The Learning Power of Action Research in Curriculum Design

THE LEARNING POWER OF ACTION
RESEARCH IN CURRICULUM
DESIGN
AN N E W H I S K E N
ASLA XXIII Biennial
Conference 2013

The learning power of action research in curriculum
design
ASLA XXIII Biennial Conference 2013
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“I got lots out of this project, in terms of what we did in
the meetings, sharing ideas and gaining insights.
It made me think a lot about my own practice, and it
sort of pushed me into doing a few things differently,
trying to explore different ways of doing things
I thought we cannot just talk, we need to act, and the
action plan was good – because it was like doing a
course” (Whisken, 2010)

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“The most interesting thing about the project was working
with my colleagues and that was the big incentive for
getting involved in the project
“there are just not enough opportunities to sit down and
really talk at length and in depth with people about
educational issues and where we are with education”
“it was getting some insight into what other people were
doing in their classrooms and what they thought was
important and how they thought about things” (Whisken, 2010)

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“I’ve had time to actually review and look at my
presentation of information and how the kids receive it
and just stop and really think about what I’m doing in
the classroom -
if I hadn’t done this, that wouldn’t have happened”
(Whisken, 2010)

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Power of action research for reflective professional
learning and possibilities for leadership by teacher
librarians
Christine Bruce’s Informed Learning model: strategies
for inclusion of information literacy in discipline practice
and learning experiences.
PhD action research project to examine Informed
Learning suitability for secondary schools. Lead by
teacher librarian with 25 teachers.

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LEARNING INTENTIONS
1. Use of Informed Learning model for reflection
about embedding information literacy education
into curriculum design
2. Use of Action Research for professional learning in
schools
3. Possibilities for teacher librarians to take an active
role in action research at their schools

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Informed
Learning Action
ResearchCurriculum
Design
Content
(What)
Experiences
(How)

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What knowledge about information
literacy education do you bring to this
session?
What is the difference between
information literacy and information
literacy education?

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What is information literacy education?
Just as there is a difference between science and
science education, history and history
education, there is a difference between
information literacy and information literacy
education. (Bruce, 2008)
Information literacy education is ‘enabling students
to work with different ways of using information to
learn; the educational framework that makes it
possible for students to experience information
literacy in new ways’ (Bruce, 2008, p. 184)

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THINK – PAIR – SHARE
Where does information literacy education
happen at your school? By whom?
What are your information literacy
pedagogies?

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Informed Learning model (Bruce, 2008) is an
information literacy pedagogy for use by
curriculum designers as they build information
literacy education into discipline learning.
To provide expert information practice as part of
expert discipline practice education, teachers
Use the Six Frames checklist to incorporate
information literacy into discipline content
Embed Seven Faces of information use into
the design of discipline learning experiences

SIX FRAMES OF INFORMED LEARNING
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• What should
learners know
about the subject
and information
literacy?
Content
• What expert
information
practices should
learners be able
to do in this
discipline?
Competency
• What does it
mean to think
like an informed
learner in the
discipline’s
professional
environment?
Learning
to Learn
• What good is
information
literacy to
students?
Personal
Relevance
• How does
information use
impact on
society?
Social
Impact
• Are students
aware of critical
ways of seeing
or experiencing
information use?
Relational

SEVEN FACES OF INFORMED LEARNING
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6. EXTENSION
extend knowledge to other situations or
applications
7. WISDOM EXPERIENCE
be wise about the nature of information
and its impact
5. KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION
build a knowledge bank in this discipline
3. PROCESS
the research process in this discipline
4. CONTROL
controlling information for learning in this
discipline
2. SOURCES
the best sources of information in this discipline
1. INFORMATION AWARENESS
share knowledge with peers in this discipline

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2008 - 2009
The Problem, the Research Question, and the
Research Methodology
Problem: Information Literacy education still largely
seen as the preserve of the Library. How could I
do it differently?

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‘If you want the same result, keep doing the same
thing’
What is the different thing that can be done to get a
different result?
What if it is possible to talk to teachers from the point
of their focus and have them see the possibility for
including information literacy education in their
discipline practice?
What if teacher practice could provide students with
discipline-based views and experiences of information
literacy?
What if this could be built into curriculum design?

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Research Question:
Could Informed Learning concepts provide a bridge
between information literacy theory and practice in
a blended learning environment?

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Research Question:
Could Informed Learning concepts provide a bridge
between information literacy theory and practice in
a blended learning environment?
What research methodology would enable
teachers to examine their practice of information
literacy using the conceptual model of Informed
Learning?

