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TopConceptualizing Action Research
The ultimate purpose of any social science research is to create new knowledge for assisting people in taking informed decisions with respect to their livelihood systems such as food and environment, human interaction with the built environment, and other factors that critically impinge upon their quality of life. In that context, action research aims at changing the dynamics of people’s livelihood systems from “what is” to a desirable one—to improve upon their quality of life. Action research is a systematic investigative process with the ultimate goal of solving an immediate problem or improving practices.
Kurt Lewin is generally credited for coining the concept of action research. Lewin (1946) described action research as proceeding in a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of planning, action, observation and the evaluation of the action. In practice, action research begins with an imperfectly understood felt concern and a desire to take action, suggesting some kind of improvement or change is desirable (Mctaggart, 1994, p. 316). It aims at changing practitioners’ practices, their understanding of their practices, and the conditions under which they practice (Kemmis, 2009). In that respect, practical knowledge is created in a localized context. The goal of action research as Toulmin (1996) aptly put it, is to improve practice: