Supporting the development of early years students’ professional identities through an Action Research programme

Journal article


Papadopoulou, M. 2019. Supporting the development of early years students’ professional identities through an Action Research programme. Educational Action Research. 28 (4), pp. 686-699. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2019.1652196
AuthorsPapadopoulou, M.
Abstract

This paper discusses the aims, rationale and aspects of a new Action Research (AR) module developed for level 6, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) students. The aims of the module are three-fold: First, to support learners in developing the research and academic skills needed to investigate their own practices, generate knowledge and engage in critical reflection. Second, to assist students to be active agents in questioning and designing changes to improve their practice. Third, to support them in disseminating their work in the public sphere and thus take an active part in discussions about their field of practice. Drawing on the processes of ongoing reflection and collaborative enquiry, our vision is to emancipate our students; support them in repositioning themselves as powerful agents with significant insights and the power to make a difference to their practice. However, facilitating emancipatory AR can pose several challenges, on individual, institutional and political levels. The aim of this paper is to reaffirm the rationale for AR as an epistemological, methodological and political tool that can support the professional identities of our learners; also, to dress some of the anticipated complexities and tensions of employing emancipatory AR in an academic environment.

KeywordsAction research; early years; professional identity; emancipation; knowledge generation; practitioner research
Year2019
JournalEducational Action Research
Journal citation28 (4), pp. 686-699
PublisherTaylor & Francis
ISSN0965-0792
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2019.1652196
Official URLhttps://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2019.1652196
Related URLhttps://www.tandfonline.com/
Publication dates
Online07 Aug 2019
Publication process dates
Accepted01 Aug 2019
Deposited10 Dec 2019
Accepted author manuscript
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Additional information

This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Educational Action Research on 7th August 2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09650792.2019.1652196

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