action research in field study 2

Action Research

Welcome to Learning Episode 9

This output is in partial fulfilment of the requirements in educ 71-field study 2 (participation & assistantship for pre-service teacher) under ms. garin a. boiser our instructor in educ 71. i would love to showcase my output about this episode " making a doable action research proposal " for this course of which it truly help me to develop and honed my skills and abilities true progress throughout my journey as a pre-service teacher..

At the end of this Episode, you must be able to:

Define the focus of your study., clearly identify the variables to be measure., indicates the various steps to be involved., establish the limits of your study..

Here are the based answers on my Field Study 2 Manual

THE WHOLE COPY OF OUR ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Link of the paper here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/15e391TAm9OSL8Wtjnvgtk5eOIEoPLmyW/view?fbclid=IwAR2IzN75MSNgT3AJP2PUIHXf-iL0Ic9hX5x2wbNJ3nuEO0DLMJBdw-0gYQs

THANKS TO THE PANELIST AND TO OUR ADVISER

We made it to the top, 3rd best action research.

This wouldn't happen without the guidance of our Beautiful, Kind, Humble, and Sweet Maam Garin Boiser. If you read this part here Maam thank you to the moon and back.

To my co-researchers thank you for your dedication and self courage to fight with me in giving justice to our research paper. to our parents, friends, relative, and to those who help us in making to the top, thank you. lastly, to almighty god for all of this blessings.

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1 What is Action Research for Classroom Teachers?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What is the nature of action research?
• How does action research develop in the classroom?
• What models of action research work best for your classroom?
• What are the epistemological, ontological, theoretical underpinnings of action research?

Educational research provides a vast landscape of knowledge on topics related to teaching and learning, curriculum and assessment, students’ cognitive and affective needs, cultural and socio-economic factors of schools, and many other factors considered viable to improving schools. Educational stakeholders rely on research to make informed decisions that ultimately affect the quality of schooling for their students. Accordingly, the purpose of educational research is to engage in disciplined inquiry to generate knowledge on topics significant to the students, teachers, administrators, schools, and other educational stakeholders. Just as the topics of educational research vary, so do the approaches to conducting educational research in the classroom. Your approach to research will be shaped by your context, your professional identity, and paradigm (set of beliefs and assumptions that guide your inquiry). These will all be key factors in how you generate knowledge related to your work as an educator.

Action research is an approach to educational research that is commonly used by educational practitioners and professionals to examine, and ultimately improve, their pedagogy and practice. In this way, action research represents an extension of the reflection and critical self-reflection that an educator employs on a daily basis in their classroom. When students are actively engaged in learning, the classroom can be dynamic and uncertain, demanding the constant attention of the educator. Considering these demands, educators are often only able to engage in reflection that is fleeting, and for the purpose of accommodation, modification, or formative assessment. Action research offers one path to more deliberate, substantial, and critical reflection that can be documented and analyzed to improve an educator’s practice.

Purpose of Action Research

As one of many approaches to educational research, it is important to distinguish the potential purposes of action research in the classroom. This book focuses on action research as a method to enable and support educators in pursuing effective pedagogical practices by transforming the quality of teaching decisions and actions, to subsequently enhance student engagement and learning. Being mindful of this purpose, the following aspects of action research are important to consider as you contemplate and engage with action research methodology in your classroom:

• Action research is a process for improving educational practice. Its methods involve action, evaluation, and reflection. It is a process to gather evidence to implement change in practices.
• Action research is participative and collaborative. It is undertaken by individuals with a common purpose.
• Action research is situation and context-based.
• Action research develops reflection practices based on the interpretations made by participants.
• Knowledge is created through action and application.
• Action research can be based in problem-solving, if the solution to the problem results in the improvement of practice.
• Action research is iterative; plans are created, implemented, revised, then implemented, lending itself to an ongoing process of reflection and revision.
• In action research, findings emerge as action develops and takes place; however, they are not conclusive or absolute, but ongoing (Koshy, 2010, pgs. 1-2).

In thinking about the purpose of action research, it is helpful to situate action research as a distinct paradigm of educational research. I like to think about action research as part of the larger concept of living knowledge. Living knowledge has been characterized as “a quest for life, to understand life and to create… knowledge which is valid for the people with whom I work and for myself” (Swantz, in Reason & Bradbury, 2001, pg. 1). Why should educators care about living knowledge as part of educational research? As mentioned above, action research is meant “to produce practical knowledge that is useful to people in the everyday conduct of their lives and to see that action research is about working towards practical outcomes” (Koshy, 2010, pg. 2). However, it is also about:

creating new forms of understanding, since action without reflection and understanding is blind, just as theory without action is meaningless. The participatory nature of action research makes it only possible with, for and by persons and communities, ideally involving all stakeholders both in the questioning and sense making that informs the research, and in the action, which is its focus. (Reason & Bradbury, 2001, pg. 2)

In an effort to further situate action research as living knowledge, Jean McNiff reminds us that “there is no such ‘thing’ as ‘action research’” (2013, pg. 24). In other words, action research is not static or finished, it defines itself as it proceeds. McNiff’s reminder characterizes action research as action-oriented, and a process that individuals go through to make their learning public to explain how it informs their practice. Action research does not derive its meaning from an abstract idea, or a self-contained discovery – action research’s meaning stems from the way educators negotiate the problems and successes of living and working in the classroom, school, and community.

While we can debate the idea of action research, there are people who are action researchers, and they use the idea of action research to develop principles and theories to guide their practice. Action research, then, refers to an organization of principles that guide action researchers as they act on shared beliefs, commitments, and expectations in their inquiry.

Reflection and the Process of Action Research

When an individual engages in reflection on their actions or experiences, it is typically for the purpose of better understanding those experiences, or the consequences of those actions to improve related action and experiences in the future. Reflection in this way develops knowledge around these actions and experiences to help us better regulate those actions in the future. The reflective process generates new knowledge regularly for classroom teachers and informs their classroom actions.

Unfortunately, the knowledge generated by educators through the reflective process is not always prioritized among the other sources of knowledge educators are expected to utilize in the classroom. Educators are expected to draw upon formal types of knowledge, such as textbooks, content standards, teaching standards, district curriculum and behavioral programs, etc., to gain new knowledge and make decisions in the classroom. While these forms of knowledge are important, the reflective knowledge that educators generate through their pedagogy is the amalgamation of these types of knowledge enacted in the classroom. Therefore, reflective knowledge is uniquely developed based on the action and implementation of an educator’s pedagogy in the classroom. Action research offers a way to formalize the knowledge generated by educators so that it can be utilized and disseminated throughout the teaching profession.

Research is concerned with the generation of knowledge, and typically creating knowledge related to a concept, idea, phenomenon, or topic. Action research generates knowledge around inquiry in practical educational contexts. Action research allows educators to learn through their actions with the purpose of developing personally or professionally. Due to its participatory nature, the process of action research is also distinct in educational research. There are many models for how the action research process takes shape. I will share a few of those here. Each model utilizes the following processes to some extent:

• Plan a change;
• Take action to enact the change;
• Observe the process and consequences of the change;
• Reflect on the process and consequences;
• Act, observe, & reflect again and so on.

Figure 1.1 Basic action research cycle

There are many other models that supplement the basic process of action research with other aspects of the research process to consider. For example, figure 1.2 illustrates a spiral model of action research proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (2004). The spiral model emphasizes the cyclical process that moves beyond the initial plan for change. The spiral model also emphasizes revisiting the initial plan and revising based on the initial cycle of research:

Figure 1.2 Interpretation of action research spiral, Kemmis and McTaggart (2004, p. 595)

Other models of action research reorganize the process to emphasize the distinct ways knowledge takes shape in the reflection process. O’Leary’s (2004, p. 141) model, for example, recognizes that the research may take shape in the classroom as knowledge emerges from the teacher’s observations. O’Leary highlights the need for action research to be focused on situational understanding and implementation of action, initiated organically from real-time issues:

Figure 1.3 Interpretation of O’Leary’s cycles of research, O’Leary (2000, p. 141)

Lastly, Macintyre’s (2000, p. 1) model, offers a different characterization of the action research process. Macintyre emphasizes a messier process of research with the initial reflections and conclusions as the benchmarks for guiding the research process. Macintyre emphasizes the flexibility in planning, acting, and observing stages to allow the process to be naturalistic. Our interpretation of Macintyre process is below:

Figure 1.4 Interpretation of the action research cycle, Macintyre (2000, p. 1)

We believe it is important to prioritize the flexibility of the process, and encourage you to only use these models as basic guides for your process. Your process may look similar, or you may diverge from these models as you better understand your students, context, and data.

Definitions of Action Research and Examples

At this point, it may be helpful for readers to have a working definition of action research and some examples to illustrate the methodology in the classroom. Bassey (1998, p. 93) offers a very practical definition and describes “action research as an inquiry which is carried out in order to understand, to evaluate and then to change, in order to improve educational practice.” Cohen and Manion (1994, p. 192) situate action research differently, and describe action research as emergent, writing:

essentially an on-the-spot procedure designed to deal with a concrete problem located in an immediate situation. This means that ideally, the step-by-step process is constantly monitored over varying periods of time and by a variety of mechanisms (questionnaires, diaries, interviews and case studies, for example) so that the ensuing feedback may be translated into modifications, adjustment, directional changes, redefinitions, as necessary, so as to bring about lasting benefit to the ongoing process itself rather than to some future occasion.

Lastly, Koshy (2010, p. 9) describes action research as:

a constructive inquiry, during which the researcher constructs his or her knowledge of specific issues through planning, acting, evaluating, refining and learning from the experience. It is a continuous learning process in which the researcher learns and also shares the newly generated knowledge with those who may benefit from it.

These definitions highlight the distinct features of action research and emphasize the purposeful intent of action researchers to improve, refine, reform, and problem-solve issues in their educational context. To better understand the distinctness of action research, these are some examples of action research topics:

Examples of Action Research Topics

• Flexible seating in 4th grade classroom to increase effective collaborative learning.
• Structured homework protocols for increasing student achievement.
• Developing a system of formative feedback for 8th grade writing.
• Using music to stimulate creative writing.
• Weekly brown bag lunch sessions to improve responses to PD from staff.
• Using exercise balls as chairs for better classroom management.

Action Research in Theory

Action research-based inquiry in educational contexts and classrooms involves distinct participants – students, teachers, and other educational stakeholders within the system. All of these participants are engaged in activities to benefit the students, and subsequently society as a whole. Action research contributes to these activities and potentially enhances the participants’ roles in the education system. Participants’ roles are enhanced based on two underlying principles:

• communities, schools, and classrooms are sites of socially mediated actions, and action research provides a greater understanding of self and new knowledge of how to negotiate these socially mediated environments;
• communities, schools, and classrooms are part of social systems in which humans interact with many cultural tools, and action research provides a basis to construct and analyze these interactions.

In our quest for knowledge and understanding, we have consistently analyzed human experience over time and have distinguished between types of reality. Humans have constantly sought “facts” and “truth” about reality that can be empirically demonstrated or observed.

Social systems are based on beliefs, and generally, beliefs about what will benefit the greatest amount of people in that society. Beliefs, and more specifically the rationale or support for beliefs, are not always easy to demonstrate or observe as part of our reality. Take the example of an English Language Arts teacher who prioritizes argumentative writing in her class. She believes that argumentative writing demonstrates the mechanics of writing best among types of writing, while also providing students a skill they will need as citizens and professionals. While we can observe the students writing, and we can assess their ability to develop a written argument, it is difficult to observe the students’ understanding of argumentative writing and its purpose in their future. This relates to the teacher’s beliefs about argumentative writing; we cannot observe the real value of the teaching of argumentative writing. The teacher’s rationale and beliefs about teaching argumentative writing are bound to the social system and the skills their students will need to be active parts of that system. Therefore, our goal through action research is to demonstrate the best ways to teach argumentative writing to help all participants understand its value as part of a social system.

The knowledge that is conveyed in a classroom is bound to, and justified by, a social system. A postmodernist approach to understanding our world seeks knowledge within a social system, which is directly opposed to the empirical or positivist approach which demands evidence based on logic or science as rationale for beliefs. Action research does not rely on a positivist viewpoint to develop evidence and conclusions as part of the research process. Action research offers a postmodernist stance to epistemology (theory of knowledge) and supports developing questions and new inquiries during the research process. In this way action research is an emergent process that allows beliefs and decisions to be negotiated as reality and meaning are being constructed in the socially mediated space of the classroom.

Theorizing Action Research for the Classroom

All research, at its core, is for the purpose of generating new knowledge and contributing to the knowledge base of educational research. Action researchers in the classroom want to explore methods of improving their pedagogy and practice. The starting place of their inquiry stems from their pedagogy and practice, so by nature the knowledge created from their inquiry is often contextually specific to their classroom, school, or community. Therefore, we should examine the theoretical underpinnings of action research for the classroom. It is important to connect action research conceptually to experience; for example, Levin and Greenwood (2001, p. 105) make these connections:

• Action research is context bound and addresses real life problems.
• Action research is inquiry where participants and researchers cogenerate knowledge through collaborative communicative processes in which all participants’ contributions are taken seriously.
• The meanings constructed in the inquiry process lead to social action or these reflections and action lead to the construction of new meanings.
• The credibility/validity of action research knowledge is measured according to whether the actions that arise from it solve problems (workability) and increase participants’ control over their own situation.

Educators who engage in action research will generate new knowledge and beliefs based on their experiences in the classroom. Let us emphasize that these are all important to you and your work, as both an educator and researcher. It is these experiences, beliefs, and theories that are often discounted when more official forms of knowledge (e.g., textbooks, curriculum standards, districts standards) are prioritized. These beliefs and theories based on experiences should be valued and explored further, and this is one of the primary purposes of action research in the classroom. These beliefs and theories should be valued because they were meaningful aspects of knowledge constructed from teachers’ experiences. Developing meaning and knowledge in this way forms the basis of constructivist ideology, just as teachers often try to get their students to construct their own meanings and understandings when experiencing new ideas.  

Classroom Teachers Constructing their Own Knowledge

Most of you are probably at least minimally familiar with constructivism, or the process of constructing knowledge. However, what is constructivism precisely, for the purposes of action research? Many scholars have theorized constructivism and have identified two key attributes (Koshy, 2010; von Glasersfeld, 1987):

• Knowledge is not passively received, but actively developed through an individual’s cognition;
• Human cognition is adaptive and finds purpose in organizing the new experiences of the world, instead of settling for absolute or objective truth.

Considering these two attributes, constructivism is distinct from conventional knowledge formation because people can develop a theory of knowledge that orders and organizes the world based on their experiences, instead of an objective or neutral reality. When individuals construct knowledge, there are interactions between an individual and their environment where communication, negotiation and meaning-making are collectively developing knowledge. For most educators, constructivism may be a natural inclination of their pedagogy. Action researchers have a similar relationship to constructivism because they are actively engaged in a process of constructing knowledge. However, their constructions may be more formal and based on the data they collect in the research process. Action researchers also are engaged in the meaning making process, making interpretations from their data. These aspects of the action research process situate them in the constructivist ideology. Just like constructivist educators, action researchers’ constructions of knowledge will be affected by their individual and professional ideas and values, as well as the ecological context in which they work (Biesta & Tedder, 2006). The relations between constructivist inquiry and action research is important, as Lincoln (2001, p. 130) states:

much of the epistemological, ontological, and axiological belief systems are the same or similar, and methodologically, constructivists and action researchers work in similar ways, relying on qualitative methods in face-to-face work, while buttressing information, data and background with quantitative method work when necessary or useful.

While there are many links between action research and educators in the classroom, constructivism offers the most familiar and practical threads to bind the beliefs of educators and action researchers.  

Epistemology, Ontology, and Action Research

It is also important for educators to consider the philosophical stances related to action research to better situate it with their beliefs and reality. When researchers make decisions about the methodology they intend to use, they will consider their ontological and epistemological stances. It is vital that researchers clearly distinguish their philosophical stances and understand the implications of their stance in the research process, especially when collecting and analyzing their data. In what follows, we will discuss ontological and epistemological stances in relation to action research methodology.

