Action research and reflective practice
It’s fair to say that action research is a way of becoming and being a professional. In my case a teacher. It’s also fair to say that action research is far more potent when done cooperatively. On this, I have so far been fortunate to find myse4lf in fine company throughout my professional journey, writes Dr Stavroula Bibila, Leeds Trinity University.
Introduced into reflective practice as a student nurse, I then navigated through my CertED teaching placements at what was then Huddersfield Technical College, before meeting an MA lecturer who believed in the transformational powers of action research. He also took the link between personal growth and professional development seriously.
Dr Julian Edge introduced me to 'Cooperative Development' (CD), a systematic way of interacting with colleagues to solve work-related problems and to develop and grow as a person-who-teaches. For the next 12 years I benefited from his expert perspective, insights and workshop materials, as well as from his support during my PhD research on the Welsh Baccalaureate. Ironically, and up until the point I started my Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) in 2017, I had never carried out any action research myself.
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