Action Research, Innovation and Change

Action research continues to see a growth in interest both internationally and across disciplines. This book demonstrates the diversity in settings and focus for action research and provides a guide to its core aspiration: to achieve principled change. Written by authors from a range of countries and range of disciplines (including education, health care, palliative care, social work and community development), this book answers these key questions:

• How can action research be used to achieve principled change?
• How has action research been applied in various disciplines and in different countries?
• What can be learnt about the conduct of action research from these diverse settings?

By means of detailed case studies of successful projects and discussions that challenge and raise theoretical questions, this book explores some of the contemporary cutting edge applications and conceptualisations of action research.

Action research paves the way for the empowerment of people involved in social action, and the examples of successful change processes that are the core of this book will prove inspirational and provide practical advice. Written by a range of leading international researchers in the field, this book will define the future for action research for years to come.

Thomas Stern is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Instructional and School Development (IUS) of the University of Klagenfurt, Austria.

Andrew Townsend is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Franz Rauch is Associate Professor at the Institute of Instructional and School Development (IUS) of the University of Klagenfurt, Austria.

Angela Schuster is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Instructional and School Development (IUS) of the University of Klagenfurt, Austria.