Education vs. Education Research

¶ … professional field reside in a place of power that elevates them above the clinicians and practitioners in the inevitable contests for voice and influence. Certainly this dynamic is influenced by the perception that it is research and researchers -- not, for instance, teachers and teaching -- who move the professional fields forward by contributing to theory and providing a basis for evidence-based practice. The growing interest in action research stems from the widespread acceptance by people other than teachers that "the practical knowledge of teachers is undervalued" (Stewart, 2006).

Even when practicing teachers and university researchers collaborate in an action research project, the "powerful tensions" that Stewart (2006) emphasized can be observed through the struggle in which the action research participants engage as they determine how to represent the knowledge they are developing about teaching. McCotter (2001) examines an approach to resisting the hegemony that is characteristic of educational systems. Her perspective is guided by critical theory and critical feminism theory, with the focus of her collaborative group experience turning to an exploration of social justice in the classroom.

While McCotter's research is grounded in the collaborative teacher discussion groups associated with Literary Education for a Democratic Society (LEADS), her inquiry is similar to the situations Stewart (2006) described and critiqued. Both authors deal with conceptualizing collaborative ways that teachers can consider, reflect on, and change their practice. Action research locates the teachers' inquiry as an authentic aspect of their work and their insights are observed.