Ontology, or the theory of being, is concerned with the claims or assumptions we make about ourselves within our social reality – what do we think exists, what does it look like, what entities are involved and how do these entities interact with each other (Blaikie, 2007). In relation to the discussion of constructivism, generally action researchers would consider their educational reality as socially constructed. Social construction of reality happens when individuals interact in a social system. Meaningful construction of concepts and representations of reality develop through an individual’s interpretations of others’ actions. These interpretations become agreed upon by members of a social system and become part of social fabric, reproduced as knowledge and beliefs to develop assumptions about reality. Researchers develop meaningful constructions based on their experiences and through communication. Educators as action researchers will be examining the socially constructed reality of schools. In the United States, many of our concepts, knowledge, and beliefs about schooling have been socially constructed over the last hundred years. For example, a group of teachers may look at why fewer female students enroll in upper-level science courses at their school. This question deals directly with the social construction of gender and specifically what careers females have been conditioned to pursue. We know this is a social construction in some school social systems because in other parts of the world, or even the United States, there are schools that have more females enrolled in upper level science courses than male students. Therefore, the educators conducting the research have to recognize the socially constructed reality of their school and consider this reality throughout the research process. Action researchers will use methods of data collection that support their ontological stance and clarify their theoretical stance throughout the research process.

Koshy (2010, p. 23-24) offers another example of addressing the ontological challenges in the classroom:

A teacher who was concerned with increasing her pupils’ motivation and enthusiasm for learning decided to introduce learning diaries which the children could take home. They were invited to record their reactions to the day’s lessons and what they had learnt. The teacher reported in her field diary that the learning diaries stimulated the children’s interest in her lessons, increased their capacity to learn, and generally improved their level of participation in lessons. The challenge for the teacher here is in the analysis and interpretation of the multiplicity of factors accompanying the use of diaries. The diaries were taken home so the entries may have been influenced by discussions with parents. Another possibility is that children felt the need to please their teacher. Another possible influence was that their increased motivation was as a result of the difference in style of teaching which included more discussions in the classroom based on the entries in the dairies.

Here you can see the challenge for the action researcher is working in a social context with multiple factors, values, and experiences that were outside of the teacher’s control. The teacher was only responsible for introducing the diaries as a new style of learning. The students’ engagement and interactions with this new style of learning were all based upon their socially constructed notions of learning inside and outside of the classroom. A researcher with a positivist ontological stance would not consider these factors, and instead might simply conclude that the dairies increased motivation and interest in the topic, as a result of introducing the diaries as a learning strategy.

Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, signifies a philosophical view of what counts as knowledge – it justifies what is possible to be known and what criteria distinguishes knowledge from beliefs (Blaikie, 1993). Positivist researchers, for example, consider knowledge to be certain and discovered through scientific processes. Action researchers collect data that is more subjective and examine personal experience, insights, and beliefs.

Action researchers utilize interpretation as a means for knowledge creation. Action researchers have many epistemologies to choose from as means of situating the types of knowledge they will generate by interpreting the data from their research. For example, Koro-Ljungberg et al., (2009) identified several common epistemologies in their article that examined epistemological awareness in qualitative educational research, such as: objectivism, subjectivism, constructionism, contextualism, social epistemology, feminist epistemology, idealism, naturalized epistemology, externalism, relativism, skepticism, and pluralism. All of these epistemological stances have implications for the research process, especially data collection and analysis. Please see the table on pages 689-90, linked below for a sketch of these potential implications:

Again, Koshy (2010, p. 24) provides an excellent example to illustrate the epistemological challenges within action research:

A teacher of 11-year-old children decided to carry out an action research project which involved a change in style in teaching mathematics. Instead of giving children mathematical tasks displaying the subject as abstract principles, she made links with other subjects which she believed would encourage children to see mathematics as a discipline that could improve their understanding of the environment and historic events. At the conclusion of the project, the teacher reported that applicable mathematics generated greater enthusiasm and understanding of the subject.

The educator/researcher engaged in action research-based inquiry to improve an aspect of her pedagogy. She generated knowledge that indicated she had improved her students’ understanding of mathematics by integrating it with other subjects – specifically in the social and ecological context of her classroom, school, and community. She valued constructivism and students generating their own understanding of mathematics based on related topics in other subjects. Action researchers working in a social context do not generate certain knowledge, but knowledge that emerges and can be observed and researched again, building upon their knowledge each time.

Researcher Positionality in Action Research

In this first chapter, we have discussed a lot about the role of experiences in sparking the research process in the classroom. Your experiences as an educator will shape how you approach action research in your classroom. Your experiences as a person in general will also shape how you create knowledge from your research process. In particular, your experiences will shape how you make meaning from your findings. It is important to be clear about your experiences when developing your methodology too. This is referred to as researcher positionality. Maher and Tetreault (1993, p. 118) define positionality as:

Gender, race, class, and other aspects of our identities are markers of relational positions rather than essential qualities. Knowledge is valid when it includes an acknowledgment of the knower’s specific position in any context, because changing contextual and relational factors are crucial for defining identities and our knowledge in any given situation.

By presenting your positionality in the research process, you are signifying the type of socially constructed, and other types of, knowledge you will be using to make sense of the data. As Maher and Tetreault explain, this increases the trustworthiness of your conclusions about the data. This would not be possible with a positivist ontology. We will discuss positionality more in chapter 6, but we wanted to connect it to the overall theoretical underpinnings of action research.

Advantages of Engaging in Action Research in the Classroom

In the following chapters, we will discuss how action research takes shape in your classroom, and we wanted to briefly summarize the key advantages to action research methodology over other types of research methodology. As Koshy (2010, p. 25) notes, action research provides useful methodology for school and classroom research because:

Advantages of Action Research for the Classroom

• research can be set within a specific context or situation;
• researchers can be participants – they don’t have to be distant and detached from the situation;
• it involves continuous evaluation and modifications can be made easily as the project progresses;
• there are opportunities for theory to emerge from the research rather than always follow a previously formulated theory;
• the study can lead to open-ended outcomes;
• through action research, a researcher can bring a story to life.

Action Research Copyright © by J. Spencer Clark; Suzanne Porath; Julie Thiele; and Morgan Jobe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Developing the Quantitative Research Design
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• Action Research Resource

What is Action Research?

Considerations, creating a plan of action.

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Action research is a qualitative method that focuses on solving problems in social systems, such as schools and other organizations. The emphasis is on solving the presenting problem by generating knowledge and taking action within the social system in which the problem is located. The goal is to generate shared knowledge of how to address the problem by bridging the theory-practice gap (Bourner & Brook, 2019). A general definition of action research is the following: “Action research brings together action and reflection, as well as theory and practice, in participation with others, in the pursuit of practical solutions to issues of pressing concern” (Bradbury, 2015, p. 1). Johnson (2019) defines action research in the field of education as “the process of studying a school, classroom, or teacher-learning situation with the purpose of understanding and improving the quality of actions or instruction” (p.255).

Origins of Action Research

Kurt Lewin is typically credited with being the primary developer of Action Research in the 1940s. Lewin stated that action research can “transform…unrelated individuals, frequently opposed in their outlook and their interests, into cooperative teams, not on the basis of sweetness but on the basis of readiness to face difficulties realistically, to apply honest fact-finding, and to work together to overcome them” (1946, p.211).

Sample Action Research Topics

Some sample action research topics might be the following:

• Examining how classroom teachers perceive and implement new strategies in the classroom--How is the strategy being used? How do students respond to the strategy? How does the strategy inform and change classroom practices? Does the new skill improve test scores? Do classroom teachers perceive the strategy as effective for student learning?
• Examining how students are learning a particular content or objectives--What seems to be effective in enhancing student learning? What skills need to be reinforced? How do students respond to the new content? What is the ability of students to understand the new content?
• Examining how education stakeholders (administrator, parents, teachers, students, etc.) make decisions as members of the school’s improvement team--How are different stakeholders encouraged to participate? How is power distributed? How is equity demonstrated? How is each voice valued? How are priorities and initiatives determined? How does the team evaluate its processes to determine effectiveness?
• Examining the actions that school staff take to create an inclusive and welcoming school climate--Who makes and implements the actions taken to create the school climate? Do members of the school community (teachers, staff, students) view the school climate as inclusive? Do members of the school community feel welcome in the school? How are members of the school community encouraged to become involved in school activities? What actions can school staff take to help others feel a part of the school community?
• Examining the perceptions of teachers with regard to the learning strategies that are more effective with special populations, such as special education students, English Language Learners, etc.—What strategies are perceived to be more effective? How do teachers plan instructionally for unique learners such as special education students or English Language Learners? How do teachers deal with the challenges presented by unique learners such as special education students or English Language Learners? What supports do teachers need (e.g., professional development, training, coaching) to more effectively deliver instruction to unique learners such as special education students or English Language Learners?

Remember—The goal of action research is to find out how individuals perceive and act in a situation so the researcher can develop a plan of action to improve the educational organization. While these topics listed here can be explored using other research designs, action research is the design to use if the outcome is to develop a plan of action for addressing and improving upon a situation in the educational organization.

Considerations for Determining Whether to Use Action Research in an Applied Dissertation

• When considering action research, first determine the problem and the change that needs to occur as a result of addressing the problem (i.e., research problem and research purpose). Remember, the goal of action research is to change how individuals address a particular problem or situation in a way that results in improved practices.
• If the study will be conducted at a school site or educational organization, you may need site permission. Determine whether site permission will be given to conduct the study.
• Consider the individuals who will be part of the data collection (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents, other school staff, etc.). Will there be a representative sample willing to participate in the research?
• If students will be part of the study, does parent consent and student assent need to be obtained?
• As you develop your data collection plan, also consider the timeline for data collection. Is it feasible? For example, if you will be collecting data in a school, consider winter and summer breaks, school events, testing schedules, etc.
• As you develop your data collection plan, consult with your dissertation chair, Subject Matter Expert, NU Academic Success Center, and the NU IRB for resources and guidance.
• Action research is not an experimental design, so you are not trying to accept or reject a hypothesis. There are no independent or dependent variables. It is not generalizable to a larger setting. The goal is to understand what is occurring in the educational setting so that a plan of action can be developed for improved practices.

Considerations for Action Research

Below are some things to consider when developing your applied dissertation proposal using Action Research (adapted from Johnson, 2019):

• Research Topic and Research Problem -- Decide the topic to be studied and then identify the problem by defining the issue in the learning environment. Use references from current peer-reviewed literature for support.
• Purpose of the Study —What need to be different or improved as a result of the study?
• Research Questions —The questions developed should focus on “how” or “what” and explore individuals’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions.
• Theoretical Framework -- What are the existing theories (theoretical framework) or concepts (conceptual framework) that can be used to support the research. How does existing theory link to what is happening in the educational environment with regard to the topic? What theories have been used to support similar topics in previous research?
• Literature Review -- Examine the literature, focusing on peer-reviewed studies published in journal within the last five years, with the exception of seminal works. What about the topic has already been explored and examined? What were the findings, implications, and limitations of previous research? What is missing from the literature on the topic?  How will your proposed research address the gap in the literature?
• Data Collection —Who will be part of the sample for data collection? What data will be collected from the individuals in the study (e.g., semi-structured interviews, surveys, etc.)? What are the educational artifacts and documents that need to be collected (e.g., teacher less plans, student portfolios, student grades, etc.)? How will they be collected and during what timeframe? (Note--A list of sample data collection methods appears under the heading of “Sample Instrumentation.”)
• Data Analysis —Determine how the data will be analyzed. Some types of analyses that are frequently used for action research include thematic analysis and content analysis.
• Implications —What conclusions can be drawn based upon the findings? How do the findings relate to the existing literature and inform theory in the field of education?
• Recommendations for Practice--Create a Plan of Action— This is a critical step in action research. A plan of action is created based upon the data analysis, findings, and implications. In the Applied Dissertation, this Plan of Action is included with the Recommendations for Practice. The includes specific steps that individuals should take to change practices; recommendations for how those changes will occur (e.g., professional development, training, school improvement planning, committees to develop guidelines and policies, curriculum review committee, etc.); and methods to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness.
• Recommendations for Research —What should future research focus on? What type of studies need to be conducted to build upon or further explore your findings.
• Professional Presentation or Defense —This is where the findings will be presented in a professional presentation or defense as the culmination of your research.

Adapted from Johnson (2019).

Considerations for Sampling and Data Collection

Below are some tips for sampling, sample size, data collection, and instrumentation for Action Research:

Sampling and Sample Size

Action research uses non-probability sampling. This is most commonly means a purposive sampling method that includes specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. However, convenience sampling can also be used (e.g., a teacher’s classroom).

Critical Concepts in Data Collection

Triangulation- - Dosemagen and Schwalbach (2019) discussed the importance of triangulation in Action Research which enhances the trustworthiness by providing multiple sources of data to analyze and confirm evidence for findings.

Trustworthiness —Trustworthiness assures that research findings are fulfill four critical elements—credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability. Reflect on the following: Are there multiple sources of data? How have you ensured credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability? Have the assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study been identified and explained? Was the sample a representative sample for the study? Did any individuals leave the study before it ended? How have you controlled researcher biases and beliefs? Are you drawing conclusions that are not supported by data? Have all possible themes been considered? Have you identified other studies with similar results?

Sample Instrumentation

Below are some of the possible methods for collecting action research data:

• Pre- and Post-Surveys for students and/or staff
• Staff Perception Surveys and Questionnaires
• Semi-Structured Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Observations
• Document analysis
• Student work samples
• Classroom artifacts, such as teacher lesson plans, rubrics, checklists, etc.
• Attendance records
• Discipline data
• Journals from students and/or staff
• Portfolios from students and/or staff

A benefit of Action Research is its potential to influence educational practice. Many educators are, by nature of the profession, reflective, inquisitive, and action-oriented. The ultimate outcome of Action Research is to create a plan of action using the research findings to inform future educational practice. A Plan of Action is not meant to be a one-size fits all plan. Instead, it is mean to include specific data-driven and research-based recommendations that result from a detailed analysis of the data, the study findings, and implications of the Action Research study. An effective Plan of Action includes an evaluation component and opportunities for professional educator reflection that allows for authentic discussion aimed at continuous improvement.

When developing a Plan of Action, the following should be considered:

• How can this situation be approached differently in the future?
• What should change in terms of practice?
• What are the specific steps that individuals should take to change practices?
• What is needed to implement the changes being recommended (professional development, training, materials, resources, planning committees, school improvement planning, etc.)?
• How will the effectiveness of the implemented changes be evaluated?
• How will opportunities for professional educator reflection be built into the Action Plan?