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Research Methodology: requirements
Owned by participants
Enables researcher to be a participant
Transformative, emancipatory and empowering
Provide for reflection and discussion
Provide for different year level groups
Have structure and validity

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Research Methodology:
A combination of case study and action research.
Action research to provide for cycles of reflective
practice which self manage and which have their
own contemporaneous data collection and
analysis processes
Multiple case study to provide for a formalised
data collection and analysis within and across a
number of groups

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1. THINK – PAIR – SHARE – SQUARE - REPORT
What knowledge and experience do you bring to
this session about Action Research?
Action Research theory?
Action Research practice in schools?
2. THINK – SQUARE – SHARE
What do you want to know about Action Research?

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Action Research theory
Genesis: Work by social psychologist Kurt Lewin and
the Tavistock Institute in early to mid C20th.
Group research process of planning, acting, observing
and reflecting
Provided practitioners with a means of researching their
own practice problems, and became a participatory and
emancipatory approach for individuals and groups to
change their social circumstances. (Kemmis, 1988)
Kemmis and his colleagues in Australia (Kemmis, 2009)
further developed the notion of the power of praxis as a
way of knowing, particularly in education.

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Action Research in Education
provides for both individual professional development as
well as collaborative institutional change. (Herr and
Anderson, 2005)
‘ … can be engaged in by an individual teacher, a
collaborative group of colleagues sharing a common
concern, or an entire school faculty. These three different
approaches to organizing for research serve three
compatible, yet distinct, purposes:
Building the reflective practitioner
Making progress on school wide priorities
Building professional cultures.’ (Sangor, 2000)

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Action Research in Education
Of the various methods within action research there
is particular relevance for schools in appreciative
inquiry, action learning, co-operative inquiry and
participatory action research.
Participative action research (PAR) methodology has
an emphasis on the empowerment of individuals via
attainment and application of knowledge in reflective
action cycles by groups. Distinct stages in the cycles
are reflection, planning, action and observation
(Kemmis & McTaggert, 2005).

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How might Action Research work in a
school?
A team of teachers decide on an area they want to explore or
develop and undertake action cycles:
read research material to inform them
plan how they will implement those ideas
take action
progressively report on their actions
reflect and review.
They review and read more, making changes as they go. They
report on the project.

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What might it look like?
An example:
ILARC - Informed Learning Action Research – Carey 2010
three groups of teachers used action research to explore the
Informed Learning model of good information practice in their
teaching areas (total 25 teachers)
individual interviews at start and end of project
five meetings of two hours over terms 2 to 4.
Even in a busy schedule, they managed to find
mutually convenient times to meet
time to read the supplied material
time to take actions and reflect

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What was the role of the teacher librarian?
Participant researcher and facilitator
Approval of supervising body (CSU) for PhD research
Approval of school administration to conduct research and
recognise the project for professional development points
Design of project including structure, research material,
agendas, minutes, recording and collection of data, report
Full organisation of mutually convenient meeting times
Chair of meetings

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How do teachers experience Action
Research?
The ILARC participants stressed benefits of
Structure:
professional development in an ongoing meeting structure,
with a facilitator
Collegiality:
shared reports on application of ideas in teaching
time to talk professionally about their work

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Structure:
professional development in an ongoing meeting structure,
with a facilitator
“I have a good model of how action research can work
and I can see that that’s really powerful - and facilitating
as you did where you provided us with an environment
that we could air ideas and it was non judgemental and
that was really great.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“your summaries of the model - I found really useful,
they were interesting, they were engaging and it was
good to talk about these things.”
“I found the practices, the people talking about what
they were doing in the classroom, the challenges they
were facing and the opportunity to exchange ideas
about that, that was I found most useful, most
valuable”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I think the power of it is that it’s over a period of time and
that it’s ongoing. Because you’re reporting back to a
group and because it’s reasonably regular, I think you feel
empowered to go off, give it a whirl, and report back; and
there’s also a level of responsibility.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I actually think that’s also the power of professional
learning teams, but only if they’re driven by someone
who will make the meetings happen, who will make the
meetings attractive to attend, and who make sure that
the planning is understood.
So that I know that I need to do these things by this date,
and I should stop making excuses because I’m signed
up and I know exactly what to expect along the way.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“in terms of action research, this PD appealed to me - so
often you go to PD and sit and listen and maybe ask a
question,
but this gave us an opportunity to actually think about
doing something that’s connected with what we’ve been
discussing”
“The action research style of learning suits me very well, I
really love and have always loved that opportunity to
work with colleagues on issues” (Whisken, 2010)

