Existential approaches to action research

Abstract

The existential approach to action research is derived from research that suggests that teachers' actions, intentions, and beliefs are manifestations of their ways of being teachers. A teacher's ‘way of being’ in an educational situation is defined and informed by what was and is for the teacher, and his or her intentions for what could be. It is essentially the way that that person is a teacher–where ‘teacher’ is one of the many ways that that person is and can be. The existential approach to action research extends the way of being perspective by examining three aspects of personhood–situation, existence precedes essence and freedom–and combines them with critical reflection and action. The result is that existential action research happens when people work together to research their own ways of being a teacher to increase their capacity to choose freely, and to act responsibly for themselves and those they care for. © 2002, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.