Sample Action Research Studies

Anderson, A. J. (2020). A qualitative systematic review of youth participatory action research implementation in U.S. high schools. A merican Journal of Community Psychology, 65 (1/2), 242–257. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy1.ncu.edu/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajcp.12389

Ayvaz, Ü., & Durmuş, S.(2021). Fostering mathematical creativity with problem posing activities: An action research with gifted students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 40. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S1871187121000614&site=eds-live

Bellino, M. J. (2018). Closing information gaps in Kakuma Refugee Camp: A youth participatory action research study. American Journal of Community Psychology, 62 (3/4), 492–507. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=133626988&site=eds-live

Beneyto, M., Castillo, J., Collet-Sabé, J., & Tort, A. (2019). Can schools become an inclusive space shared by all families? Learnings and debates from an action research project in Catalonia. Educational Action Research, 27 (2), 210–226. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=135671904&site=eds-live

Bilican, K., Senler, B., & Karısan, D. (2021). Fostering teacher educators’ professional development through collaborative action research. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17 (2), 459–472. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=149828364&site=eds-live

Black, G. L. (2021). Implementing action research in a teacher preparation program: Opportunities and limitations. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 21 (2), 47–71. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=149682611&site=eds-live

Bozkuş, K., & Bayrak, C. (2019). The Application of the dynamic teacher professional development through experimental action research. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 11 (4), 335–352. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=135580911&site=eds-live

Christ, T. W. (2018). Mixed methods action research in special education: An overview of a grant-funded model demonstration project. Research in the Schools, 25( 2), 77–88. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=135047248&site=eds-live

Jakhelln, R., & Pörn, M. (2019). Challenges in supporting and assessing bachelor’s theses based on action research in initial teacher education. Educational Action Research, 27 (5), 726–741. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=140234116&site=eds-live

Klima Ronen, I. (2020). Action research as a methodology for professional development in leading an educational process. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 64 . https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S0191491X19302159&site=eds-live

Messiou, K. (2019). Collaborative action research: facilitating inclusion in schools. Educational Action Research, 27 (2), 197–209. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=135671898&site=eds-live

Mitchell, D. E. (2018). Say it loud: An action research project examining the afrivisual and africology, Looking for alternative African American community college teaching strategies. Journal of Pan African Studies, 12 (4), 364–487. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=133155045&site=eds-live

Pentón Herrera, L. J. (2018). Action research as a tool for professional development in the K-12 ELT classroom. TESL Canada Journal, 35 (2), 128–139. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=135033158&site=eds-live

Rodriguez, R., Macias, R. L., Perez-Garcia, R., Landeros, G., & Martinez, A. (2018). Action research at the intersection of structural and family violence in an immigrant Latino community: a youth-led study. Journal of Family Violence, 33 (8), 587–596. https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=132323375&site=eds-live

Vaughan, M., Boerum, C., & Whitehead, L. (2019). Action research in doctoral coursework: Perceptions of independent research experiences. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13 . https://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.17aa0c2976c44a0991e69b2a7b4f321&site=eds-live

Sample Journals for Action Research

Educational Action Research

Canadian Journal of Action Research

Sample Resource Videos

Call-Cummings, M. (2017). Researching racism in schools using participatory action research [Video]. Sage Research Methods  http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?URL=https://methods.sagepub.com/video/researching-racism-in-schools-using-participatory-action-research

Fine, M. (2016). Michelle Fine discusses community based participatory action research [Video]. Sage Knowledge. http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?URL=https://sk-sagepub-com.proxy1.ncu.edu/video/michelle-fine-discusses-community-based-participatory-action-research

Getz, C., Yamamura, E., & Tillapaugh. (2017). Action Research in Education. [Video]. You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2tso4klYu8

Bradbury, H. (Ed.). (2015). The handbook of action research (3rd edition). Sage.

Bradbury, H., Lewis, R. & Embury, D.C. (2019). Education action research: With and for the next generation. In C.A. Mertler (Ed.), The Wiley handbook of action research in education (1st edition). John Wiley and Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nu/reader.action?docID=5683581&ppg=205

Bourner, T., & Brook, C. (2019). Comparing and contrasting action research and action learning. In C.A. Mertler (Ed.), The Wiley handbook of action research in education (1st edition). John Wiley and Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nu/reader.action?docID=5683581&ppg=205

Bradbury, H. (2015). The Sage handbook of action research . Sage. https://www-doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.4135/9781473921290

Dosemagen, D.M. & Schwalback, E.M. (2019). Legitimacy of and value in action research. In C.A. Mertler (Ed.), The Wiley handbook of action research in education (1st edition). John Wiley and Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nu/reader.action?docID=5683581&ppg=205

Johnson, A. (2019). Action research for teacher professional development. In C.A. Mertler (Ed.), The Wiley handbook of action research in education (1st edition). John Wiley and Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nu/reader.action?docID=5683581&ppg=205

Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. In G.W. Lewin (Ed.), Resolving social conflicts: Selected papers on group dynamics (compiled in 1948). Harper and Row.

Mertler, C. A. (Ed.). (2019). The Wiley handbook of action research in education. John Wiley and Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nu/detail.action?docID=5683581

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Field Study 2 (e-Portfolio)

MY FIELD STUDY LEARNING EXPERIENCE E-PORTFILIO Participation and teaching assistanship Mr. JEROME JEFF M. ZAMORA

09390509725 [email protected] Arnold Manalo

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my Field Study Adviser Sir Jerome Jeff M. Zamora for the continuous support during my Field Study for the patience, motivation enthusiasm and immense knowledge. And also to my dearest friend thank you for supporting me to accomplish my field study. To all my teachers, classmates and friends to all the Filipino Major thank you for the love and guidance and also to encourage me to complete and finish me for this e-portfolio. Finally I would like to thank my family for their untiring support, financial, assistance for their love, care advice encouragement to make my field study.

AUTHORS BIOGRAPHY

My name is Arnold Manalo and I am currently a College student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Education Major in Filipino. I have been able to find opportunities that have and will continue to help me gain knowledge and advance my career. As a student, I have received national Certificate for Tesda the Housekeeping NCII and also the Event Management NCIII. I received TERTIARY EDCATION SUBSIDY Scholarship and was recognized by Mindoro State University for outstanding academic achievement. As a College of Teacher Education student. Our name parents Jesus A. Manalo and Luciana A. Manalo among sibling I am the youngest brother 4 sister and 3 brothers. They currently residing at Ma. Concepcion Socorro Oriental Mindoro I love this job and I would be happy to work as a teacher .Ten years from now hopefully I will become a great teacher over the years someone the students will remember good means , like someone who had a good impact to them. I see myself as a good role model for many children ideally working at school .And I believe I know with confidence, that I will be a good educator even with human imperfection and yet I will try to do the best I can be. Future generation will truly be aggressive learners. It’s very hard to handle them especially that they are exposing much to the world through internet and even the wild society. Because my goal is to change them, a very challenging part, I should really have to start changing myself that leads me to totally be human. As the saying goes “You cannot give what you don’t have”. So, it is very impossible to impart learning to your students when even yourself you don’t have a very good learning. So, with that, I can be able to be an example to them. I would also want to stress out that in handling my students, I will not be the old school teacher who will just shout and spank their students who are doing inappropriate things. I will be calm in handling them. Be mindful about why such student is acting inappropriately or even check his/her background. After that, I will be pushing to what is the right procedure to change his/her way. I will not just be a teacher to them but also a friend. I believe that when you impart friendship to your students, they will build confidence .And also I must work very hard and I embrace these struggles and learn from them. I am driven by determination and I am passionate in almost everything I do. And now I might have them accomplished my goals today and I had created new dreams for the future. Education is the key to success and without education where would we be today tomorrow or next week or next year. School is where we get our education and me being a teacher I can keep new learning information everyday as well.

Table of contents 1.THE TEACHER WE REMEMBER 2.EMBEDDING ACTION RESEARCH FOR REFLECTIVE TEACHING 3.UNDERSTANDING AR CONCEPTS, PROCESS AND MODELS 4. PROBLEMATIC LEARNING SITUATION 5.PREPARING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AN OVERVIEW

FIELD STUDY 2

LEARNING EPISODE

The Teacher We Remember

Analyze 1. From the PPSTs, the Southeast Asia Teachers Competency Standards and the TEDx videos that you viewed; what competencies does a great teacher possess? From the video that I watched there are many competencies that a teacher should possess. Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPSTs) great teachers never stop learning teacher always helps the student to learn and also to share the knowledge and learning is very important teacher are responsible for maintaining a positive learning environment in the classroom. Managing is not easy task. Teachers must implement structure, develop positive student’s interaction and take immediate action when problem arise. And also the primary role of the teacher is to deliver classroom instruction that helps student learn. To accomplish this teachers must prepare effective lesson grade student work and offer feedback, manage classroom materials productively. Student’s needs are deficit in specific skills that impede academic, physical, and behavioural and self-help activities. Students need are determined by teachers or others professionals sometimes through formal assessments. Student needs can be effectively addressed through appropriate teaching strategies. 2. Are these competencies limited only to professional competencies? Professional competencies are skills, knowledge and attributes that are specifically valued by the professional associations organizations bodies connected to your future career. 3. For a teacher to be great, is it enough to possess the professional competencies to plan a lesson, execute a lesson plan, manage a class, assess learning, compute, and report grades? Explain your answer. A great teacher can stop exploring new things teacher checks to see if his or her students are learning effectively. Possessing the knowledge isn&#39;t enough. Professional abilities to organize a lesson, carry it out, manage a class, and assess it. Calculate grades while learning. If pupils understand how to pursue what they are interested in, they will be successful. They learned as a result of their professors&#39; impact. If the teachers are able to put the theory into practice, a great teacher checks to see if the kids are learning properly. Possessing the knowledge is not enough. Professional abilities to organize a lesson, carry it out, manage a class, and assess it

4. For a teacher to be great, which is more important - personal qualities or professional Competencies? For me I think both personal qualities and professional Competencies are required for teacher because personal qualities or professional have a great impact for the learning process of the students. 5. Who are the teachers that we remember most? For me the we remember the most is the teacher who has unique a style of a teaching and learning process and the teacher who is a good personality. For me all the teachers can be remember of the student or give a positive feedback every time to do a tasks. As a teacher if your students give comment suggestions if the student giving a feedback comment suggestion of the teachers the student can improve and also help motivate in our learning. Students often remember teachers who were kind or funny or brilliant or passionate. They remember teachers who cared about them. They remember teachers who were supportive or encouraging our saw something in them no one else did. They remember teacher who challenges them and made them think. A giving feedback is important to all for effective learning.

Reflect Which personal traits do I possess? Not possess? Where do I need improvement in? As a future teacher I need to improve for being a more flexible .Why? Because as a future teacher someday I can teach my students properly and be given comprehensive information.

Which professional competencies am I strongly capable of demonstrating? -Critical thinking and creative problem solving. Exercise sound reasoning to analyse issues making decisions and solve problem. In which competencies do I need to develop more? -Competence development is the practice of developing one or several competencies in a specific way and in particular direction. Development refers to improving existing competencies ways to accomplishing this include targeted exercise gaining additional knowledge and changing your attitude. Who are the teachers that we remember most? -For me all the teachers can be remember of the student or give a positive feedback every time to do a tasks. As a teacher if your students give comment suggestions if the student giving a feedback comment suggestion of the teachers the student can improve and also help motivate in our learning. Students often remember teachers who were kind or funny or brilliant or passionate. They remember teachers who cared about them. They remember teachers who were supportive or encouraging our saw something in them no

one else did. They remember teacher who challenges them and made them think. A giving feedback is important to all for effective learning.

FIELD STUDY 2 FS 2

LEARNING EPISODE 2

Embedding Action Research for Reflective Teaching

Participate and Assists Making a List Completed Action Research Titles by Teachers in the Field 1. Make a library or on-line search of the different Completed Action Research Titles Conducted by Teachers. 2. Enter the list in the matrix similar to the one below. 3. Submit your list of five (5) Titles of Completed Action Research Studies to your mentor as reference. Inventory of Sample Action Research Conducted by Teachers List of Completed Action Research Titles Ex. Differentiated Instruction in Teaching English for Grade Four Classes 1. The effects of goal setting on the student work completion in a lower elementary Montessori Classroom.

Author/Authors Mary Joy Olicia Amy Pommereau

2.Effects of mindfulness on Teacher stress and Self Efficacy

April Netz Lauren Rom

3. The Effects of Teacher Centered Of Coaching On Whole class Transition.

Siobhan Sullivan

4. Behavioral Effects of Outdoor Learning Primary Students.

Makena Cameron and Samantha McGUE

5. The Effects of Song on Social Emotional Literacy in an early Childhood Classroom.

Notice Based on your activity on making a List of Completed Action Research Titles, let’s find out what you have noticed by answering the following questions Questions

1. What have you noticed about the action research titles? Do the action research (AR) titles imply problems to be solved? Yes. ___ No. ___

Identified problem to be solved in title no. 1

If YES, identify the problems from the little you have given. Answer in the space provided.

Identified problem to be solved in title no. 2

Effects of goal setting on the student work completion in a lower elementary Montessori Classroom.

Mindfulness on Teacher stress and Self Efficacy . Identified problem to be solved in title no. 3 Effects of Teacher Centered Of Coaching On Whole class Transition. Identified problem to be solved in title no. 4 Effects of Outdoor Learning Primary Students.

Identified problem to be solved in title no. 5 Effects of Song on Social Emotional Literacy in an early Childhood Classroom. &#96; 2. What interpretation about action research can you make out of your answer in Question No. 1?

Title of the Action Research: The effects of goal setting on the student work completion in a lower

elementary Montessori Classroom.

3. Write the title and your interpretation of the study from the title.

4. What do you think did the author’s do with the identified problem as presented in their titles?

From the tittle I think the study is all about the goal setting on the student work completion in Elementary And also the social expectations of the children. Some epectations include moving through a learning space without learning And also students decide which activity to engage on based on the interests. Because students are working on a different activities in different areas on the curriculum in different places in the classroom the classroom comes is a busy place. I think the author/s Amy Pommereau are must presented the tittle Through the observation of the teacher and also the goal setting of the student work. In a good way the teacher can analyze the different issues of the student to help the student and to improve the performance and ability.

Analyze Action research seems easy and familiar. Since teaching seems to be full of problematic situations and that the teacher has a responsibility of finding solution for everyday problems in school, hence teachers should do action research. This is an exciting part of being a teacher, a problem solver! Let us continue to examine and analyze what you have noticed and interpreted in the previous activity. 1. From what source do you think, did the authors identify the problems of their action research?

Choices: ____ Copied from research books ____ From daily observation of their teaching practice. __/_ From difficulties they observed of their learners. __/__ From their own personal experience. ____ From the told experiences of their coteachers.

2. What do you think is the teacher’s intention in conducting the action research?

3. What benefit do you get as a student in FS 2 in understanding and doing action research?

4. In what ways, can you assist your mentor in his/her Action Research Activity?

Choices: __/__ To find a solution to the problematic situation ____ To comply with the requirement of the principal __/__ To improve teaching practice ____ To try out something, if it works ____ To prove oneself as better than the others Choices: __/__ Prepare me for my future job ____ Get good grades in the course __/__ Learn and practice being an action researcher __/__ Improve my teaching practice ____ Exposure to the realities in the teaching profession __/__ Become a better teacher everyday Choices __/__ By co-researching with my mentor __/__ By assisting in the design of the intervention __/__ By assisting in the implementation of the AR ____By just watching what is being done

Reflect Based on the readings you made and the previous activities that you have done,

1. What significant ideas or concepts have you learned about action research? I learned that the action research is a helpful resource why? Because most of the teacher can analyze and identify the problem of the student inside the classroom or the classroom management. As I observe the teacher can identify the different problems inside the classroom. Action research present a good ideas. We have found that setting up small collaborative and effective. And apply the different strategies.

2. Have you realized that there is need to be an action researcher as future teacher? Yes_ No_. If yes, complete the sentence below. Yes I realized action research are needs as a future teacher because in this action research it helps me to improve my teaching skills. In that way as a future teacher someday I can share my knowledge to my student.

Write Action Research Prompts OBSERVE I have observe and notice that Action Research begins with the problems. From what teaching principles of theories can this problem be anchored? I have observed and noticed that Action Research begins with a problem or a problematic situation. Write an example of a problematic situation that you have observed and noticed.

REFLECT What I have realized? What do I hope to achieve? I realize that for every teaching learning problem, this is a solution. Write a probable solution to the problematic situation above

PLAN What strategies, activities, and innovations can I employ to improve the situations or solve the problem?

As a future action researcher I can plan for an appropriate intervention I can show the different strategies for teaching so that the student will be more motivated and interested during the discussion.

ACT If I conduct or implement my plan, what can be its title?

If I will implement my double plan in the future, my title would be Effectiveness of Speaking Proficiency Of grade 9 students. Speaking skills, especially effective public speaking skill are important as listening skills and they form an integral part of interpersonal communication. Overall, these skills help you boost your confidence, win people’s heart and communicate effectively. One does not simply become speaker someday.

