Nordiskt Nätverk för Aktionsforskning. En sammanställning av aktiviteter åren

Nordiskt Nätverk för Aktionsforskning En sammanställning av aktiviteter åren 2004 2009 Karin Rönnerman, augusti 2009 Göteborgs universitet, institutionen för pedagogik och didaktik

Inledning 3 2004 Nätverket bildas 4 Forskare - Praktiker konferens 5 2005 Fristad: Aktionsforskning i olika praktiker 5 2006 Tromsø: Aksjonsforskning under midnattsolens lys. Kunnskapsutvikling i møtet mellom praktikere og forskere 5 2007 Göteborg: Praxis och professionell utveckling 5 2009 Tromsø: Gi næring till praxis 5 Internationella projektet Pedagogy, Education & Praxis 6 Projektets syften 6 Besök i Australien 6 Inför 2010 8 Presentationer vid internationella konferenser 9 2005 Norge 9 2005 Holland 11 2006 England 12 2007 Finland 14 2008 Australien 15 2008 Sverige 16 2009 Norge 19 Publikationer 20 2004 20 2006 20 2007 20 2008 20 2009 20 Doktorandkurser 21 2008 Understanding and Researching Professional Practice 21 2009 Researching Professional Practice 21 2

Inledning Nordiskt Nätverk för aktionsforskning bildades vid NERA konferensen i Reykjavik 2004 i ett samarbete mellan universiteten i Göteborg, Tromsö och Åbo akademi i Vasa. Syftet med nätverket är att med Nordiska förtecken diskutera såväl utveckling av undervisning som forskning kring praktiknära frågor som t.ex aktionsforskning. Medlemmarna i nätverket har under de första fem åren haft regelbundna träffar, skrivit gemensamma artiklar, presenterat papers på konferenser, inrättat en årlig konferens för forskare och praktiker samt ingått i ett internationellt projekt. Under de fem första åren har tre medlemmar disputerat och två doktorer blivit professorer. Vid Göteborgs universitet finns en hemsida upprättad: http://www.ipd.gu.se/forskning/kollegier/aktionsforskningskollegiet/ Nedan ges först en översikt över aktiviteter under de fem första åren. Därefter beskrivs aktiviteterna för varje år mer detaljerat genom att program för de olika aktiviteterna presenteras. 2004 Nordiskt Nätverk för Aktionsforskning bildades i Reykjavik, under NERAkonferensen i april Workshop i Göteborg då tre områden i aktionsforskning (verktyg, forskarroll, etik) mejslades fram för fördjupning och paperskrivande. 2005 Symposium på NERA-konferensen i Oslo, Norge Forskar-praktiker konferens i Fristad under temat Aktionsforskning i olika praktiker Symposium på CARN/PRAR-konferens i Utrecht, Holland Workshop med Stephen Kemmis i Göteborg Start för ett internationellt projekt benämnt Pedagogy, Education & Praxis under ledning av Stephen Kemmis (i samarbete med Holland och Australien samt Stockholm) 2006 Forskar-praktiker konferens i Tromsø under temat Aksjonsforskning under midnattsolens lys. Kunnskapsutvikling i møtet mellom praktikere og forskere Symposium på CARN-konferensen i Nottingham Påbörjar bokprojektet inom projektet Pedagogy, Education & Praxis (PEP) 2007 Symposium på NERA- konferensen i Åbo, Finland Nordisk workshop om bokkapitlen i Göteborg Forskar-praktiker konferens i Göteborg under temat Praxis och professionell utveckling Workshops i Stockholm med granskning av bokkapitel av forskare från Australien och Holland Symposium och enskilda presentationer på CARN- konferens Umeå, Sverige Eli Moksnes Furu disputerar Anki Wennergren disputerar 2008 Workshops kring den nordiska boken 11 stycken ur nätverket reser till Australien: Planering av kommande empiriska projekt samt doktorandkurs i februari i Wagga Wagga, Australien Presentationer på RIPPLE-konferens i Australien Symposium och enskilda paperpresentationer på EERA i september i Göteborg. Gemensamma artiklar till tidskriften Pedagogy, Culture & Society 2009 Symposium och enskilda presentationer på NERA i Trondheim Forskar-praktiker konferens i Tromsö under temat Gi næring til praxis Internationell doktorandkurs i Göteborg Karin befordras till professor Petri får en professur i Vasa Anette Olin disputerar hösten 3

