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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 1, Article 1
(Jun., 2011) |
AKU-IED was established in 1993 and now offers PhD and M.Ed. Degree programs together with Diplomas and Certificates in teacher education with the philosophy guided by three principles, teacher education should aim: (a) to be field based i.e. take place within classrooms, (b) to make teachers ‘reflective practitioners’, engaged in continual self-inquiry (c) to include training in classroom based research (IED, 1994; AKU-IED, 2011). AKU-IED is a postgraduate institution and does not engage with preservice teacher education hence the concept of action research was introduced in the two-year 64-credit M.Ed. program initiated in 1994. The Master’s students are expected to undertake a research study over a six-month period and write a 15000-18000 word thesis which counts for 25% of the program credit (AKU-IED, 2009). A large number of students undertake action research studies in the classroom.
This kind of action research which is mandated as part of a degree program is not uncommon and has been identified in action research typologies (Somekh & Zeichner, 2009 and Robinson, 2009). Somekh and Zeichner studied how action research theories and practice have been remodeled to suit contextual needs. After an analysis of 46 publications they have characterized action research to have taken five different forms: action research in the times of political upheaval and transition; action research as state sponsored means of reforming schooling; co-option of action research by Western governments and school systems to control teachers; action research as university-led reform movement and action research as locally sponsored systemic reform sustained over time. Similarly Robinson (2009, p. 124) lists seven categories of activity within which teacher research is undertaken in South Africa: (1) Projects within pre-service teacher education programs, (2) Self-initiated communities of practice, (3) Employer-driven professional development, (4) Targeted professional development by e.g., publishers etc., (5) Research and/or action research projects supported by donor funding, (6) Professional development through formal academic programs at the masters or doctoral level for in-service teachers and (7) Postgraduate research based masters and doctoral program. Khan’s study falls into the category of university-led reform movement that encourages teachers to become reflective practitioners and study their own practice as part of a formal academic program at the Master’s level.