Your artifact will be an Abstract of a completed action research.

Abstract This investigation explored if and how direct instruction on goal-setting and working toward a goal over a four-week period impacted the number of activities students independently completed in class. The amount of math and language work completed and the way the participants felt about their ability to manage their time and goals were measured and evaluated. The study took place at a diverse elementary school in the Midwest. The classroom involved is the only Montessori lower elementary classroom in the district. The 26 students were ages 6-9 at the time of the study. Students were taught how to set a goal and work toward that goal. They also planned for challenges and how to overcome those challenges. Students checked in with their teacher and peers daily to reflect and report how focused they were in regards to achieving the goal they set. Students were observed, data was collected about the type and amount of work completed, students were rated by a peer accountability partner daily, and students completed a pre and post-self-assessment about setting goals and how competent they felt in doing so. The results of the study showed that while the amount of work did not increase, students reported feeling more confident in their ability to set goals and use strategies to stay on task and on-task behavior increased. Direct instruction in goal setting enabled students to feel more confident in selecting a goal and working toward it. They gained tools for staying focused during work times. They were able to use these tools to be on task more frequently than before the intervention. Teachers may want to choose to include direct goal setting in their practice. Further studies may want to track data for a longer period of time to see if work output also would increase. Recommended Citation Pommereau, Amy. (2020). The Effects of Goal Setting on Student Work Completion in a Lower Elementary Montessori Classroom. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/359

Understanding AR Concepts, Processes and Models

Choose the AR sample Abstract that you submitted in Episode 2. Analyze the components vis-s-vis only one model out of the 3 presented.

If you choose to compare with Model B-Nelson, O. 2014, here are the components. Title and Author of the Action Research: The effects of goal setting on the student work completion in a lower elementary Montessori Classroom. Key Components

Entry you Sample AR The Problem Prior to my intervention I had observed that students lacked direction when it came to setting goals and working toward those goals in the classroom. Students often had unproductive work time because they were socializing with others in ways unrelated to work, wandering around the classroom, or were not using their time efficiently. This led to instead taking longer than necessary to complete work. I wondered if teaching goal-setting skills to students would enable them to have more focused, structured, and productive work time. Would they become more productive? Would they feel more capable and confident about their work choices? Students were taught how to set a goal, what may distract them from meeting their goals, and what to do if they faced challenges in meeting their goals. Students then created their own goals

for the next four weeks. Each morning I met with individual students and we reviewed their goal. They met with an accountability partner each afternoon. Partners rated each other on work completion and staying on task after engaging in dialogue with each other. Students were encouraged to self-reflect on the scores they received each day. The data illustrated that students either demonstrated or reported positive or no changes during the course of the intervention. One conclusion that can be made from this research is that direct instruction of goal setting increases on-task behavior over time. Periodically throughout our morning work time, I woud observe the activity of the children and record if behaviors were on task (engaging in work or receiving help) or off task (disrupting, wandering, interrupting others). The average number of children demonstrating on-task behavior over the course of this 4-week study increased by 19.7%. The number of off-task behavior decreased by 55% from week 1 to week 4. This may be due to increased motivation; something that supported goal setting can lead to (Forester &amp; Souvignier, 2014).

Reflection The researcher addressed in improving students lacked direction when it came to setting goals and working toward those goals in the classroom. Students often had unproductive work time because they were socializing with others in ways unrelated to work, wandering around the classroom, or were not using their time efficiently.

Plan of Action The study gave evidence to suggest that teaching children goal setting through direct instruction, teacher guidance, and peer accountability positively impacts students’ self-perception about their ability to set goals and successfully obtain those goals in the classroom. While teachers are charged with improving their students’ academic abilities, they are also responsible for supporting students’ positive perception on themselves as learners and supporting the emotional growth of the child. This study suggested that the interventions given positively impacted students’ perception of their ability to set and meet goals. It was an empowering experience for my students. I believe such an impact will lead to positive academic changes long term. Giving children these lessons may positively influence them to become life-long, competent seekers-of-knowledge.

Implementation My students became more fluent in their ability to set a goal. They are demonstrating more focus in working toward their goals. They have also gained an understanding of goal obstacles and how to thwart them through an increase of self-awareness. I noticed changes in their behavior that led to more on-task behavior. Students were more careful about who they sat next to and when. Some chose to sit at one-person spots. Some chose to wear noise-canceling headphones, while others requested silent work time. While students are gaining self-awareness and strategies to protect their concentration independently, I feel the next step would be to provide more direct instruction with how to maintain that level of focus during group work. I have questions about where this research could lead. Expanding the study to include a greater sample size and age range would be beneficial. Based on the development of executive functioning skills during specific periods of a child’s growth (Anderson, 2002), I wonder if the impact would be great on upper elementary students (9-12-year-olds). I suggest the study be repeated with lower and upper elementary classrooms. There could be more interesting comparisons made between the two age groups as far as the effectiveness of the study. Twentysix is a small sample size, so including more children could lead to more accurate data. I feel the amount of time I had to collect data was not long enough, especially factoring in that there was a weeklong school break between weeks 3 and 4. Once the children had returned to school for week four, 2 backto-back snow days further interrupted the study and data collection process. Expanding the period for data collection may show changes in the amount of work completed over time. I would have also liked to return to the WOOP work that the children had done at the beginning of the intervention. I feel that revisiting their plans of what they would do to overcome obstacles would have benefited my students by giving them a concrete touch point.

What have you understood about the concept of Action Research and how will these is utilized in your practices? Action research is a process for improving educational practice. Its methods involve action, evaluation, and reflection. It is a process to gather evidence to implement change in practices. ... Action research can be based in problem-solving, if the solution to the problem results in the improvement of practice.

As an action researcher, or teacher-researcher, you will generate research. Enquiring into your practice will inevitably lead you to question the assumptions and values that are often overlooked during the course of normal school life. Assuming the habit of inquiry can become an ongoing commitment to learning and developing as a practitioner. As a teacher-researcher you assume the responsibility for being the agent and source of change.

Reflect As a future teacher, is conducting an Action Research worth doing? For me yes because as a future teacher action research worth doing. Why? Because inside the classroom they have many problem inside the classroom and they find the solution on the different problem. So that the teacher can be conduct the action research. And also help them to improving their teaching skill and ability. How can AR useful for every classroom teacher? Action research can be useful for every classroom because they have a problem in every classroom but they can find a solution. It is a process to gather evidence to implement change in practices. ... Action research can be based in problem-solving, if the solution to the problem results in the improvement of practice. As an action researcher, or teacher-researcher, you will generate research. Enquiring into your practice will inevitably lead you to question the assumptions and values that are often overlooked during the course of normal school life

OBSERVE Remembering my classroom observation in FS 1, I noticed that there are many questions that I raised in my mind. These include: a. How can teachers encourage students to complete the modules? b. How can students (SSC students) perform an experiment given that they are in a modular setting? a class if all of the necessary resources are available at the school?

Thinking deeply about those problems, perhaps something must have been done to solve the problem or answer the question, like: The role of the teacher are facilitator of the students learning and creators of the productive classroom environment. Teachers set the class and motivate the students build a warm environment, mentor and nurture students, become a role model inside and outside the classroom.

PLAN Now, that I am in FS 2, I plan to make for my solution to problem (choose from a, b, c) because

ACT My action will come later, given enough time in FS 2 or during my Teaching Internship

Work on my Artifacts

Your artifact will be full blown completed Action Research.

Abstract This investigation explored if and how direct instruction on goal-setting and working toward a goal over a four-week period impacted the number of activities students independently completed in class. The amount of math and language work completed and the way the participants felt about their ability to manage their time and goals were measured and evaluated. The study took place at a diverse elementary school in the Midwest. The classroom involved is the only Montessori lower elementary classroom in the district. The 26 students were ages 6-9 at the time of the study. Students were taught how to set a goal and work toward that goal. They also planned for challenges and how to overcome those challenges. Students checked in with their teacher and peers daily to reflect and report how focused they were in regards to achieving the goal they set. Students were observed, data was collected about the type and amount of work completed, students were rated by a peer accountability partner daily, and students completed a pre and post-self-assessment about setting goals and how competent they felt in doing so. The results of the study showed that while the amount of work did not increase,

students reported feeling more confident in their ability to set goals and use strategies to stay on task and on-task behavior increased. Direct instruction in goal setting enabled students to feel more confident in selecting a goal and working toward it. They gained tools for staying focused during work times. They were able to use these tools to be on task more frequently than before the intervention. Teachers may want to choose to include direct goal setting in their practice. Further studies may want to track data for a longer period of time to see if work output also would increase. Recommended Citation Pommereau, Amy. (2020). The Effects of Goal Setting on Student Work Completion in a Lower Elementary Montessori Classroom. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/359

Matching Problematic Learning Situation with Probable Action

What five problems have you identified from the words that you have encircled? Make a statement. Write in the space below. The problems identified are 1. Financial Due to the corona virus disease or (COVID 19) some of the students financial is the big problem .Study after study show similar results. Worries about money lead to ongoing stress, anxiety and even depression; they crowd out the brain&#39;s ability to focus on longer-term achievements; they even lead to higher-risk decision-making with potentially disastrous consequences.

2. Tools An internet connection and also the equipment like cellphone to use for answering the modules is the best. You will have a smooth conversation with your teacher and this will secure an effective learning process.

3. Modules Answering modules of the student are very challenging because they have difficulties question and activities.

4. Self-Motivation. Self-motivation is an eLearning essential requirement; however, many online learners lack it, much to their surprise. After enrolling in distance learning courses, many learners fall behind and nurture the idea of giving up, as difficulties in handling a technological medium also seem insurmountable. Students need to find the motivation to follow the new educational trends and also properly equip themselves for future challenges in their education and careers. Only a positive attitude will help them overcome the challenges in eLearning; though this is hard to practice, students need to understand that it is necessary in order to reap the eLearning’s benefits in the future.

5. Time Management.

Time management is a difficult task for e Learners, as online courses require a lot of time and intensive work. Furthermore, whereas it is mostly adults who prefer web-based learning programs for their place and time flexibility, they rarely have the time to take the courses due to their various everyday

commitments. A regular schedule planner would be a significant help to these learners, as they could even set reminders for their courses and assignments. How can you assist your mentor, after knowing that the learners have difficulty in comprehension? Make a Choice for your ACTION. A. Conduct a Tutorial lesson. B. Show video lesson to help enhance comprehension. C. Make a learning task to develop comprehension.

The Problem is: Difficulty in Reading Comprehension of Grade 10 Students The Action is: To help student and give more books and also give the different strategies for a good reading comprehension.

Difficulty in Reading Comprehension of Grade 10 Students

Interesting isn’t it? Now, you can assist your mentor by identifying observed problems in the class and suggest actions to be done.

Notice What have you noticed of the problem identified above? Can there be more than one solution to the problem? ____ Explain. I&#39;ve found that one of the issues is the students&#39; inability to comprehend that they are uninterested in the topic they are reading Yes, I&#39;ve got a problem. There are multiple solutions to the problems mentioned above. We are all aware of the difficulties that students face. They didn&#39;t understand the lecture because of issues in comprehension. We have to do something. There are numerous causes for this, according to some. As a result, students must provide assistance based on what they know must be interested in what they have read and, more importantly, understand it they have learned their lesson I am confident that there will be more than one solution to this difficulty for the student to choose from being enthralled by the stuff they have read There are numerous options available to teachers. Students who are confronted with this type of difficulty must apply student A creative and innovative teacher can find one or more than one solution or answer to the same problem. Each solution matches with the problem. The more solutions identified to choose from, the better for an action researcher.

Analyze Let us try to look into the following scenarios in the daily life of a teacher. This scenario might also be similar to the class you have observed and noticed. Scenario A: Miss Fely is a grade four teacher in a typical elementary school. she has forty learners in her class. One half of them cannot classify animals into vertebrates and invertebrates. She has been repeating the same science lesson for two weeks, yet no progress was observed. This situation has been bothering Miss Fely. Can you identify, Miss Felly’s Problem?

Miss Felly problem one half of the cannot classify animals into vertebrate to invertebrates She has been repeating the same science lesson for two weeks, yet no progress was observed. Can you find a solution to solve her problem? Give your two suggestions. a. Miss Felly can introduce the forty learners in her class to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates and also give more examples. b. The forty learners in her class has divided into three groups and also give the different task to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates What solution can solve Miss Fely’s problem? Miss Felly can introduce the forty learners in her class to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates and also give more examples. The forty learners in her class has divided into three groups and also give the different task to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates

How? Are they matched with the problem? Miss Felly can introduce the forty learners in her class to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates and also give more examples. The forty learners in her class has divided into three groups and also give the different task to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates. Miss Felly give more example forty learners in her class to classify the vertebrate and invertebrates if she provide the different example the easy to understand the students.

Reflect After reading the two scenarios given above, how would identifying problematic situations and finding solutions to these problems help you to become a better teacher? The teachers or professor in the scenarios given are facing a problem in teaching their students. Inside the classroom they have many problem as a teacher you can justify the

problem and also you need to make the solutions on that problem for you to apply. As a teacher you need a take risk for the student specially on learning process.

Write Action Research Prompts Using any one example of problems in this activity, answer the AR prompts that follow.

What problematic situation prevails in the classroom? In every classroom situation theres a problematic situations the teacher and also the student encounter. Classroom challenges are one of the adequate problems faced by teachers and a good teacher has the courage to overcome all these challenges bravely. Some of the common classroom challenges faced by teachers include lack of teamwork, minimal personal time, working towards long term goals, arguments and student excuses, etc

PLAN What strategies will you use to improve the situation? 1. Have them read aloud. This encourages them to go slower, which gives them more time to process what they read and in turn improves reading comprehension. Plus, they&#39;re not only seeing the words they’re hearing them, too! You can also take turns reading aloud. 2. Provide books at the right level. Make sure your school-aged reader gets lots of practice reading books that aren&#39;t too hard. They should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for kids to focus on the overall meaning of the story. If your child needs help transitioning from picture books to chapter books, try Scholastic&#39;s Branches books, which are designed to bridge that gap for growing readers.

3. Reread to build fluency. To gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly — a skill known as fluency. 4. Talk to the teacher. If your child is struggling with reading comprehension, they may need more help with building their vocabulary or practicing phonics skills. 5. Supplement their class reading. If your child&#39;s class is studying a particular theme, look for easy-to-read books or magazines on the topic. Some prior knowledge will help them make their way through tougher classroom texts and promote reading comprehension. 6. Talk about what they&#39;re reading. This &quot;verbal processing&quot; helps them remember and think through the themes of the book. Ask questions before, during, and after a session to encourage reading comprehension.

ACT What would be the title of your Action Research should you conduct the study? STUDENTS DIFFICULTIES IN READING COMPREHENSION AT THE FIRST GRADE OF SMAN 1 DARUSSALAM ACEH BESAR This study focuses on the difficulties faced by the first grade students of senior high school in reading comprehension. The purposes of the study were to find out the difficulties faced by the first grade students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar and to find out the factors of difficulties in reading comprehension. The method applied was descriptive quantitative, where the test and questionnaire were used as the instrument data collection methods. The test consisted of 20 question items divided into five types of questions, which were main idea, detail information, making inferences, locating reference, and vocabulary. Index difficulty and percentage were used to analyze the data. The result of the test showed that the majority of the first grade students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar found difficulties including answering main idea, making inference, and locating reference questions. The most difficult aspect that encountered by the students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar was finding main idea questions, because the located main idea was difficult to find. In addition, based on the students’ responses in questionnaire, they mostly got difficulties in understanding vocabulary, poor mastery of grammar, the difficulty in understanding long sentences, lack of media learning, less support from the family, lack of knowledge of strategies in reading comprehension. Keyword: Students difficulties, Reading comprehension.

