Narratives are being increasingly used in nursing and action research. In this participatory action research study, nurse leaders of an acute care of the older person unit collectively, critically and creatively reflected on lived experiences in order to explore the concept of person-centred leadership within their own practice. This paper…

This paper is a reflexive account of the use of critical social theory within my practice as an action researcher. It is set within the ongoing debates between pragmatist and critical tendencies within action research. The paper discusses how a selective deployment of key constructs from the work of Jurgen Habermas has supported my work as a…

Inquiry-into-practice represents a valuable disposition for teachers; reflecting on one's teaching to derive insights for subsequent practice can enhance professional efficacy and promote student achievement. To support this disposition among teacher candidates (TCs), Lynch School of Education faculty at Boston College created a capstone course,…

Based on appreciative inquiry and threshold concepts from an intercultural learning perspective, the article makes insights into the constructivist social learning practice of Estonian language learning amongst Russian-speaking teachers in Estonia. The application of educational action research methodology, more specifically that of Bridget…

The article discusses aspects of an action research study, with the aim of exploring how the cultural dimension within the education of English as a foreign language could evolve from a transmission of target-culture facts into an exploration of generic and value-related aspects such as awareness of diversity and respect for difference. The…

An ongoing oral history project at the University of Cumbria seeks to uncover the lived experiences of people with learning difficulties who lived at the Royal Albert Hospital. A recently made video exposed the apparent distress this caused one of the participants. Ethical discussions about the project reached a point of being "stuck". The ethical…

This article portrays action research conducted in relation to students' faulty use of the equality sign in a Grade Four mathematics classroom in Sweden. Substantial background on teacher-researcher collaboration that prepares ground for the action research is offered. Drawing on cultural-historical and activity theory perspectives, the conduct of…

In this paper I report the action research I carried out on improving the teaching and learning of academic writing at a university. The action research sprang out of my experiences of learning and teaching academic writing. It sought locality and originality in what students read and write during academic writing courses. The macro and micro…

This report documents findings from comprehensive end-of-year student surveys conducted by Albany Senior High School (ASHS) at the end of 2009 and 2010, its first two years of existence as a newly built senior secondary high school. The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) was given access to the collated survey data for the…

Literature that discusses transformative change in schools typically draws on experiences of renewal and change in existing schools. This report explores the shaping of a new school with the intent, established at the very outset, of offering a curriculum for the 21st century. The report discusses four key aspects of curriculum innovation at this…

This working paper describes some of the ideas underpinning NZCER's Future-Focused Issues (FFI) project. There is a variety of ways to interpret what it means to take a "future focus" in education. This paper explains why the FFI project has focused primarily on concepts specifically mentioned in relation to "future focus" in "The New Zealand…

This booklet is a summary of an extensive review of research and other literature undertaken to guide the development of the Wellbeing@School website self-review process, survey tools and content. This website is being developed by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). The "Wellbeing@School" website is one component of the…

This working paper describes a series of recent "student voice" projects undertaken by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). Although these projects varied in terms of their specific contexts and processes, each sought to elicit young people's perspectives (about learning, education and/or other aspects of their lives), and…

This report is a synthesis that explores "opportunities for professional learning" that might occur when teachers work together to moderate their judgments about students' work. Since such conversations are inherently social, the synthesis employs the lens of sociocultural learning theory. It draws together key themes from the small number of…

The Museum Education Association of New Zealand (MEANZ) and the National Services Te Paerangi (NSTP) set up a pilot mentoring programme for museum educators in New Zealand. The overall goals for the programme were to: (1) facilitate professional relationships between museum educators who are in need of information and assistance and those who can…