Collaborative Action Research (CAR) is an evidence-based enquiry model that can be applied to all educational settings and to all improvement areas.

Dr Jo Neary, a researcher with the Network for Social and Educational Equity explains how collaborative action research can be applied in school settings to reach groups that may otherwise miss out.

Typically, it asks practitioners to follow a process to create a small enquiry project. Practitioners first assess their setting and context using existing knowledge and data to look for evidence. Then, drawing on this new knowledge, practitioners will develop a small activity or intervention.

As the activity is carried out, the practitioners collect a range of appropriate evidence to monitor how well the change to their practice works, and to respond to any challenges as they arise.

In the final stage, practitioners review their evidence to assess the impact of the intervention and modify their practice in the light of their findings, sharing the learning from their CAR with colleagues in the school and, ideally across other schools.

Read the full blog on the NSEE website

First published: 22 March 2022

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