will be discussed, but practical application will be the primary focus simultaneously with learning. This is consistent with an action research approach. Collaboration and group work is also a hallmark of action research so students will demonstrate their abilities to design, diagnose, plan, implement, observe, and reflect in cooperation with classmates. The various roles and skills necessary to be an effective action researcher will be discussed, as well as important issues related to empowerment, contextualization, ethical considerations, and validity.
Required Texts:
Required of all students:Caghlan, D., & Brannick, T. (2005). Doing action research in your own organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 1412902479
Herr, K. & Anderson, G. (2005). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 0761929916
Publication manual of the American psychological association. (2001). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN: 1-55798-971-2
Note: Obtain the wire bound version, if possible
Recommended Texts:
For all students:Stringer, E.T. (1996). Action Research: A Handbook for Practitioners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Stringer, E.T. (1999). Action Research (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Recommended Texts:
For Business Students:Adler, N., Shani, A.B., & Styhre, A. (2003). Collaborative Research in Organizations:
Foundations for Learning, Change, and Theoretical Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Recommended Texts:
For Education Students:Stringer, E.T. (2004). Action Research in Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Recommended Texts:
For Behavioral Science Students:Stringer, E.T. & Dwyer, R. (2005). Action Research in Human Services. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Technology:
Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office; Adobe Acrobat Reader (full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) 5.0 (MAC) or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.
Goals:
Program Outcomes:
1. Research
1.1. Performing – Design, conduct, and justify applied research in a business context using appropriate methodology
1.2. Understanding – Evaluate and apply existing theory and research to current business practice
2. Communication
2.1. Oral – Present orally, complex business information that is concise, clear, organized, and well supported in a professional manner appropriate to the business context
2.2. Written – Present in writing, complex business information that is concise, clear, organized, and well supported in a professional manner appropriate to the business context using required format
3. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
3.1. Critical thinking – Evaluate relevance of established theory to current business practice and identify gaps in current literature
3.2. Problem Solving/Decision Making – Given a business situation, diagnose the underlying causes of the situation, evaluate possible solutions, in relation to underlying business theory and determine and defend appropriate course of action
3.3. Information Literacy - Conduct an exhaustive literature search from a variety of sources, evaluate the credibility of the sources, and apply that information to create new knowledge
4. Team
4.1. Leadership - Conduct an exhaustive literature search from a variety of sources, evaluate the credibility of the sources, and apply that information to create new knowledge
4.2. Collaboration - Given a case study or business situation collect, assimilate, and disseminate the views of stakeholders
5. Ethics
5.1. Ethics - Given a case study or business situations, evaluate the ethical dimensions of decision situations and personal, social, and corporate responsibility not absolved by market forces
6. Diversity
6.1. Diversity - Given a case study or business situation evaluate the multicultural dimensions of decision situations and multicultural solutions to business situations
Course Objectives:
1. Identify the theoretical foundations of Action Research. [5%]
2. Develop practical applications of Action Research. [15%]
3. Investigate the applicability of Action Research in a current work setting. [10%]
4. Develop a professional orientation toward the practice of Action Research. [10%]
5. Collaborate with other students in an Action Research cycle. [20%]
6. Use computer and other technological applications for access to Action Research resources. [5%]
7. Consider and include ethical standards related to Action Research. [10%]
8. Develop an Action Research Plan. [15%]
9. Create an effective Action Research dissertation and professional presentation. [10%]
Course Schedule
Note: This is a blended course so you do not have to do all of the assignments on the class eCollege site. The assignments you will need to do online are presented within the table below.
The design of this course includes both classroom and online sections. Refer to class intranet site for additional information when determining assignment locations and supporting information outside of lecture and in class discussion.
Week / Assignments1 / Discussion Questions:
1. How often would “taking the context into account” and including the input from others have helped you make a better decision at work or in a project? Comment on at least two other postings.
2. Good communication is essential to implementing models that depend upon feedback loops. Discuss what you should do if the essential condition of good communication does not seem apparent in a setting where you have been asked to initiate an Action Research cycle. Comment on at least two other postings.
3. The action researcher often functions as a resource for people collaborating in a project. What special skills, knowledge, or other attributes do you bring to strengthen your group? Find at least two members of the class who has what you would need and comment on their postings.
Assignments:
1. Application
Complete one assignment as directed by the Facilitator and submit to the Discussion Board.
a. Begin writing a journal recording your experiences, both group and personal, and email a summary of it to the instructor at the end of the week. Sites that can help include:
www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arr/arow/rdiary.html
www.engl.niu.edu/wac/reflect.html
Also consult the text readings, as well as other resources, related to reflection, meta-learning, and journaling.
b. Good observation skills and openness to the total experience are essential to the Action Research professional. Think about the challenges you would face if you implement an Action Research project in your workplace, and find at least one resource to use to fill the gaps in your abilities. Summarize how you would apply this within an Action Research framework.
