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what is self-study?
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Use this wiki to develop your ideas, thinking and understanding of self-study and action research. You should consider:
What is self-study? Why do self-study?
What is Self Study?
Simply put, self-study could be any one of a number of things, but by necessity has several key characteristics, among them:
- It is a look by the practitioner, into the practitioner
- It examines elements of the practitioner, usually this rather than elements of the practice, as in action research although it is often impossible to separate the practice so it's important to keep in mind the core focus of the study
- It is undertaken with the intention to improve as a practitioner arguably it may not be about improvement so much as understanding - although again often improvement will be part of that. (But focus on improvement suggests we are starting form a deficit model...)
- It is taken with the intention of sharing the output with colleagues in order that they might learn from it, and the practitioner might learn from their criticisms
It should be reiterated though that self-study can mean many things to many people. For example Deer (1999) described self study as a two fold process, working out a plan to follow, followed by a reflection as to how well this plan, this course of action, has done according to previous expectations. Manke (2007), however, criticises this approach, comparing it to studies that delve more deeply into the practitioner and their beliefs and understandings.
Dan
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Why do Self Study?
There appear to be as many reasons for doing self-study as there are people who do self-study. A common theme however appears to be a search for understanding about a specific element of the practitioner, or the practice.
For example, Casey (2011) writes his self study with the aim of understanding a particular event during his time as a teacher - a race related act of violence in his classroom. Upitis (1996) looks how her position as a dean gives her power, and how she hopes that this power is "power with" rather than "power over". Mills looks to understand how his position as dean has disrupted the working relationships that he had previously with colleagues when they were merely peers. i personally have engaged in a self-study that sought to explore how I (and we - it was a collaboration) understand research and our spaces and places for research.
What is the Difference Between Self Study and Action Research?
As Zoe states in her blog, self-study could be seen as a subset of action research, but without an immediate need for 'action'. Self study is a type of practitioner research that is more concerned with the self, with the individual beliefs, understandings and feelings of the practitioner, than with the practice itself.
Self study can be the starting point or 'springboard' for action research. Action research requires a problem to be identified and action taken to improve practice - self study is one way of identifying the problem. After identifying the problem, it can be investigated, reflected on, and an intervention can designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated. A number of elements of action research intervention are disscussed in Briggs & Coleman's book (page180). If action research is to be useful for more than the single practitioner who is carrying out the action research, then it is important to involve colleagues in the process.
Having completed readings for the Sources of knowledge course self-study seems to be firmly rooted in a constructivist philosophy. It involves looking in depth at the meanings that have been negotiated by a practitioner. In completing one it would seem to make sense to consider the ideological background to your current working approaches and beliefs, their historical development and how these impact on relationships as a practitioner. In considering these elements light might be shed on the choices being made in approaching tasks and relationships which are not in line with the practitioners intentions.The discussions in Manke's work about power,over and with others are also descriptions of social constructions of meaning which are negotiated rather than matters of fact. As a result of this it seems most appropriate that the methods used to carry out a self-study would be qualitative in nature. Discussions with others involved in the same working environment, and interviews about their perspectives, thoughts and feelings about the elements being studied might produce the most useful data.
edited by Bryony
Bryony
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Comments by Sophia: Ater having read the assigned material for this week let me try to answer the two questions posed in this blog to initiate my understanding of self-study. "Why do self-study?' To my understanding self-study questions, doubts and explores the practitioner's beliefs and values which are integrated into a larger scope of their beliefs and assumptions about the world they live in, their personal relationships and their professional practices. Therefore by questioning and re-evaluating one's 'self', one also questions all the aspects and values that underlie their choices and preferences. Self-study seems to be the springboard of a more general quest in finding why you do what you do and what kind of person you hope to be.
Manke's self-study aimed at her better understanding the values that underlie the administrative practices she prfers and identify relationships between her teaching and administrative practices. Her self study reflected on the leadership style she prefered and questioned community interaction. Moreover, other self studies of issues about community in the article show that self study can focus on different aspects and give practitioners a clear perspective of what it is they want to accomplish.
What starts out as reflection and reviewing past practices leads to re-analysis of the existing practices and reaches personal growth and development. As far as the second question is concerned, "What is the difference between slf study and action research, so far I have understood that self study is included in the wider scope of action research, since action research starts off as a self-reflective and self-critical process, only to expand and develop to new, more effective practices that call for change and criticism. Self study, I guess, is all about looking back and changing your own understanding, whereas action research is transforming current working practices, and taking action towards the implementation of more effective ones.
What we are setting out to do in our self study reminds me of a part of my first Master's in Humanities, in which one course had to do with the quest and the transformation of the hero in major literary works. The hero embarks on a journey striving to discover their true identity and their lives are radically transformed because after their quest for self-knowledge they end up seeing things differently, and experience a profound feeling of rebirth and inner liberation- "a renewed sense of life's limitless possibilities", Schechter H.and Semeiks Gormeley J. "Discoveries, Fifty Stories of the Quest", introduction.
It sounds a pompous parallelism, but isn't that what self-study and action research is about?
In "Research Methods in Educational Leadership and Management", chapter 11 what caught my interest is not the fact that all practitioners talk about how important research is, but how life-changing and radical it actually is!
Because it involves intense reflection, it enables people to discuss educational issues openly and lay all problems on the table, investigate these problems at length, and evaluate and monitor their resolution. According to the book, practitioner researh should aim at development and improvement in schools, therefore the practitioner researcher should begin with a pragmatic purpose that would centre on the effectiveness of a practice. The readings so far indicate the importance of involving colleagues in the enterprise. Having discussions with colleagues, consulting them, interpreting data together, running workshops and planning in a team can build a strong community in an educational environment. Self-study is the springboard that will enable the practitioner researcher to clarify their own intentions in building community and understand the values that underlie their own administrative practices.