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“It did make me think a lot more about the use of ICT and I
really did start to investigate a lot more about web 2.0 …
what was out there and what was the real value in using
those modes if you like, as a way of learning,
what kinds of things do students really need to know, what
was the value. That to me was exciting and valuable.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“it gets you looking at the information in a different way,
and then imagining activities that would help your
students have that same experience.
And I think, because the way we approached the project
over time, it wasn’t a one day wonder it was something
that you could consider as you planned a range of units”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“Looking at information in different ways, I never thought
about doing that, the way we present information and
the way kids see information and the way we research.
This makes you stop and say, so how do you actually
teach students, what is good what is bad information?
How do you actually evaluate that?
There’s so much information coming in at them, you
actually forget how much information is coming in at
them that we never had to face” (Whisken, 2010)

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“I think the main thing I got was I need to be looking at
how I use information and how I use technology in the
classroom and how I model it personally”
“I would think that action research in a group works
better than on an individual basis.
Otherwise I would just go into my little areas and I think
you need to be accountable to a wider group and that
will bring about change in the curriculum”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I’ve become a lot more explicit since doing this course
and thinking about actually having to model it and
explain it through. So not just one or two students pick
up on it, but all of them do it”
“I thought the ideas were interesting and worthwhile:
the different classifications of the things that we do
with information and the ways in which we use
information to transform - that was really, really good”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I always reflect on my teaching but this made me
reflect in a more directed way, because I thought, well I
need to improve a few things”
“I wanted to be committed to the idea of this course and
attending the meetings, doing the reading trying to do
some reflections.”
“it was good, it was a really good experience, and I’m
grateful to you that I was asked to participate .. It made
me a better teacher” (Whisken, 2010)

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“what I’m going to do in terms of revamping the middle
school geography course, is to take on more of this
action research. How can we plan things a lot differently
next year and approach things in a different manner.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“the action research was something that’s given me a
new way of thinking, a new way of looking at things a
bit more how can we use that because that’s the big
picture stuff.
The informed learning is the get in the engine room
and do that stuff for me.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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Collegiality:
shared reports on application of ideas in teaching
time to talk professionally about their work
“what I really got out of it was the experience of being
with a group of people and meeting on a regular if not
frequent basis and just space in which to talk about
and reflect on teaching practice and I found that very
valuable”

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“I think it's a very useful model which I got a lot of
value out of - and what we've done here as a group
meeting and talking about how we’re grappling with
this new concept of informed learning ourselves and
trying to let that inform our own pedagogy.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I really valued the discussions - what other teachers
were doing in the classroom, the challenges they were
finding, talking about the different strategies, the projects
that they were doing.
I thought that was really, really stimulating and I
expected to get that and I did get it so I was very
pleased with that.
“Its been a wonderful model and how do we take that
and apply that further to our learning as teachers, that
needs to keep going on” (Whisken, 2010)

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“Look I found a lot of things that G… was saying about
what she’d like to see done with IT skills, I found that
really interesting
I thought that could be very valuable and applied in
English, the sorts of ideas she talked about - teaching
certain forms that you use in organising your
information in filing, in templates, etc.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“In terms of action research, I thought it is a very
powerful mechanism. I like the fact that it brought a
group of people together who were very open and
supportive of each other and from a range of different
perspectives and experiences and that was good”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“the action research was something that’s given me a
new way of thinking, a new way of looking at things -
that’s the big picture stuff. The informed learning is the
get in the engine room and do that stuff for me.”
“being part of the Action Research Project I think was a
really valuable thing for me to do, I really felt that sense
of belonging to a group, sense of being welcomed and
encouraged to participate and to explore ideas.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I think the most powerful thing was reflecting about
your teaching in light of what other people were talking
about.
the meetings were most powerful, I think, listening to
other people and how they were thinking and what they
were doing in informed learning action research made
me feel that actually, there was more than I originally
anticipated for LOTE, specifically.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I think the sense of collegiality that was fostered
amongst the group was very beneficial -
particularly because the groups were across a few
learning areas so it was interesting to look at what we
were doing with a common idea across different
learning areas. But also the opportunity to do some
more professional reading I certainly valued that as
well”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“I got a fantastic opportunity to share with other staff
that I don’t think we normally get across learning areas
looking at how we handle information in the big picture
sense,
because we never get an opportunity to actually learn
what goes on in other learning areas and I had
insights there that I don’t get any other way, there is no
other way to get them.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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“The main areas that it provided for me I think were the
group discussions. I found it fascinating to hear people in
other fields doing similar things that could be done in my
particular subject. I gained a great deal from listening to how
others teach a range of materials.”
“Action research – as a reality I think it’s a really worthwhile
thing to do and it’s been great hearing what other people are
doing in their classes and sharing that in these sessions.
It’s been really stimulating, given me so many ideas myself
for my own practice and helped me become a lot more
reflective and to change what I’m doing.”
(Whisken, 2010)

