Engaged Research and Practice for Social Justice in Education Series

Using Action Inquiry in Engaged Research

by Edward P. St. John, Kim Lijana, and Glenda Musoba

Published 30 January 2017

Using Action Inquiry in Engaged Research: A Professional Guide offers higher education and school professionals practical guidance and methods for using the Action Inquiry Model (AIM) in engaged research initiatives and community partnerships. Replete with group exercises and case studies, this guide was originally developed to supplement workshops for faculty, administrators and students working on action initiatives that focused on critical educational issues facing local communities. It provides a useful framework and straightforward techniques for building empowering partnerships.

The Action Inquiry Model (AIM) includes four stages:

Assessment: Using research and experience to identify critical challenges facing the university with respect to the improvement of educational opportunities
Organization: Developing workgroups to collaborate on initiatives that address critical challenges; providing financial support for new initiatives; and providing release time and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff who engage in reform initiatives
Action Initiatives: Treating reforms as pilot tests for new strategies, as a means of promoting organizational learning, professional development, and student success
Evaluation: Integrating the evaluation of current programs and incorporating new initiatives into the reform process.

This guide provides two methods for learning the inquiry process: a step-by-step process for defining tasks for teams of researchers and practitioners working together to use research to inform the educational improvement; and sets of case studies on assessment and action inquiry to inform groups in collectively discussing problems and strategies, an approach that supports the classroom use of the Guide.