What is it about?
An Action Research module was developed for the final year students in an Early Years degree. The aim of the module was to foster a clear sense of professional identity and support students in researching, reflecting upon and re-defining their practice. This paper offers a rationale for designing this module and explains how Action Research can become a useful tool that can give 'voice' and 'agency' to a traditionally marginalised group. It discusses the possibilities, the complexities and politics of facilitating emancipatory action research in an academic environment.
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Why is it important?
This paper assumes a political stance. It argues that Action Research can be emancipatory if practitioners/researchers/students are given the space to take political action - to reflect on and redefine themselves and their practice. As an emancipatory tool, Action Research can support early years practitioners (a historically marginalised group) to reposition themselves and claim more agency and control over their practice.
Perspectives
As I argue in this paper, the university is best placed to foster students' professional identities, to empower them to assume a central position in their field of practice. The aim of the module has been to support practitioners in repositioning themselves. This is a long term aim (a political agenda) that I have assumed and will be working on through ongoing action research with our students. This module serves a dual function: it supports students in developing their Action Research on their practice; it also enables the tutor/researcher to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the module by carrying out her Action Research.
Marianna Papadopoulou
Canterbury Christ Church University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Supporting the development of early years students’ professional identities through an action research programme, Educational Action Research, August 2019, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/09650792.2019.1652196.
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