Jack Whitehead

This book explores a value-based research methodology, Living Educational Theory Research (LETR), which aligns a values-based approach with key tenets of professional development to inform and inspire future educators’ practice. Written by world-leading scholars in the field of LETR, the chapters are global in reach and promote the evolving and dynamic nature of the methodology and its application with real-world professional training within higher education. Through discussion and dialogue on the evolution of Living Educational Theory Research, the chapters explore topics such as professional development and community-based contexts, supporting academics wishing to improve their practice by placing the theory within a scholarly paradigm to legitimise its use for scholarly learning. Demonstrating how insights from disciplines such as philosophy, sociology and psychology are integrated within the generation of living-educational-theories, this outwardly looking volume will appeal to postgraduate students, scholars and researchers involved with educational theory, action research and other forms of practitioner research, and education research methods more broadly.

This book explores a value-based research methodology, Living Educational Theory Research (LETR), which aligns a values-based approach with key tenets of professional development to inform and inspire future educators’ practice. Written by world-leading scholars in the field of LETR, the chapters are global in reach and promote the evolving and dynamic nature of the methodology and its application with real-world professional training within higher education. Through discussion and dialogue on the evolution of Living Educational Theory Research, the chapters explore topics such as professional development and community-based contexts, supporting academics wishing to improve their practice by placing the theory within a scholarly paradigm to legitimise its use for scholarly learning. Demonstrating how insights from disciplines such as philosophy, sociology and psychology are integrated within the generation of living-educational-theories, this outwardly looking volume will appeal to postgraduate students, scholars and researchers involved with educational theory, action research and other forms of practitioner research, and education research methods more broadly.

Through the narratives of practitioner-researchers, this practical guide shares the proven processes, phases and supports that are most effective for generating living-educational-theories with values of human flourishing. Filled with case studies and continuing professional development activities, this book supports readers to conduct a values-based inquiry to improve their lives, describing and explaining how they influence themselves, others and the places where they live and work. There are four parts to the book, guiding readers through the process of creating and sharing their own living-educational-theory:Part One is designed to meet the needs of the beginning researcher as they start a project to improve their practicePart Two builds on Part One to address the deeper, more complex requirements of those interested in more academic projects potentially for accreditation at the Master’s levelPart Three is a description and explanation of the history and context of Living Educational Theory Research with a focus on doctoral degreesPart Four focuses on applying this knowledge more widely to living our educational responsibilities as global citizensThis book will serve as a useful guide, as opposed to a fixed template, to support readers in living their values more fully. It is an essential resource for all practitioners interested in establishing a Culture of Inquiry to create their own living-educational-theories. These are explanations of values-based professional development within their school community and can be submitted for academic accreditation.

Through the narratives of practitioner-researchers, this practical guide shares the proven processes, phases and supports that are most effective for generating living-educational-theories with values of human flourishing. Filled with case studies and continuing professional development activities, this book supports readers to conduct a values-based inquiry to improve their lives, describing and explaining how they influence themselves, others and the places where they live and work. There are four parts to the book, guiding readers through the process of creating and sharing their own living-educational-theory:Part One is designed to meet the needs of the beginning researcher as they start a project to improve their practicePart Two builds on Part One to address the deeper, more complex requirements of those interested in more academic projects potentially for accreditation at the Master’s levelPart Three is a description and explanation of the history and context of Living Educational Theory Research with a focus on doctoral degreesPart Four focuses on applying this knowledge more widely to living our educational responsibilities as global citizensThis book will serve as a useful guide, as opposed to a fixed template, to support readers in living their values more fully. It is an essential resource for all practitioners interested in establishing a Culture of Inquiry to create their own living-educational-theories. These are explanations of values-based professional development within their school community and can be submitted for academic accreditation.

This book is the first in a series. It focuses on how people can fulfil their responsibility to live as fully as possible the values that give their lives and work meaning and purpose, and that contribute to the flourishing of humanity and their own development. The importance of researching one s own practice to improve it is highlighted in terms of sharing and creating the individual s values based explanations for their educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of the social formations that they are part of, and that influence their practice and understandings. Each individual uses their methodological inventiveness to generate their own living-theory methodology in the generation of their living-educational-theory. This methodology can include insights from Autoethnography, Self study, Narrative Research and Action Research. The importance of clarifying and communicating, as explanatory principles, the meanings of embodied expressions of the individual s ontological and relational values is focused on exploring the implications of asking, researching and answering questions of the kind, How do I improve what I am doing? The explanations of educational influences in learning include insights from theories that analyse the sociohistorical and sociocultural influences in the practice and understandings of the self-study researcher.

Assuming no prior knowledge of research methods and techniques, this book is the perfect companion for teachers at all levels undergoing professional development who need to enhance their formal reflection skills. Providing a detailed explanation of what action research is and its importance in terms of whole school development, this book invites the teachers to try out educational research for themselves and adopt an investigative attitude that will help improve and evaluate practice. It includes:* Support and guidance that help you tackle key issues* "Real-life" practical case studies that underline what action research is and how it can be effectively used.

Gifts, Talents and Education: A Living Theory Approach is a practical guide for teachers on how to help all their pupils to enhance their gifts and talents in the classroom. Examples reveal how teachers can transform the way education is understood in schools, by relating stories of how they learned about their own gifts and talents. The book explains recent key developments in multimedia representations of social and emotional aspects of learning. These permit the multi-sensory gifts and talents of individual learners to be recognised and developed within a process that enhances the emotionally literate space of enquiring classrooms. Gifts, Talents and Education assumes a capability approach to human development which rests on enabling individuals to realise their gifts and talents within a co-created sense of the common good. The book offers values, skills and understanding as concepts that retain a direct connection with practice. The stories are grounded in the lives of practitioner researchers who show the lived meanings of these ideas as they are realised in practice, asking questions such as ‘how do I improve what I am doing?’ and ‘how do I live my values more fully in practice?’.

Assuming no prior knowledge of research methods and techniques, this book is the perfect companion for teachers at all levels undergoing professional development who need to enhance their formal reflection skills. Providing a detailed explanation of what action research is and its importance in terms of whole school development, this book invites the teachers to try out educational research for themselves and adopt an investigative attitude that will help improve and evaluate practice. It includes:* Support and guidance that help you tackle key issues* "Real-life" practical case studies that underline what action research is and how it can be effectively used.

The current orthodoxy is that 'knowledge' is the most powerful resource for organisational success. So how can managers develop the appropriate knowledge base to make their organisations grow? The answer lies in action research. Action research is increasingly perceived and used as a powerful methodology to promote professional awareness and development. However, there are very few texts that demonstrate how this can be utilised to promote management and organisational improvement or that emphasise the reflective nature of improving professionalism. Action Research in Organisations fills this gap. Aimed at both practising managers and university students alike, key features of this title include:* the location of management and organisational theory within a framework * examination of the principles and practice of action research* real-world examples and case studies of people attempting to improve their own situations through action research.

The current orthodoxy is that 'knowledge' is the most powerful resource for organisational success. So how can managers develop the appropriate knowledge base to make their organisations grow? The answer lies in action research. Action research is increasingly perceived and used as a powerful methodology to promote professional awareness and development. However, there are very few texts that demonstrate how this can be utilised to promote management and organisational improvement or that emphasise the reflective nature of improving professionalism. Action Research in Organisations fills this gap. Aimed at both practising managers and university students alike, key features of this title include:* the location of management and organisational theory within a framework * examination of the principles and practice of action research* real-world examples and case studies of people attempting to improve their own situations through action research.