Work on my Artifacts Your artifact will be an Abstract of a completed Action Research. This study focuses on the difficulties faced by the first grade students of senior high school in reading comprehension. The purposes of the study were to find out the difficulties faced by the first grade students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar and to find out the factors of difficulties in reading comprehension. The method applied was descriptive quantitative, where the test and questionnaire were used as the instrument data collection methods. The test consisted of 20 question items divided into five types of questions, which were main idea, detail information, making inferences, locating reference, and vocabulary. Index difficulty and percentage were used to analyze the data. The result of the test showed that the majority of the first grade students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar found difficulties including answering main idea, making inference, and locating reference questions. The most difficult aspect that encountered by the students of SMAN 1 Darussalam, Aceh Besar was finding main idea questions, because the located main idea was difficult to find. In addition, based on the students’ responses in questionnaire, they mostly got difficulties in understanding vocabulary, poor mastery of grammar, the difficulty in understanding long sentences, lack of media learning, less support from the family, lack of knowledge of strategies in reading comprehension. Keyword: Students difficulties, Reading comprehension.

Title of Action Research: STUDENTS DIFFICULTIES IN READING COMPREHENSION AT THE FIRST GRADE OF SMAN 1 DARUSSALAM ACEH BESAR

II. Author/s: DASRUL HIDAYATI

III. Abstract Reading is the basic skill that is closely related to other skills such as writing, speaking and listening. Students are required to read lots and understand the reading material in order to achieve better result in learning process. According to Grabe and Stoller (2002), reading can be taught as a way to draw information from text and to form an interpretation of that information. It means reading is also a gateway for students to get information and knowledge in educational process. A student who loves reading and spends a lot of time in reading activity also has ability to write well. By reading, students can improve their vocabulary and writing skill. On the contrary, a student who has low reading ability will find difficulty in learning process. Moreover, the students will feel ashamed in adapting themselves with their school environment. Conversely, a good teacher must be more skilled in mastering grammar and vocabulary understanding. The importance of teaching reading is to build the ability and knowledge of students to understand the material of reading text. Such as ability to read various texts in English, ability to adjust reading styles according to the purpose of reading (i, e skimming, scanning), and ability to have critical perspective on the content of the texts (Hedge, 2003, as cited in Alyousef, 2005). 2 Reading well means to understand what writer tries to present in his/her writing. This means that a reader needs background knowledge and competence while reading. Razali and Razali (2013) stated that some readers use their background of knowledge and experience to compose meaning from the text in reading process, then the readers will connect the ideas in the text to what they already know in order to get the comprehension of the text. Even most people can comprehend the material what they read after reading word-by-word and they are spending a lot of time repeating the difficult term of the text. Reading comprehension is the ability to understand information in a text and interpret it appropriately what is meant by the text (Grabe and Stoller, 2002). It means that reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process and understand its meaning. An individual’s ability to understand text is influenced by their natures and skills, one of which is the ability to make inferences. Reading comprehension also can improve vocabulary and writing skill. According to Nuttal (1982), there are five aspects of reading comprehension which the students should

understand in comprehending a text well, such as determining main idea, finding specific information, making inference, identifying reference, and understanding the meaning of words or detail information. These aspects are regarded as difficulties that the students encounter in comprehending the text. At senior high school, teaching reading intends to develop students’ skill in reading comprehension. All schools implement a curriculum which is relevant to the needs of their specific pupils. Curriculum is more positive in nature, which 3 could achieve the objective of motivating learning, enhancing knowledge and abilities and developing positive values or even attitudes. Nowadays, most schools implements Curriculum 2013 as the current curriculum. Based on Basic Competence which is issued by Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan 2013 that basic competence 2013 of the first grade senior high school, the students are expected to comprehend social function, texts structure, and language features in reading text (descriptive, narrative, recount text, and so on) in oral and written form. However, in a real situation, the students have not achieved the curriculum expectation and have low ability in reading comprehension. Obviously, text such as English magazines, newspaper and article as an authentic material has the important role such as improving students reading ability and their knowledge of current issues. But it is not easy to be read for students and to comprehend. There is a previous study that has similarity to this research which was conducted by Zuhra (2015). The research is about Senior High School Students Difficulties in Reading Comprehension. Her study aims at finding out the most difficult types of reading comprehension questions faced by students in reading tests and why they face these difficulties in the national examinations. Her thesis was a case study at second grade of senior high school Lhokseumawe. In result, she found that most difficult type of reading comprehension question faced by the students was an inference question because they did not comprehend the questions asked. It is because of their weaknesses in differentiating between the natures of different types in reading comprehension questions. 4 However, to know the difficulties in reading comprehension is important. The problems are faced by the students might be different in one school to another school. Based on the observation, in fact, most of the students in SMAN 1 Darussalam, they still have difficulties in comprehending the reading materials text, such as they have difficulties in making inference, determining main idea and locating reference. Some of the reasons are that they do not understand to use reading comprehension strategies and lose of concentration in reading comprehension. However, most of the students have difficulties in reading English text from materials that adopted from newspapers, articles, textbooks and magazines. Due to this situation, the researcher is interested in analyzing the students’ difficulties in reading comprehension and find out what are the difficulties factors that the students faced in reading comprehension. B. Research Questions Based on the background above, the research questions of this resea

IV. Identify the Problem in the Study This study would give positive contribution for the English teachers of senior high school, in order to create and find innovation methods and teaching activities which applied in teaching reading in order to help the students to overcome their difficulties in English reading text. This study result is expected that students can improve their reading and motivation in learning English. V. Identify the action Taken in the Study In this study, the researcher limited study on the difficulties faced by students into three categories: 1). The difficulty in making inference, 2). The difficulty in getting main idea, 3). The difficulty in locating reference. The researcher also focuses on the factors that influence the difficulties faced by students in reading comprehension.

LEARNING EPISODE 5

Preparing the Learning Environment: An Overview

Participate and Assist

What will you do to assist your mentor in setting up a conducive learning environment in the following conditions? 1. Bulletin Board DisplayIn assisting my mentor while creating a simple bulletin board display. I will suggest make it simple and organize the design inside the bulletin board well organized and also the letters that can attached the bulletin boards are large enough to read. 2. Small Group DiscussionIn terms of group discussion I will help my mentor by assisting observing the students and also I will suggest to my mentor all the student lets heard my opinion and also suggestion. And also I will ask my mentor to choose the right place. To do a task. 2. Checking class attendance in a virtual classroom (i.e Google meet or zoom)

In checking class attendance I will suggest to my mentor to open the camera before saying the present ma’am or present po sir to make it comfortable

Learning Environment 1: 

What have you noticed of the display in the class bulletin board? What message or theme does it convey? Inside the classroom bulletin I observe the bulletin board are commonly related to the student like student profile, age, birthday, memorandum, school calendar, school activities classroom officer the rules and regulation inside the classroom. What makes it attractive to the learners? The background of the classroom and also the visual aids of the teacher and also how to teach the teacher. Does it help in the learning process? How? Yes because the improvement of the classroom it helps to make comfortable for learning inside the classroom.

Analyze The examples above, describe two contrasting situations. The first shows that the learners are in the same room or space while in the second, the learners maybe in different learning spaces like homes, study hubs or in extreme cases parks or under the trees. As a teacher, in which of the two situations would you prefer to manage for learning? Choose between Learning Environment 1 or Learing Environment 2. Explain your choice. Why? As a teacher you can manage learning inside the classroom of the learning environment.

Reflect Base on my noticing and analysis, I realized that

a) Teacher give more example about the topic that I have discussed that’s why the student can understand the topic. And also the content should be meaningful and clear.

Write Action Research Prompts OBSERVE What probable problem may result from the two situations of the learning environment? For me the one of the probable problem of the student the difficulties while answering the modules REFLECT What solutions can I think of to solve the problem? Give more example kkabout the topic or the question of the module or provide the videos related to the topic.

PLAN How should I do it? I will conduct action research by giving strategies how to help student understand the content of the module.

Check for Mastery Choose the best answer from the options given. 1. Learning environment is only confined to a specific place called schools. This statement is _______.

A. True B. False C. Doubtful D. Cannot be determined

2. What kind of learning happens anytime, anyplace and anywhere? A. Traditional learning B. On-line learning C. Hybrid learning D. Face-to-face learning

3. In which situation can learners learn with more physical presence and intervention of the teacher? A. Face-to-Face B. Virtual C. On-line D. All of the Above 4. Which of the two kinds of learning environment encourages independence and self-management of the learners? Why?

A. Face-to-Face, because there is always the presence of the teacher who will give guidance to the learner. B. Virtual/On-line, because the learners are given time to learn on their own and progress at their own rate. C. Both, because they can always shift from one modality to another.

D. Face-to-Face because there is always the need of a teacher in a classroom all the time.

5. If on-line or virtual learning environment is not applicable, the traditional faceto-face or in school will continue. How will you improve the physical learning environment? A. Use tables with chairs to allow cooperative learning. B. Provide learning spaces or corners for independent study. C. Give credits to success than failures. D. A,B,

In not less than 300 words, write an essay on the topic: “My Conducive Learning Environment” To create a classroom environment conducive to learning, you must first focus on the physical space. Use every possible area of the room to create an atmosphere that encourages participation and learning. The physical space includes the layout and arrangement of the desks or tables, the placement of computers and equipment, and items on the bulletin boards and walls. Effective teachers look for every available opportunity to increase student learning. The classroom environment is a teaching resource that should not be ignored. Students and teachers spend the majority of their day in school classrooms, and it’s your responsibility to foster an environment and atmosphere that enhance learning. Developing a classroom environment conducive to learning is a process that entails staging the physical space, getting the students to cooperate, creating a communal environment, and finally maintaining a positive classroom climate and culture. And also teacher should provide interesting activities to motivate student learn. Learning environment should give good ambiance and positivity to keep learners

Case Study Research Method in Psychology

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Case studies are in-depth investigations of a person, group, event, or community. Typically, data is gathered from various sources using several methods (e.g., observations & interviews).

The case study research method originated in clinical medicine (the case history, i.e., the patient’s personal history). In psychology, case studies are often confined to the study of a particular individual.

The information is mainly biographical and relates to events in the individual’s past (i.e., retrospective), as well as to significant events that are currently occurring in his or her everyday life.

The case study is not a research method, but researchers select methods of data collection and analysis that will generate material suitable for case studies.

Freud (1909a, 1909b) conducted very detailed investigations into the private lives of his patients in an attempt to both understand and help them overcome their illnesses.

This makes it clear that the case study is a method that should only be used by a psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist, i.e., someone with a professional qualification.

There is an ethical issue of competence. Only someone qualified to diagnose and treat a person can conduct a formal case study relating to atypical (i.e., abnormal) behavior or atypical development.

 Famous Case Studies

• Anna O – One of the most famous case studies, documenting psychoanalyst Josef Breuer’s treatment of “Anna O” (real name Bertha Pappenheim) for hysteria in the late 1800s using early psychoanalytic theory.
• Little Hans – A child psychoanalysis case study published by Sigmund Freud in 1909 analyzing his five-year-old patient Herbert Graf’s house phobia as related to the Oedipus complex.
• Bruce/Brenda – Gender identity case of the boy (Bruce) whose botched circumcision led psychologist John Money to advise gender reassignment and raise him as a girl (Brenda) in the 1960s.
• Genie Wiley – Linguistics/psychological development case of the victim of extreme isolation abuse who was studied in 1970s California for effects of early language deprivation on acquiring speech later in life.
• Phineas Gage – One of the most famous neuropsychology case studies analyzes personality changes in railroad worker Phineas Gage after an 1848 brain injury involving a tamping iron piercing his skull.

Clinical Case Studies

• Studying the effectiveness of psychotherapy approaches with an individual patient
• Assessing and treating mental illnesses like depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD
• Neuropsychological cases investigating brain injuries or disorders

Child Psychology Case Studies

• Studying psychological development from birth through adolescence
• Cases of learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD
• Effects of trauma, abuse, deprivation on development

Types of Case Studies

• Explanatory case studies : Used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. Helpful for doing qualitative analysis to explain presumed causal links.
• Exploratory case studies : Used to explore situations where an intervention being evaluated has no clear set of outcomes. It helps define questions and hypotheses for future research.
• Descriptive case studies : Describe an intervention or phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred. It is helpful for illustrating certain topics within an evaluation.
• Multiple-case studies : Used to explore differences between cases and replicate findings across cases. Helpful for comparing and contrasting specific cases.
• Intrinsic : Used to gain a better understanding of a particular case. Helpful for capturing the complexity of a single case.
• Collective : Used to explore a general phenomenon using multiple case studies. Helpful for jointly studying a group of cases in order to inquire into the phenomenon.

Where Do You Find Data for a Case Study?

There are several places to find data for a case study. The key is to gather data from multiple sources to get a complete picture of the case and corroborate facts or findings through triangulation of evidence. Most of this information is likely qualitative (i.e., verbal description rather than measurement), but the psychologist might also collect numerical data.

1. Primary sources

• Interviews – Interviewing key people related to the case to get their perspectives and insights. The interview is an extremely effective procedure for obtaining information about an individual, and it may be used to collect comments from the person’s friends, parents, employer, workmates, and others who have a good knowledge of the person, as well as to obtain facts from the person him or herself.
• Observations – Observing behaviors, interactions, processes, etc., related to the case as they unfold in real-time.
• Documents & Records – Reviewing private documents, diaries, public records, correspondence, meeting minutes, etc., relevant to the case.

2. Secondary sources

• News/Media – News coverage of events related to the case study.
• Academic articles – Journal articles, dissertations etc. that discuss the case.
• Government reports – Official data and records related to the case context.
• Books/films – Books, documentaries or films discussing the case.

3. Archival records

Searching historical archives, museum collections and databases to find relevant documents, visual/audio records related to the case history and context.

Public archives like newspapers, organizational records, photographic collections could all include potentially relevant pieces of information to shed light on attitudes, cultural perspectives, common practices and historical contexts related to psychology.

4. Organizational records

Organizational records offer the advantage of often having large datasets collected over time that can reveal or confirm psychological insights.

Of course, privacy and ethical concerns regarding confidential data must be navigated carefully.

However, with proper protocols, organizational records can provide invaluable context and empirical depth to qualitative case studies exploring the intersection of psychology and organizations.

• Organizational/industrial psychology research : Organizational records like employee surveys, turnover/retention data, policies, incident reports etc. may provide insight into topics like job satisfaction, workplace culture and dynamics, leadership issues, employee behaviors etc.
• Clinical psychology : Therapists/hospitals may grant access to anonymized medical records to study aspects like assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans etc. This could shed light on clinical practices.
• School psychology : Studies could utilize anonymized student records like test scores, grades, disciplinary issues, and counseling referrals to study child development, learning barriers, effectiveness of support programs, and more.

How do I Write a Case Study in Psychology?

Follow specified case study guidelines provided by a journal or your psychology tutor. General components of clinical case studies include: background, symptoms, assessments, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Interpreting the information means the researcher decides what to include or leave out. A good case study should always clarify which information is the factual description and which is an inference or the researcher’s opinion.

1. Introduction

• Provide background on the case context and why it is of interest, presenting background information like demographics, relevant history, and presenting problem.
• Compare briefly to similar published cases if applicable. Clearly state the focus/importance of the case.

2. Case Presentation

• Describe the presenting problem in detail, including symptoms, duration,and impact on daily life.
• Include client demographics like age and gender, information about social relationships, and mental health history.
• Describe all physical, emotional, and/or sensory symptoms reported by the client.
• Use patient quotes to describe the initial complaint verbatim. Follow with full-sentence summaries of relevant history details gathered, including key components that led to a working diagnosis.
• Summarize clinical exam results, namely orthopedic/neurological tests, imaging, lab tests, etc. Note actual results rather than subjective conclusions. Provide images if clearly reproducible/anonymized.
• Clearly state the working diagnosis or clinical impression before transitioning to management.

