The Issue of control
One of my peer review partners (Eve Thirkle) asked why I had chosen to do first person research and how this related to my assertion of lack of control within my working environment. I placed myself in the role of practitioner as researcher. I found this was a strength of the action research methodology. The actions I took were firmly rooted in my practice and the locus of control remained with me. My learning journal had a vital role in this aspect of the action research. I also sought external validation for my insights (see m4rigour). The journal provided an audit trail that others could follow to judge the validity of the research for themselves.In my methodology justification I concluded my reasons for choosing a first person approach:
"McNiff (2002)(1) explicitly states this:
"If it really is outside your scope you should be realistic and leave it"
So as a person with little control whose job role is entirely based on providing support for others I am left with few choices except to examine my own practice."
(from my Methodology Justification)
Exploring this point further came a question from Andy Roberts (my other peer review partner)
Andy Roberts on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 at 5:50 pm +0000 wrote:
The postcards cycle is a significant outcome and seems to contradict the initial assumption of lack of ability to have an impact in the workplace. Did the idea not then occur to radically change the research question in the light of this finding?
It is not that I have no impact on the workplace but rather that it is not something that is predictably within my control. This was something that I had identified as a problem in previous action research reports on the situation within my workplace and something I had commented on in my end of year 2 self assessment report. it is also something I share with many other teaching assistants:
".... many of us are in roles where our time is limited and not our own, our duties may change at a moments notice and we do not have the luxury of time to plan our own agenda for an enquiry nor to carry it out.
In other words we have little or no control".
(Eve Thirkle - Bob Dick Hotseat (2))
Whilst the postcards cycle had given me an opportunity to take my research off-line and into my workplace this had been unplanned and as my teacher remarked 'just happened to fit' with her plans. I could not take the risk that moving totally into the workplace environment would have involved because I would have had to hand over too much control. It was just as likely that the teacher might have rejected my suggestion of using the postcards, or may reject my next suggestion. The overall control in the classroom lies with the teacher. Therefore my research has to concern my practice and as a supporter of the teacher that practice is entirely needs driven and any planning is outside my control.
As can be seen from this exchange between Eve Thirkle and Bob Dick (Dick 2005)(2). Eve in her previous job was totally familiar with a situation that echoes my own.
"In other words we have little or no control - how is it possible to carry out action research in such a situation?
Bob Dick posted on Thursday 27 Jan '05 at 11:27:01
A. Hello Eve. I agree, that's really very difficult. For that matter, it could be difficult to carry out any sort of research. If the worst came to the worst, I think you could do first-person research on how you coped with the frustration and change."
It was these concerns about control that led me to keep my research topic outside the immediate workplace environment and use a first person approach.
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(1)McNiff J, 2002, Action research for professional development, Concise advice for new action researchers. Available,
URL: http://jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html Last accessed 24/4/06
(2)Dick,B, 2005, Ultraversity Hotseat, Unpublished.