Practice theories and action research, Online teaching

Enrollment: May 31-June 22, 2023

(Please note! All enrollments via this enrollment form. Registration is closed).

Credits: 8

To be eligible for the course, the student must be registered as a doctoral student. Preference is given to the Faculty's own doctoral students. Doctoral students from other faculties and universities are welcome to participate, subject to availability and an expression of interest (details follow).

The two-fold aim of the course is to, firstly, develop advanced knowledge of how social (for example educational, professional) practices can be studied, analysed and transformed in the framework of practice theories, and secondly, develop understanding of how action research can be utilised in researching practices.

As a particular theory of practice, the course introduces the theory of practice architectures and its usability in understanding changing practices. It also deals with how empirical evidence can be organised and analysed through theories of practice.

The participants are invited to use their own studies as examples to experiment with the theoretical, methodological, analytical and transformative resources discussed in the course. The course also addresses issues of research ethics and the researcher's role in critical, practice based research.

On successful completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to:

• Relate own research to theories of practice and the principles of action research
• Critically analyse and discuss a defined research problem in relation to the theories of practice
• Argue for the choice of methodology in different studies focusing on practices
• Reflect on the methodological and ethical choices of action research.