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What was the impact of the Action
Research at my school?
2011 Action Learning Teams: free choice
2012 Action Learning Teams: general
curriculum themes
2013 Action Learning Teams: particular
focus curriculum themes

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What was the impact of the Action
Research at my school?
2011 Action Learning Teams: free choice
2012 Action Learning Teams: general
curriculum themes
2013 Action Learning Teams: particular
focus curriculum themes

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Impact of Action Research at my school?
2011 Action Learning Teams: compulsory involvement
with free topic choice - examples:
P-12 Online Reporting and Assessment for Learning
Science: Assessment for Learning
Bus Studies & Leg Studies: VCAA data for improved teaching
Maths: wikis, podcasts, iPods, etc., to enhance teaching
Library & Heads of Learning: Curriculum eResources
Library team: Reference and Reading Advisory Skills

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2012 Action Learning Teams: compulsory involvement & topic
choice areas - examples:
Different classroom groupings: impact on engagement
Differentiation of self-assessment, reflection & goal setting
Higher Order Thinking
Intellectual Character
Language Labyrinth, Blended Learning
Holistic approach to reading

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choice areas - examples:
Examples:
New Learning, New Spaces for new learning
Investigative, Formative and Summative Assessment in PE
National Science Curriculum
QR Codes
Reimagining Learning Paradigm for the Digital Age
Wellbeing
Personalised Learning in Year 9 Science
Differentiation in Yr 9 Maths
eBooks

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choice areas – examples:
Holistic approach to reading
Model for Teacher Collaboration & Professional Practice
Approaches to Learning
Assessing Mindfulness, Meditation and Reflection
Assessment and Learning Partnerships
Using Rubrics effectively to support student learning
Brainology Trial in Year 10
Collaborative Problem Solving
Developing an understanding of Thinking Routines

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2013 Action Learning Teams: compulsory involvement &
strategic goals topic choice areas – examples:
Develop an Understanding of Positive Learning
Differentiated Instruction in the Primary Classroom
Differentiation in MS Science
Differentiation in Years 8,9&10 Maths
Differentiation in Y12 Psychology and Biology
Differentiation in the Music Classroom
Implementing Positive Education
Introducing Positive Psychology to English
Mellor Library Data Collection: Know thy impact!

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Teacher Librarian and Action Learning Teams: benefits of
involvement
Direct involvement in development and direction of professional
learning across the school
Establishment of common understandings with over 25 teachers
across all year levels and subject areas – and building each
year by involvement in more ALTs about
information literacy practices in each discipline area
research practices
key curriculum goal areas of Visible Thinking, Assessment for
Learning, Differentiation
resources for learning in each discipline area

The learning power of action research in
curriculum design
59
LEARNING INTENTIONS:
Traffic Light Reflection
1. Use of Informed Learning model for reflection
about embedding information literacy education
into curriculum design
2. Use of Action Research for professional learning in
schools
3. Possibilities for teacher librarians to take an active
role in action research at their schools

curriculum design
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1. Use of Informed Learning model for
reflection about embedding information
literacy education into curriculum design
Understand? Yes Maybe No
Use? Yes Maybe No

curriculum design
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2. Use of Action Research for professional
learning in schools
Use? Yes Maybe No

curriculum design
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3. Possibilities for teacher librarians to take an
active role in action research at their schools
Use? Yes Maybe No

curriculum design: References
63
Bruce, C. (2008). Informed learning. Chicago: Association of College
and Research Libraries
Herr, K., & Anderson, G. L. (2005). The action research dissertation: a
guide for students and faculty. London: SAGE.
Kemmis, S. (1988). Action research in retrospect and prospect. In The
action research reader (pp. 27-39). Victoria: Deakin University Press
Kemmis, S. (2008). Researching for praxis: Knowing doing. . Paper
presented at the ‘Researching practice’ conference sponsored by the
journal Pedagogy, Culture and Society and Gothenburg University.
September 13, 2008.
Kemmis, S. (2009). Action research as a practice-based practice.
Educational Action Research, 17(3), 463-474.
Kemmis, S., & McTaggert, R. (2005). Participatory action research:
communicative action and the public sphere. In Handbook of qualitative
research (pp. 559-602).
Whisken, A. (2010). PhD Data Collection (unpublished). Melbourne.

The Learning Power of Action Research in Curriculum Design

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