3. Management and Outcome

• Indicate the total duration of care and number of treatments given over what timeframe. Use specific names/descriptions for any therapies/interventions applied.
• Present the results of the intervention,including any quantitative or qualitative data collected.
• For outcomes, utilize visual analog scales for pain, medication usage logs, etc., if possible. Include patient self-reports of improvement/worsening of symptoms. Note the reason for discharge/end of care.

4. Discussion

• Analyze the case, exploring contributing factors, limitations of the study, and connections to existing research.
• Analyze the effectiveness of the intervention,considering factors like participant adherence, limitations of the study, and potential alternative explanations for the results.
• Identify any questions raised in the case analysis and relate insights to established theories and current research if applicable. Avoid definitive claims about physiological explanations.
• Offer clinical implications, and suggest future research directions.

5. Additional Items

• Thank specific assistants for writing support only. No patient acknowledgments.
• References should directly support any key claims or quotes included.
• Use tables/figures/images only if substantially informative. Include permissions and legends/explanatory notes.
• Provides detailed (rich qualitative) information.
• Provides insight for further research.
• Permitting investigation of otherwise impractical (or unethical) situations.

Case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible if they were trying to deal with a large number of research participants (nomothetic approach) with the aim of ‘averaging’.

Because of their in-depth, multi-sided approach, case studies often shed light on aspects of human thinking and behavior that would be unethical or impractical to study in other ways.

Research that only looks into the measurable aspects of human behavior is not likely to give us insights into the subjective dimension of experience, which is important to psychoanalytic and humanistic psychologists.

Case studies are often used in exploratory research. They can help us generate new ideas (that might be tested by other methods). They are an important way of illustrating theories and can help show how different aspects of a person’s life are related to each other.

The method is, therefore, important for psychologists who adopt a holistic point of view (i.e., humanistic psychologists ).

Limitations

• Lacking scientific rigor and providing little basis for generalization of results to the wider population.
• Researchers’ own subjective feelings may influence the case study (researcher bias).
• Difficult to replicate.
• Time-consuming and expensive.
• The volume of data, together with the time restrictions in place, impacted the depth of analysis that was possible within the available resources.

Because a case study deals with only one person/event/group, we can never be sure if the case study investigated is representative of the wider body of “similar” instances. This means the conclusions drawn from a particular case may not be transferable to other settings.

Because case studies are based on the analysis of qualitative (i.e., descriptive) data , a lot depends on the psychologist’s interpretation of the information she has acquired.

This means that there is a lot of scope for Anna O , and it could be that the subjective opinions of the psychologist intrude in the assessment of what the data means.

For example, Freud has been criticized for producing case studies in which the information was sometimes distorted to fit particular behavioral theories (e.g., Little Hans ).

This is also true of Money’s interpretation of the Bruce/Brenda case study (Diamond, 1997) when he ignored evidence that went against his theory.

Breuer, J., & Freud, S. (1895).  Studies on hysteria . Standard Edition 2: London.

Curtiss, S. (1981). Genie: The case of a modern wild child .

Diamond, M., & Sigmundson, K. (1997). Sex Reassignment at Birth: Long-term Review and Clinical Implications. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , 151(3), 298-304

Freud, S. (1909a). Analysis of a phobia of a five year old boy. In The Pelican Freud Library (1977), Vol 8, Case Histories 1, pages 169-306

Freud, S. (1909b). Bemerkungen über einen Fall von Zwangsneurose (Der “Rattenmann”). Jb. psychoanal. psychopathol. Forsch ., I, p. 357-421; GW, VII, p. 379-463; Notes upon a case of obsessional neurosis, SE , 10: 151-318.

Harlow J. M. (1848). Passage of an iron rod through the head.  Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 39 , 389–393.

Harlow, J. M. (1868).  Recovery from the Passage of an Iron Bar through the Head .  Publications of the Massachusetts Medical Society. 2  (3), 327-347.

Money, J., & Ehrhardt, A. A. (1972).  Man & Woman, Boy & Girl : The Differentiation and Dimorphism of Gender Identity from Conception to Maturity. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Money, J., & Tucker, P. (1975). Sexual signatures: On being a man or a woman.

Further Information

• Case Study Approach
• Case Study Method
• Enhancing the Quality of Case Studies in Health Services Research
• “We do things together” A case study of “couplehood” in dementia
• Using mixed methods for evaluating an integrative approach to cancer care: a case study

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• Open access
• Published: 22 May 2024

Co-creating a continuous leadership development program in rural municipal healthcare – an action research study

• Trude Anita Hartviksen 1 , 2 ,
• Rita Solbakken 3 ,
• Lars Strauman 2 , 4 &
• Inger-Lise Magnussen 3  

BMC Health Services Research volume  24 , Article number:  656 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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An increasingly complex healthcare system entails an urgent need for competent and resilient leadership. However, there is a lack of extensive research on leadership development within healthcare. The knowledge gaps extend to various frameworks and contexts, particularly concerning municipal healthcare, knowledge leadership, and the application of knowledge in the field of practice. This study is the first in a larger action research project that aims to co-create a knowledge-based continuous leadership development program for healthcare in a rural Arctic municipality. This present study aims to explore the knowledge and experiences of the participating healthcare leaders to develop a common basis for co-creating the program.

This hermeneutical study presents the first cycle of the larger action research project. An appreciative approach facilitated the project. Twenty-three healthcare leaders from three different leadership levels attended and evaluated two leadership development workshops and participated in four focus groups. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis.

Two main themes were identified: (1) changing from striving solo players to team players, and (2) learning to handle a conflicting and complex context. These results influenced how the leadership development program based on the participants’ co-creation was organized as a collective and relational process rather than an individual competence replenishment.

Conclusions

The knowledge and experiences of healthcare leaders led to the co-creation of a knowledge-based continuous leadership development program based on the facilitated interaction of four essential elements: (1) competence development, (2) structures for interaction, (3) interpersonal safety, and (4) collective values and goals. The interaction was generated through trusted reflection facilitated by appreciative inquiry. The four elements and core played a crucial role in fostering relationships and facilitating learning, driving transformative change in this leadership development program. The study’s results provide a solid foundation for further co-creating the program. However, more research is needed to fully explore the practical application and overall significance.

Peer Review reports

The healthcare system in the Western world is becoming increasingly complex, facing continuous development, changing expectations, new priorities, a growing number of older persons, and a significant shortage of human resources. To navigate these changes successfully, competent and resilient healthcare leadership is urgently required [ 1 , 2 ]. However, healthcare leadership is recognized as demanding, characterized by high stress levels and a risk of burnout. The significance of leadership has often been undervalued, sometimes viewed merely as an adjunct to clinical tasks rather than as a vital component of system development [ 3 ].

A knowledge-based leadership

Healthcare leadership is a decisive factor in ensuring that new knowledge, political decisions, and strategies are integrated into services that benefit individual citizens through up-to-date, knowledge-based practice. This has been referred to as “closing the quality chasm”. Additionally, leadership is pivotal in ensuring employee well-being, retention, and recruitment [ 3 ]. Healthcare leadership operates at several levels, described as the first-line, middle, and senior levels [ 4 ]. This study focuses on leadership development across all levels and various professions in municipal healthcare. However, these positions are primarily held by nurses, which is why the term “nursing leadership” is frequently used [ 5 ].

In a systematic review, Claesson et al. [ 6 ] elaborated on the unique and complex role of nursing leadership in municipal home-based healthcare. This role encompasses various elements, including trust and control, continuous learning, competence, skills, awareness of individual needs, mutual support and relationships, collaborative work at the organizational and interpersonal levels, nursing responsibility, and exposure to challenges. The review further concluded that nursing leaders must possess the qualities of multi-artists [ 6 ]. Jordal et al. [ 4 ] summarize how nursing leadership in municipal home-based healthcare entails professional, relational, financial, and organizational responsibilities as well as the demanding task of balancing multiple responsibilities [ 4 ]. There is a recognized need to clarify the leadership role in healthcare, establish boundaries around responsibilities, and enhance support from senior leaders [ 4 , 5 ].

Knowledge management is presented as one of the answers to the changed needs in healthcare, understood as a systematic and organized approach to improve the organization’s ability to mobilize knowledge transfer. Although there has been limited research on knowledge management in healthcare [ 7 ], it is found to improve information and knowledge processes, decision-making capabilities, performance, quality of services, and to increase organizational effectiveness [ 8 ]. Knowledge leadership is presented as the most important key to succeed with knowledge management as it secures that the people involved are properly led, engaged, and motivated [ 9 ]. Knowledge leadership includes knowledge transfer, coaching, and the development of an operating culture for near future as well as long-term activity [ 7 ].

Leadership development

Since the late 1980s, leadership development has evolved into an extensive industry and a burgeoning field of research, supported by an increasing array of theoretical frameworks [ 10 , 11 ]. However, leadership development programs (LDPs) typically do not draw upon theoretical models or frameworks, as they are predominantly influenced by various competency models and team-based strategies [ 10 ]. Traditionally, there has been a greater emphasis on the leader’s individual development [ 12 ]. Leadership competence is identified as the knowledge, skills, behaviors, abilities, and attitudes that contribute to individual effectiveness [ 7 ]. While leader development focuses on intrapersonal growth, leadership development is recognized as interpersonal processes aimed at enhancing collective leadership capacity [ 10 , 13 ]. A more collectivist approach to leadership development is suggested [ 13 ]. This knowledge is supported by the expectations of increased multi-professional collaboration and team-based municipal healthcare [ 2 , 14 ]. Sørensen et al. [ 14 ] elaborate on the importance of enhancing organizational collaboration capabilities before introducing new professional teams, roles, and areas of responsibility. The key elements for strengthening such professional relationships are trust, respect, and continuity [ 14 ].

Even if theoretical frameworks employed in leadership development include learning by experience and interpersonal processes such as identity development [ 11 ], they have mainly centered on leadership styles [ 10 , 11 ]. There are different understandings regarding which leadership styles are most suitable within healthcare. A collaborative leadership style is found conducive to knowledge management [ 9 ]. For leadership in contemporary healthcare, and as a method for enhancing leadership development strategies and outcomes, Alilyyani et al. [ 15 ] suggest an authentic leadership style, as delineated by Avolio et al. [ 16 ].

Several simultaneous learning processes are tested in leadership development, broadly categorized into two main forms: top-down versus bottom-up. Top-down processes encompass classroom lectures or reading texts about leadership, while bottom-up processes involve acquiring or enhancing leadership skills based on participants’ experiences. Some LDPs integrate these two forms of learning along with fundamental learning theories, leadership identity development, and motivation to lead and develop as a leader [ 10 ].

LDPs implemented in healthcare are typically adapted from other contexts [ 17 ]. The House of Leadership [ 18 ], presents a comprehensive leadership theory specifically developed for healthcare. This theory aims to facilitate the conversion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and emphasizes the value of using organizational visions to guide leadership, and the necessity for leaders to engage in established networks. Hartviksen [ 19 ] outlines the need for a shift in the planning and execution of leadership development. This transition involves moving from unsupported to supported transformative processes, from healthcare leadership characterized by solitary competition to collaborative networks, and from a mission-based and controlling approach to empowering leadership. These changes encompass both pedagogical and relational principles and are suggested to draw from a broad theoretical foundation including complexity theory [ 20 ], learning theory [ 21 ], and leadership theory [ 22 ].

Co-creation in healthcare research

Co-creation is depicted as crucial for the development of the public sector [ 23 ]. Greenhalgh et al. [ 24 ] describe co-creation in healthcare research as the collaborative generation of knowledge by academics working together with other stakeholders. They stress that a co-creative approach holds significant potential for social impact, contingent upon maintaining a systems perspective, adopting a creative approach to research focused on enhancing human experience, and giving careful attention to governance and process. Co-creation entails an interactive and dynamic process where value is created through the actual interaction that takes place [ 25 ].

Within healthcare, reference is made to a low scientific maturity regarding co-creative approaches [ 26 ]. Bowen et al. [ 27 ] describe how healthcare leaders encounter a top-down approach from researchers and decision-makers. Co-creative research has primarily presented influencing factors, with fewer studies presenting results [ 23 ]. Sharma [ 28 ] identified six characteristics of co-creative leadership: (1) creating a shared world view, (2) establishing a common vision, (3) fostering an environment of trust, (4) facilitating knowledge creation and sharing, (5) enhancing decision-making, and (6) promoting collaboration. Clausen et al. [ 29 ] explain that the pedagogical approaches guiding leadership development programs are as crucial as the program content itself. Reflection and narratives are highlighted as methods to address complex healthcare leadership challenges. Janamian et al. [ 30 ] found that a co-creative approach necessitates meaningful interactions, citizen-centered improvements, and co-creative governance, management, and communication within the research project. Openness, understanding, flexibility, fairness, and transparency are crucial [ 30 ].

There is a general need for further research in knowledge-based leadership development [ 7 , 11 ], particularly across theoretical frameworks and concerning how knowledge is applied in the field of practice [ 11 , 18 ]. Extensive research gaps have been identified from various perspectives both, related to municipal home-based healthcare leadership [ 4 , 6 ] and healthcare leadership in general [ 7 ]. This study represents the first publication in a larger action research (AR) project aimed at co-creating a knowledge-based continuous LDP for healthcare in a rural Arctic municipality. It draws upon a theoretical foundation [ 20 , 21 , 22 ], as well as pedagogical and relational principles suggested by Hartviksen [ 19 ], to explore how these suggestions manifest in an active co-creation between professional practice and research [ 19 ]. The project comprises three consecutive studies with the same design. The subsequent study is planned to discuss pedagogical and relational methods, while the final study will present the ultimate results. This present study aims to explore the knowledge and experiences of participating healthcare leaders to develop a common basis for co-creating the program.

This AR project originates from a broader reorganization process in a rural Arctic municipality in Norway involving comprehensive assessments to identify areas for improvement. The senior leaders requested that the authors of this study design a research project that would enhance leadership competencies, which was deemed crucial for cultural advancement. The study design is influenced by a hermeneutic stance [ 31 ] throughout all its research phases. All four authors have individual pre-understandings and have worked in various healthcare positions in rural Arctic municipalities, including leadership roles. TAH and LS have led a previous LDP that included this municipality and are currently employed there [ 32 , 33 ]. RS participated in the previous program, and ILM has led other AR projects in rural Arctic municipal healthcare. As authors, we collectively recognize that leadership in municipal healthcare is diverse and often haphazardly achieved, and that it suffers from a lack of proper follow-up. Both TAH and RS have completed doctoral projects on healthcare leadership development [ 18 , 19 ] and draw upon this knowledge in this present study.

Forming the initial part of a long-term AR project, the core elements of the design in this study are cyclical processes with co-creation [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] and appreciation [ 38 ]. Here, co-creation is understood as a “co-participation process” where we all create the organizational world to which we belong [ 39 ]. Appreciation is employed here as a philosophy, a manner of comprehending organizations, people, and the world, in a positive and future-oriented approach [ 38 ]. Aligned with the pragmatic nature of AR [ 40 ], and the capacity of appreciative inquiry to bridge positions and levels [ 41 ], we ensured co-creation from a bottom-up perspective through close collaborative interactions with the participants in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the research. The design followed four basic steps: constructing, planning, taking, and evaluating action; as visualized in Fig.  1 .

The action research process

The four steps in Fig.  1 were not rigid phases but overlapped and were continuously adapted to the situation and the participants, forming a flexible framework with reflections and revisions in a continuous back-and-forth process [ 31 , 40 ]. An example of this process was demonstrated when the feedback from the participants in workshop 1 was systematically used to design workshop 2.

Participants

This rural Arctic Norwegian municipality houses approximately 11,500 residents [ 42 ]. The municipal healthcare is organized with 10 units, 36 leaders, and around 500 employees. All leaders at three leadership levels in municipal healthcare were invited to participate—36 senior, middle, and first-line leaders in total. Of these, twenty-three leaders provided written informed consent to participate, with an emphasis on their right to withdraw at any point.

