Using action research to challenge stereotypes

Action research has a long history of focus on social justice. This article examines such a project, a grant-funded action research project in Australia designed for a group of 14 teachers to study boys’ writing and their attitudes about writing. I argue that action research was a crucial methodology to help the participating teachers frame boys’ education issues as nuanced and complex from the beginning, and they were thus able to look past overgeneralizations and stereotypes that circulate in the media and popular books about boys. I list some of these stereotypes and then compare them to the teachers’ action research findings. Finally, I explore implications for action research educators and project directors

Action (physics · Action research · Focus group · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Social justice · Social science · Sociology · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Participatory Visual Research Methods · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

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