See Course Project towards end of syllabus.
2 / Discussion Questions:
1. Find one journal article and one article on the Argosy Online database or the Internet that contains a relevant review of literature related to the problem you described in week one. Cite the articles in APA style. Describe three things the authors did well or did not do well. Comment on at least two other postings.
2. Find one journal article and one article on the Argosy Online database or the Internet that contains a relevant review of literature related to the problem you described in week one. Cite the articles in APA style. Discuss the similarities and differences you noticed in the quality of the two resources. Comment on at least two other postings.
3. Action research requires collaboration, and all of you will participate in a group project. Share some of your positive and negative experiences of past team projects. What suggestions do you have to make the group projects in this course go more smoothly Comment on at least two other postings.
Assignments:
1. Application
Complete one assignment as directed by the Facilitator and submit to the Discussion Board.
a. Write a journal summary recording your experiences, both group and personal, and email it to the instructor at the end of the week.
b. There are numerous instruments available to measure or represent concepts like climate (scales) and context (force field analysis). Identify one to use and apply it to your setting. Share the results and write a summary of how well the instrument worked for you (or how it would have if you could not implement it.)
2. Field Experience
Field Experience observations will include any literature, records, passive observations, information sources about the problem and the context for each student’s site. Use the information below to formalize and systematize your observations.
a. In the setting, make notes about the physical surroundings, the context of the observation, and the kinds of behavior the setting encourages or discourages.
b. As far as the participants are concerned, describe the persons in the setting, their roles, and the number of persons. Explain what brings the persons together and list the persons who are allowed in the setting.
c. Note what is going on. Look out for an order of activities. Observe how persons interact with one another and if there are any relationships between persons and activities.
d. Note the chronology of the interactions. Note the time when the situation begins, the duration of the situation. Look for recurrence of the situation and if so, how frequently it recurs. See if you can classify the situation into those similar to the one being observed.
e. Include subtle elements of the situation in your observation. Things like unscheduled activities, the connotative meanings of words, body language, and any unexpected behavior.
f. This information from the field observations will be used in the group discussions to help pick a project for the entire group to focus upon for the rest of the course.
See Course Project towards end of syllabus.
3 / Discussion Questions:
1. Making changes and getting stakeholders to accept changes is not an easy task. You want to incorporate an Action Research project in your workplace. What benefits of Action Research could you outline and present to the stakeholders to encourage their support? Comment on at least two other postings.
2. Ethical issues are discussed and addressed in any type of research. We focus on not harming the participants, maintaining confidentiality, not making participation mandatory, not distorting data, and so forth. Action research requires close collaboration between researchers and participants. How will you maintain confidentiality in your Action Research project? Comment on at least two other postings.
3. While doing research in an organization, you will encounter political issues and forces that could undermine the research project or harm others. List five major forces of support and five major forces of resistance you could encounter at your organization or workplace if you began the Action Research project you identified during week one. Comment on at least two other postings.
Assignments:
1. Application
Complete one assignment as directed by the Facilitator and submit to the Discussion Board.
a. Write a journal summary recording your experiences, both group and personal, and email it to the instructor.
b. Imagine you are going to do an Action Research project in your setting. Planning needs to include the political forces that are present. Construct a force field analysis to describe the major influences you will need to address. Chose one of them and follow through with developing a plan to address the issue. Write out the plan and share it with the group.
2. See Course Project towards end of syllabus.
4 / Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss and evaluate techniques for gathering data in Action Research. Also, discuss the advantages/disadvantages of the techniques.
2. Action Research can be used to identify/diagnose problems and evaluate solutions. You plan the action steps and evaluate the outcomes. Despite the best planning, things do not always go as planned. There will be intended and unintended outcomes. What would you do after your Action Research plan was implemented and interventions were made but the outcomes were not what was intended? Comment on at least two other postings.
3. One thing that sets Action Research apart from other methods of research is the focus on interlevel dynamics. What are the levels of relationship in your organization? Describe the relationship between individuals, teams, interdepartmental groups, and the organization. How will you be sensitive to these relationships? Comment on at least two other postings.
Assignments:
1. Application
Complete one assignment as directed by the Facilitator and submit to the Discussion Board.
a. Write a journal summary recording your experiences, both group and personal, and email it to the instructor at the end of the week.
b. Prescribing action can lead to creative and locally unique solutions to many problems. Sometimes using a model program for a reference or even adopting it completely may be the solution. Find an example of a model program that addresses your problem, discuss how you would introduce this information into your setting, and then apply it in the diagnosis of your problem. Report the results and share them with your group.