The leaders were not queried about their reasons for non-participation, yet several provided various explanations. Examples included extraordinary workplace situations requiring immediate attention, illness, and the observation that the focus group in the initial workshop was scheduled at the end of the first day, resulting in what participants deemed an excessively lengthy duration. Consequently, this was amended for the second workshop, resulting in the addition of three more participants. The leaders who did not participate held positions as first-line and middle leaders. Participation in the LDP was open to leaders irrespective of their involvement in the AR project. Further details regarding participant characteristics can be found in Table  1 .

Data gathering

The data were gathered through two workshops held in May and September 2022, each spanning two consecutive days at different conference venues. The methods included semi-structured focus groups (FGs), participatory observations, and online evaluation surveys. The workshop programs featured short introductory presentations on leadership-related topics, presented by the participants and the authors of this study. The programs facilitated reflection on the presented topics—individually, in groups, in the plenary, and after role-play. The accommodations, shared meals, intentional venue selection, and social activities aimed to foster interaction and professional networking [ 18 ].

Four FGs were moderated by TAH using semi-structured thematic interview guides (see Appendix 1 and 2 ) with open-ended questions [ 43 ]. The interview guides were prepared by all the authors based on previous knowledge and appreciative inquiry [ 44 , 45 ]. Appreciative inquiry exerted a broad influence on the study design, notably on the interview guides and surveys, where we intentionally prioritized inquiries about strengths and positive attributes over weaknesses and negative qualities, as well as focusing on what enhances rather than what inhibits. This conversational technique was consistently employed in the researchers’ ongoing dialogue during the workshops, grounded in the philosophy of appreciation’s transformative potential for creation and change. It underscores the belief that language shapes the world we inhabit, encompassing opportunities and solutions, through its utilization [ 46 ].

Participants voluntarily formed two FGs in each workshop, consisting of seven to nine participants. RS and ILM co-moderated two FGs each, contributing additional questions to further explore the participants’ statements as well as handwritten notes describing the communication process and body language. The FGs were held in private rooms and were audio recorded; they lasted approximately one hour. A total of 30 h of participant observations by RS and ILM provided structured and unstructured field notes from the workshops, focusing on communication, commitment, body language, attitudes, roles, and interactions of the participating healthcare leaders [ 47 ].

Twenty-two and 19 participants provided anonymous feedback through online evaluation surveys (see Appendix 3 ) from the first and second workshops, respectively. These surveys, consisting of four questions on participant characteristics (position, experience, education, and leadership development) and an open-ended section asking to suggest improvements and topics that should be prioritized at the upcoming workshops, contributed to the rich empirical data analyzed in this study.

Data analysis

A six-step reflexive thematic analysis [ 48 , 49 ] was conducted as an active and recursive process between the parts and the whole of the empirical data [ 31 ] to explore latent meanings [ 50 ]. Reflexive thematic analysis is a theoretically flexible interpretative approach to qualitative data analysis that emphasizes the role of researchers [ 51 ]. All four authors engaged reflexively: (1) the data were read and re-read, (2) initial codes were generated, (3) potential themes were identified, (4) themes were developed through abstraction, (5) themes were defined and named, and (6) themes were communicated [ 48 , 49 ].

The six-phase process was utilized as a set of guidelines rather than strict rules. Other researchers’ assessments and experiences of thematic analysis were of great help, particularly Byrne’s description, exemplification, and illustration of the analysis process of interview data in an educational context. Byrne’s [ 51 ] “worked example” served as a guide during four writing seminars with all authors present. During the comprehensive analysis process, the participants were actively engaged in providing input on the results. This involvement was facilitated through presentations of the results from the previous workshop and critical discussions held in the following workshop. These interactive sessions fostered productive discussions, ultimately enriching the depth of the analysis [ 52 ].

In the first phase, FG recordings were manually transcribed verbatim by TAH into 55 A4 pages of text. Handwritten notes and field notes were computer-written by RS and ILM, adding a total of 15 A4 pages to the empirical data along with 41 evaluation surveys. All four authors individually read and re-read the entire dataset, noting preliminary codes and themes (patterns of meaning). In phase two, ILM led a bottom-up approach to create concise codes, using color labels to examine both semantic and latent features. In phase three, the codes were clustered into six potential themes with substantiating subthemes [ 48 , 49 ]. In phase four, all authors carefully assessed, abstracted, and refined the potential themes against the research question, codes, and subthemes [ 48 ]. It became necessary to return to the transcribed data and previous codes to ensure that no content was overlooked. The quality was ensured with the help of Braun & Clarke’s 15-point checklist [ 48 ]. This refining process led to four generated themes with distinct subthemes.

In the fifth phase, each theme was related to the data and the research question one last time [ 48 ], requiring a deeper analysis of latent content [ 49 ]. Themes were refined, completed, and redefined by identifying their essence [ 48 ]. The four authors’ perspectives were discussed until a consensus was reached, developing a common horizon of understanding [ 31 ]. This process resulted in two final themes with substantiating subthemes. The sixth and final phase involved inspecting and organizing themes to form a logical, coherent structure [ 48 ]. The order of the themes illustrates how they relate to each other; quotes that support the themes and subthemes could first be related to the individual, second to the leadership team, and then to the complex context; as shown in Fig.  2 .

Themes and subthemes supported by quotes

Twenty-three healthcare leaders from a rural Arctic municipality participated in this study, including 12 registered nurses. The other 11 represented eight different health and social care professions. The participants reported 11 different types of further education. The ages of the participants ranged from 32 to 61 years, with a mean age of 47 years. Three men and 20 women participated, with leadership experience spanning one to 25 years (mean of 10.4 years). Participant characteristics are further detailed in Table  1 . Two main themes were identified: (1) changing from striving solo players to team players, and (2) learning to handle a conflicting and complex context. Each main theme is substantiated by two subthemes.

Changing from striving solo players to team players

This first main theme emerged from the results where the participating healthcare leaders described a deficit of trust within their organizational culture. Despite the participant characteristics demonstrating a highly competent and experienced leader group, the leaders acknowledged underutilizing their expertise across the municipal organization. Emphasizing the need for developing trust, participants advocated for a shift from individual-focused roles to a collaborative, team-oriented approach. This theme is substantiated by two subthemes: (1) experienced and competent solo players, and (2) striving for a psychologically safe and professionalized leader team.

Experienced and competent solo players

In the FGs, participants across all three leadership levels conveyed fortuitous entries into leadership positions. Some had filled in for leaders on sick leave and later applied for the position, while others, with prior positions of trust, were encouraged to pursue leadership roles. Nevertheless, they explained having something valuable to contribute to leadership. The participants’ motivation for assuming leadership positions was frequently described as driven by a desire to influence development processes. They mainly depicted themselves as experienced leaders with further education. Even if the participants had participated in other LDPs, only one of them had experiences from the same LDP in which three of the authors of this study had been involved.

Both first-line and middle leaders described their leadership style as “present leadership,” emphasizing the importance of being accessible to employees. The first-line leaders in home-based services added to these descriptions when elaborating how they could be present for employees, even when they led from a distance most of the time. This was emphasized as being present when important, such as in the morning and before employees left work. Additional leadership styles, such as relational leadership and what participants referred to as “motherly leadership”, were identified; for example, as Participant 1 explained in FG 4:

I said, hush, it must be quiet, and I must not hear it anymore, so, yes, so, it becomes a bit like that… educating, and maybe pointing fingers, but I think that’s when you must come up with that Health Personnel Act every now and then… .

Despite their stated leadership competence, both first-line and middle leaders expressed a lack of confidence as leaders, thinking that the other leaders handled their jobs more professionally than they did themselves. They described feeling alone, lacking structured follow-up, and having inconsistent and short-term support for their leadership roles. Participant 9 explained in FG 2:

… when we were to start up today, I just have to say that I do not have…. such enormous expectations for how this should be, because I am… terribly anxious that this will just be a blip, and then… .

The middle leaders cited experiences of previous senior leaders having imposed sanctions when they disapproved of their actions, eroding trust, and fostering a more individualized leadership approach. Examples of such sanctions included publicly singling out individuals as negative examples, disregarding their contributions, or using suppressive techniques such as ridicule. As a result of these composite experiences, both the first-line and middle leaders described themselves more as solo players than team players.

Striving for a psychologically safe and professionalized leader team

As part of the FG discussions, the participants emphasized a common interest in leading, achieving superior results, and working toward shared values and goals. However, they expressed a need for professional development as a leadership team, citing untapped potential due to a lack of collaboration across units. In both the second evaluation survey and the FGs, the participants underlined the need to develop safe relationships as essential for the LDP. This included cultivating positive leadership and ensuring stability within the leadership team. Changes in leadership positions had weakened the dynamics among them. However, the notes from the FGs and the participative observations described the participants as having active body language, listening to each other’s experiences, and asking follow-up questions.

It was discussed in the FGs that this municipal healthcare had been previously organized into two different areas, health and caring . This former organizational structure was occasionally visual. For example, in FG 4, Participant 2 expressed the following:

I also miss being able to have more people from health involved in the leader meetings. Because those leader meetings are…very, very, useless for me, because the focus is on caring, and I am the only one from health who is present.

​This middle leader described compensating for this by restoring a previous leader meeting, even though the participants in this meeting no longer held formal leadership positions.

While middle leaders described regularly meeting with each other, the overall leader group lacked shared meeting opportunities. Some first-line and middle leaders had initiated informal meetings to improve interaction. The participants suggested that the LDP should include cross-over groups to foster better understanding and interpersonal safety, as well as identify shared challenges. Some progress was made in this area at the end of the first workshop, as acknowledged by Participant 5 in the first FG:

I think that I see that there is more trust; that is, in each other, we have become slightly more familiar with each other… there are quite a few constitutions and such, but maybe we are on to form a stable leadership group… .

Some middle leaders described conflicts arising from previous financial discussions involving cutbacks, leading to competition over limited resources. This dynamic was experienced to hinder the ability to unleash their full potential. Despite this, participants recognized the positive aspects of differences in the leadership group, acknowledging the need to complement and learn from each other to develop as a professionalized leader team.

Learning to handle a conflicting and complex context

The second main theme is developed from the results where the participants described their complex everyday lives with conflicting challenges and expectations. The healthcare leaders emphasized the need for a LDP that was strongly connected to these practical experiences and suggested participative learning methods as a means. This main theme is further substantiated by two subthemes: (1) balancing conflicting challenges and expectations, and (2) learning from participative processes.

Balancing conflicting challenges and expectations

The participating first-line and middle leaders described in the FGs how the increasing complexity in municipal healthcare provided leadership challenges, additional tasks, and a larger total amount of work. Several first-line leaders shared how they found themselves in a challenging situation where they had to juggle dual roles 50/50 as both leaders and nurses in clinical work. They expressed difficulty maintaining satisfactory focus in either position, experiencing contradicting challenges and expectations. While the economic goals were described as “always clear,” they highlighted the absence of common goals and directions in other aspects, such as professional development. First-line and middle leaders described administrative tasks as “overwhelming.” They suggested that some of these tasks should have been done by others (e.g., human resources, office personnel), as they found it difficult to prioritize leadership tasks. For example, Participant 6 described in FG 3:

… there can be a lot of administration and tasks meaning that you have little time to conduct quality work and improvement work… .

The participants from all three leadership levels described how they assessed that different work requirements within the municipality healthcare increased complexity. They discussed this as creating a risk for unwanted variations in citizens’ quality of care and employees’ working conditions. An example was given where some employees worked every other weekend, while others worked every third weekend. The participants described several challenges within the municipal organization, relating most of these challenges to a need to improve the organizational culture. They described this as a time-consuming process tied to senior leadership levels, over which they had limited direct influence.

In the surveys, the participants exemplified challenges from their daily context. Here, feedback was given that they wanted to learn more about how to handle domination techniques, conflicts, difficult conversations, and employees in general. The participants requested to learn about how to motivate and create commitment and well-being when employees were tired and bored at work. Several first-line leaders explained in the FGs how they prioritized ensuring that the employees were well. Participant 8 in the fourth FG described this as follows:

… if the employees are well, the citizens are well …

Furthermore, in the surveys, the participants emphasized the need for additional knowledge about leadership, diverse leadership styles, leadership tools, long-term planning, involvement, and communication. Priority was expressed for fostering an environment of open expression and psychological safety, navigating change and processes, and implementing effective measurement strategies for improvement.

Learning from participative processes

In the surveys, the participants described an overall satisfaction with the first workshop. In the second workshop, they were satisfied with the content and learning processes but not the venue. Criticism stemmed from its local setting, leading many to go home and forgo social events with dinner and quizzes. This was described as negative for developing social relationships and trust within the leadership team. The participation processes were highlighted as positive, especially regarding the FGs. This was exemplified when the moderator explained the time limit of the research project but clarified that the LDP was planned to continue independently of the research. One participant, supported by others, emphasized that the FGs needed to continue regardless, as they were crucial for their reflection. Additionally, participants provided positive feedback that preliminary results from the analysis were presented to them and noted that their input was incorporated into the further development of the LDP.

Feedback from the FGs emphasized the need for well-structured LDP sessions, incorporating frequent breaks. Survey insights recommended brief theoretical sessions balancing theory and group work. In the FGs, the participants emphasized that the topics should be narrowed down to what leaders found difficult or challenging. In both the FGs and surveys, the participants described having prior experience with personality tests, deeming them valuable for understanding diverse personality types within the leadership group.

According to the FG discussions, reflection was identified as a key component of leadership development, particularly in navigating demanding practical leadership situations. Participative observations confirmed the integration of reflection during the workshops, facilitated by the moderators’ open and appreciative inquiry. However, the participants lamented a minimal prioritization of reflection in their everyday routines. They suggested that LDP moderators took an active role in fostering reflection, in addition to how the program itself provided the necessary space, time, and distance from daily challenges. Participant 3 explained in the first FG:

…if things are demanding, if you’re going to build relationships, then you need some time, you need calm, you need to brush up on each other a bit, be confident in each other, eh, daring to share difficult experiences from your own leadership.

The desire for active and equal participation in the LDP was a unanimous sentiment across leadership levels in the FGs. Participant 11 in FG 2 elaborated:

… we are all participants, but we must also contribute… I have the idea that I have something to learn from everyone, regardless of where and… what role my colleagues have or what kind of education we have. I think we are all equal… .

Both the FGs and the survey feedback cited positive experiences with simulation and role-play, particularly in handling challenging situations. Unexpected incidents in the leaders’ daily roles revealed a lack of readiness, underscoring the importance of preparedness for unforeseen circumstances. However, despite the positive feedback, some leaders found role-play uncomfortable and emphasized the importance of ensuring that participants are not pressured into activities they are not adept at mastering.

This study explored the knowledge and experiences of healthcare leaders, developing a common basis for co-creating a knowledge-based continuous LDP in a rural Arctic municipality. Two main themes – changing from striving solo players to team players and learning to handle a conflicting and complex context – were delineated with substantiating subthemes. In our subsequent discussion, we will deliberate how the results contribute to existing knowledge, clarified within four essential elements: (1) competence development, (2) structures for interaction, (3) interpersonal safety, and (4) collective values and goals, and a core of trusted reflection facilitated by appreciative inquiry. The development of elements and core followed the hermeneutic process [ 31 ], merging insights from prior studies [ 18 , 19 ] and the present study’s themes and subthemes, aligning complexity theory [ 20 ], learning theory [ 21 ], and leadership theory [ 22 ]. The elements and core, as illustrated in Fig.  3 , will provide the common basis for the further co-creating of this knowledge-based continuous LDP. The relationship between themes, subthemes, elements and core will be further elaborated.

The appreciative co-creation process

The core of Fig.  3 , trusted reflection facilitated by appreciative inquiry, illustrates how, starting from the theoretical framework for the study [ 20 , 21 , 22 ] as well as the identified themes and sub-themes, this can be understood as the pedagogical and relational principles that grounded the process of developing this LDP. We have previously developed knowledge that identifies a need for transformative and continuous networks [ 18 , 19 ] and LDPs [ 19 ] in the municipal healthcare. The core in Fig.  3 illustrates how this study adds to this knowledge by describing a potential driving force (engine) to ensure transformation and continuity. The themes and sub-themes in this study reveal, for example, a general lack of trust that prevents the collective utilization of leaders’ high individual competence for the overall good of the organization. For example, the results show how this lack of trust is reinforced by unwise former senior leadership, resource shortages and how preceding organizational structures still functioned as informal divisions of the municipal area. The core in Fig.  3 refers to how the design of this study, using appreciative inquiry, tailored an LDP that specifically addressed the participants’ needs. Emphasis was therefore placed on, through facilitated reflection, identifying trust-building factors and enabling redemption and utilization of each leader’s expertise in the group. This early insight influenced the selection of relevant topics as well as transformative relational [ 20 ] and pedagogical methods [ 21 ]. The core of Fig.  3 includes reliable reflective dialogue centered on listening to others’ perspectives, informed by hermeneutics [ 31 ] within the framework of the appreciative approach [ 44 , 45 ].

Leadership competence has been identified as knowledge, skills, behaviors, abilities, and attitudes that contribute to individual effectiveness [ 7 ]. This study adds to this knowledge by illustrating the difference between developing individual and collective leadership competence. Competence development is thus one of the essential elements in Fig.  3 . By emphasizing the relational importance of individual leaders’ articulation and further development of tacit knowledge, this knowledge contributes to The House of Leadership theory [ 18 ]. Mutual trust has been shown to have the potential to liberate people and their tacit knowledge [ 53 ]. Combining top-down and bottom-up learning processes [ 10 ], the latter was deliberately prioritized in this study in line with AR principles and the results that emerged. This included the results that substantiated the subtheme learning from participative processes , which pointed in the direction of transformative learning methods. The participants suggested several transformative pedagogical principles, such as learning through social interaction, critical reflection, open discourse, and the implementation of new understandings in practice [ 21 ]. Furthermore, the hermeneutic approach [ 31 ] implied a mutual development of competence through the co-creating process of the participants and the study authors.

Structures for interaction are an essential element in Fig.  3 . This study developed knowledge about how the structured relational support offered in the LDP facilitated the results that emerged as themes and subthemes. Unlike other LDPs [ 10 , 11 ], the present LDP does not focus on leadership styles. However, the results indicated that first-line and middle leaders experienced a transactional style from senior leadership. Although they described a more relational leadership style for themselves, which can be understood as transformative [ 16 ], they also referred to exercising a motherly leadership style. Based on their descriptions, this can be placed as transactional [ 16 ]. The first main theme, changing from striving solo players to team players with subthemes, thus suggests emphasizing a more transformative form of leadership in the LDP, which is known to support a more open and trust-based organizational culture [ 22 ]. Even if authentic leadership is described as including relational transparency [ 16 ], this knowledge is further developed within this study, highlighting structures for interaction as the starting point for developing collective leadership competence. The LDP was offered to leaders from all three leadership levels in the municipal area. This strengthened first-line and middle leaders’ opportunities for support and interaction with senior leaders, which is a known weakness in municipal healthcare [ 13 ].

Interpersonal safety, as an essential element in Fig.  3 , refers to how the results from this study differ from the knowledge provided by other LDPs that focus on individual leadership competence or the group’s leadership ability [ 10 ]. The co-creating process in this study altered the focus from individual development to working on the relationships between the leaders. This supports the knowledge about the benefits of a more collectivist approach to leadership [ 2 , 10 , 12 , 14 ], and how trust, respect, and continuity are suggested to improve professional relationships [ 14 ]. The participants showed interest in each other’s experiences, listened, and asked follow-up questions. This was interpreted as a sign of developing trust and interpersonal safety. Informal meeting points, such as shared meals, accommodations, and social activities were a key part of building interpersonal safety; understood as getting to know each other as people, not just colleagues, challenging each other and laughing together.

Collective values and goals that are superior to leaders’ individual priorities [ 44 ] are the fourth essential element in Fig.  3 . Despite how the participants’ individual values and goals of being present and visible leaders were clarified through the results of this study, this element refers to how they were unsure of the municipality’s shared values and goals, felt alone, and experienced a lack of support and follow-up. These results support existing knowledge describing a need to establish boundaries around the responsibility of healthcare leadership and increase the support from senior leaders [ 13 ]. This study adds to this knowledge by identifying the vulnerability of these deficiencies to healthcare organizations, and describing how they reduce leaders’ ability to prioritize leadership, development-related tasks, and quality improvement. The results showed that only one of the participants in this study had participated in the previous LDP in which three of the authors had been involved, which suggests a high turnover within the leadership group.

Overall, the results from this study support the descriptions of increasing complexity and continuous change in healthcare [ 1 , 2 ], and the understanding of leadership as a dynamic process based on interaction [ 20 ]. As such, municipal healthcare can be understood as a mesosystem where the LDP becomes a temporary relational process that is difficult to construct in advance. The non-linear nature of the interaction means that one needs to try out the methods and evaluate the results it produces, then make the necessary changes [ 20 ]. This knowledge implies that the construction of this continuous LDP must be subject to ongoing development, trying to accommodate the constantly changing contextual conditions. The arrows and movement in Fig.  3 indicate how the synergies between the elements bring the LDP forward, supported by the research phases in the hermeneutical AR approach [ 31 , 40 ]. The four elements mutually influence one another and the core. Thus, it is reasonable to think that neglect or challenges in any of the elements may disrupt continuity, hindering results similar to the themes and subthemes presented in this study.

The results support The House of Leadership theory [ 18 ], depicting that when participation in formal networks is not offered, informal networks arise within the organization. However, we have not considered the significance for the field of practice within this study [ 11 , 18 ]. This will need further research. The results provide an example of how fundamental changes after reorganization are challenged when the underlying patterns in the system are not challenged and/or changed and when the ground is not prepared for upcoming changes [ 1 , 2 ]. The necessity of this continuous LDP was further emphasized by the leaders’ statements that this was the only meeting point of its kind in the organization.

Strengths and limitations

Despite how previous studies have acknowledged the methodological advantages of co-creation [ 12 , 29 ], we have not found studies that have used AR to co-create LDPs [ 1 , 6 , 7 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]. The use of AR offers several strengths to this study. First, the research was initiated from a shared concern among researchers and participants. Second, “inside information” was secured when only participants who worked within the practice of concern participated. Third, the methods involved continuous adjustments based on participant feedback, fostering an adaptive approach aligned with the dynamic nature of the practice [ 40 , 54 ]. Knowledge contributed from a previous LDP in which the municipality participated prepared the stage with shared visions [ 32 , 33 ]. Thus, the study could be described as building on the past and taking place in the present with a view to shaping the future [ 40 , 55 ]. Member checking, also known as “participant validation,” was used as a technique for exploring the credibility of results [ 52 ]. The interplay of action and research, characteristic of the dynamic nature of AR, provided a platform for collaboratively co-developing, theorizing, testing, and implementing knowledge within an evolving leadership landscape [ 37 ].

Triangulation of the methods may have provided deeper meaning to the results [ 37 ] and helped minimize the limitations of each method [ 56 ]. The use of mixed groups of participants in the FGs, with diverse competencies, experiences, and skills enriched the empirical data and added diverse leadership perspectives. However, this could also provide limitations wherein leaders across various hierarchies engage in the same FG. Divergent power dynamics might lead participants to tailor their contributions to accommodate the presence of leaders either above or below their own rank. Contextual factors such as the rural setting could also have further shaped the dialogue, potentially due to pre-existing relationships among participants or their familiarity outside the formal setting. The co-moderators diligently examined these communication dynamics within the FGs but did not highlight any such observations in the field notes. The overall data contributed to topics and situations being illuminated and reflected upon from several perspectives, strengthening the trustworthiness of the results [ 40 ].

Although the six analysis steps were indicative, this reflexive approach safeguarded the flexibility and openness of the analysis and is known to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. However, a more theoretical driven analytic framework might have brought in other perspectives. The reflexivity of the analysis was strengthened by the fact that all the authors brought their perspectives into the analysis and that for one of them, both the participants and the context were unknown [ 49 ].

AR is criticized for how the researcher’s proximity to participants and the research field may “color” actions and data. Given the possible pitfalls of the analysis [ 48 ], we have described each phase in detail to ensure that the data are processed respectfully. In the context of this limited research community, the act of sharing experiences may pose challenges to maintaining anonymity and confidentiality [ 57 ]. To mitigate potential issues and maintain transparency, we proactively fostered an open dialogue with the participants throughout the study [ 37 ]. AR provides the researcher with a unique opportunity to observe, discuss, and reflect upon the participants, which contributes to the trustworthiness and credibility of the results. The participants’ openness and willingness to engage strengthened the study. Ensuring equality was a fundamental principle from the researchers’ standpoint, aligned with the core characteristic of AR [ 57 ]. Every participant’s contribution and role were accorded equal values, emphasizing the democratic nature of the collaborative process. The study’s commitment to fostering knowledge and practice development underscores the transformative potential of AR and its cooperative essence rooted in a bottom-up perspective [ 37 ].

Healthcare leaders in a rural Arctic municipality provided valuable knowledge and experience when co-creating a continuous LDP. This insight demonstrated each leader’s high level of competence, while overall organizational competence was nonetheless considered low. This contrast was found to be due to lower levels of trust and interaction. The results were delineated into two main themes with substantiating subthemes: (1) changing from striving solo players to team players; and (2) learning to handle a conflicting and complex context. Based on existing knowledge, the results from this study, and relevant theoretical perspectives, four essential elements were clarified in the co-creation of the LDP. These elements were: (1) competence development; (2) structures for collaboration; (3) interpersonal safety; and (4) collective values and goals. The core of these elements was identified as trusted reflection facilitated by appreciative inquiry. The elements are understood as instrumental to the process of transformative change in this LDP, having a pivotal role in fostering relationship building and facilitating learning. Thus, the result of this study and the derived essential elements are considered a solid starting point for further co-creation of the LDP. This study contributes to the research field with knowledge of how an appreciative co-creation process can build results based on the leaders’ knowledge and experiences in municipal healthcare. However, the study’s main contribution is the suggestion of four essential elements that can act as a common basis for municipal healthcare in planning and implementing a knowledge-based continuous LDP. In terms of society, knowledge of how to strengthen and develop leadership will be crucial to carry out the necessary changes required to safeguard municipal healthcare in a long-term perspective. Nevertheless, in-depth research is imperative in order to comprehensively explore the practical applications and overall significance of the results presented.

Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the present study are not publicly available due to the confidentiality afforded study participants but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

• Action Research

Focus Group

Leadership Development Program

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the healthcare leaders who participated in the study and contributed important perspectives to the development of the continuous LDP. We would also like to thank the municipality that facilitated the study.

This study is funded by Vestvågøy Municipality, the Center for Care Sciences, North, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, and the County Governor of Nordland. The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study, data gathering, analysis, interpretation of the data, or writing of the manuscript.

Open access funding provided by UiT The Arctic University of Norway (incl University Hospital of North Norway)

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Trude Anita Hartviksen & Lars Strauman

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All four authors participated in the design of the study. TAH conducted the FGs. RS and ILM co-moderated and conducted participative observations, including writing field notes. The data were analyzed, the thematic structure was developed, and the manuscript was drafted with important contributions from all four authors, including LS. All authors have discussed and accepted the analysis and the final draft of the manuscript.

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Hartviksen, T.A., Solbakken, R., Strauman, L. et al. Co-creating a continuous leadership development program in rural municipal healthcare – an action research study. BMC Health Serv Res 24 , 656 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11096-8

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• Adverse childhood experiences can have long-term impacts on health, opportunity and well-being.
• Adverse childhood experiences are common and some groups experience them more than others.

What are adverse childhood experiences?

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Examples include: 1

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• Witnessing violence in the home or community.
• Having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding. Examples can include growing up in a household with: 1

• Substance use problems.
• Mental health problems.
• Instability due to parental separation.
• Instability due to household members being in jail or prison.

The examples above are not a complete list of adverse experiences. Many other traumatic experiences could impact health and well-being. This can include not having enough food to eat, experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, or experiencing discrimination. 2 3 4 5 6

Quick facts and stats

ACEs are common. About 64% of adults in the United States reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18. Nearly one in six (17.3%) adults reported they had experienced four or more types of ACEs. 7

Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce many health conditions. Estimates show up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases potentially could have been avoided by preventing ACEs. 1

Some people are at greater risk of experiencing one or more ACEs than others. While all children are at risk of ACEs, numerous studies show inequities in such experiences. These inequalities are linked to the historical, social, and economic environments in which some families live. 5 6 ACEs were highest among females, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults, and adults who are unemployed or unable to work. 7

ACEs are costly. ACEs-related health consequences cost an estimated economic burden of $748 billion annually in Bermuda, Canada, and the United States. 8

ACEs can have lasting effects on health and well-being in childhood and life opportunities well into adulthood. 9 Life opportunities include things like education and job potential. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, and involvement in sex trafficking. They can also increase risks for maternal and child health problems including teen pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and fetal death. Also included are a range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide. 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

ACEs and associated social determinants of health, such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighborhoods, can cause toxic stress. Toxic stress, or extended or prolonged stress, from ACEs can negatively affect children’s brain development, immune systems, and stress-response systems. These changes can affect children’s attention, decision-making, and learning. 18

Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs, and depression throughout life. 18 These effects can also be passed on to their own children. 19 20 21 Some children may face further exposure to toxic stress from historical and ongoing traumas. These historical and ongoing traumas refer to experiences of racial discrimination or the impacts of poverty resulting from limited educational and economic opportunities. 1 6

Adverse childhood experiences can be prevented. Certain factors may increase or decrease the risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences.

Preventing adverse childhood experiences requires understanding and addressing the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence.

Creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children can prevent ACEs and help all children reach their full potential. We all have a role to play.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

ACEs can have a tremendous impact on lifelong health and opportunity. CDC works to understand ACEs and prevent them.

Technological advances and challenges of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) application in road engineering—a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2022

• Research Article
• Published: 11 May 2024

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• Qi Jiang 1 ,
• Wei Liu 1 &
• Shaopeng Wu 1  

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Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is a valuable material that can be recycled and reused in road engineering to reduce environmental impact, resource utilization, and economic costs. However, the application of RAP in road engineering presents both opportunities and challenges. This study visually analyzes the knowledge background, research status, and latest knowledge structure of literature related to RAP using scientific metric methods such as VOSviewer and Citespace. The Web of Science (WoS) core collection database identified 2963 research publications from 2000 to 2022. Collaborative networks between highly cited references, journals, authors, academic institutions, countries, and funding organizations are analyzed in this study, along with a co-occurrence analysis of keywords for the RAP research publications. Results showed that the USA has long been a leader in RAP research, China surpassed the USA in annual publication output in 2019, increasing from 2 publications in 2002 to 177 publications in 2022, and has made significant investments in technological aspects. Chang’an University ranked first in total publication output (131 publications, 4.4%). Current major research themes include road performance, recycling technology, regeneration mechanisms, and the life cycle assessment of RAP. In addition, based on cluster analysis of keywords, text content analysis, and SWOT analysis, this study also discusses RAP’s challenges and future development directions in road engineering. These findings provide scholars with valuable information to gain insight into technological advances and challenges in the field of RAP.

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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51778515 and No. 71961137010), the Technological Innovation Major Project of Hubei Province (2019AEE023), the Key R&D Program of Hubei Province (2020BCB064), and the State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures (Wuhan University of Technology, No. SYSJJ2019-20).

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All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Visualization and supervision were performed by Wei Liu and Shaopeng Wu. Review and editing were performed by Qi Jiang and Wei Liu. Project administration was performed by Shaopeng Wu. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Qi Jiang, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Jiang, Q., Liu, W. & Wu, S. Technological advances and challenges of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) application in road engineering—a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2022. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33635-w

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Received : 16 August 2023

Accepted : 06 May 2024

Published : 11 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33635-w

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