2004 Nätverket bildas På NERA som hölls i Reykjavik i april 2004, bildades ett nordiskt Nätverk för Aktionsforskning. Ett symposium hölls på NERA-konferensen med Tor-Vidar Eilertsen, Torbjørn Lund, Eli Moksnes Furu m. Fl. Karin Rönnerman var diskutand. 4

Forskare - Praktiker konferens 2005 Fristad: ʼAktionsforskning i olika praktikerʼ Konferensen genomfördes 12 13 augusti i Fristad folkhögskola. 40 deltagare varav hälften var forskare och hälften var praktiker samlades för diskussioner under två dagar över temat. Inledande presentationer gjordes av Jan Nylund, Petri Salo, Anette Olin, Torbjørn Lund, Karin Rönerman, Eli Furu 2006 Tromsø: ʼAksjonsforskning under midnattsolens lys. Kunnskapsutvikling i møtet mellom praktikere og forskereʼ Konferensen genomfördes 18-19 maj i strålande solsken. Ca 80 deltagare medverkade. Föreläsare: Tom Tiller; Hubert Dreyfuss. Enskilda presentationer i basgrupper 2007 Göteborg: ʼPraxis och professionell utvecklingʼ Konferensen genomfördes i Göteborg 6-7 oktober. Ca 70 deltagare medverkade. Föreläsare: Eva-Lena Dahl, Karin Rönnerman. Kortare presentationer i plenum av Sigurlina Davidsdotter, Tor Vidar Eilertsen, Petri Salo, Torbjørn Lund, Eli M. Furu, Else Stjernstrøm. Enskilda presentationer i basgrupper 2009 Tromsø: ʼGi næring till praxisʼ Konferensen genomförde i Tromsø 18-19 maj. Ca 100 deltagare. Föreläsare: Marianne Ekman, Asta Balto og Gudrun Kuhmunen, May Britt Postholm og Hanne Kvam. Enskilda presentationer i basgrupper 2010 är en konferens planerad till Göteborg den 16-17 september under temat inflytande - ledarskap 5

Internationella projektet ʼPedagogy, Education & Praxisʼ Projektets syften In the light of these concerns, then, the international collaborative project Pedagogy, Education and Praxis has three kinds of aims: 1. Theoretical aims concerning the exploration and critical development of key concepts and associated understandings, from different educational and research traditions, of pedagogy, educational science, educational studies, praxis and practice. 2. Practical aims concerning the quality and transformation of educational praxis in such settings as schools, teacher education, educational administration, community education and transformation, and other contexts. 3. Strategic aims of: encouraging dialogue between different traditions of theory and practice in education; encouraging reflexivity in this dialogue to help us understand the origins and formation of our own understandings, presuppositions and traditions; encouraging the development of critical praxis in pedagogy, aiming to foster the development of new kinds of transformative education and upbringing appropriate for the changed times and circumstances of late modernity, and building collaboration and networks with other scholars interested in these problems and issues. Besök i Australien Nordiska Nätverket i Aktionsforskning: Från Göteborg: Karin Rönnerman, Ann Ahlberg Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft, Anette Olin, Monica Nyvaller, Birgitta Berne Från Tromsø: Eli Moksnes Furu, Torbjørn Lund, Rachel Jakhelln, Från Vasa: Petri Salo, Liselott Forsman Stockholms Universitet Matts Mattsson, Kerstin Stenberg, Birgitta Sahlin Bakgrund 2005 startade ett samarbete mellan forskare och doktorander från Australien, Holland, Stockholm, och det Nordiska nätverket i Aktionsforskning (Göteborg, Tromsø, Vasa) under ledning av professor Stephen Kemmis. Samarbetet koordineras också av professor Petra Ponte, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands, Docent Karin Rönnerman, Göteborgs universitet (för det Nordiska nätverket) och FD Matts Mattsson, Stockholms universitet. Som en första uppgift skulle fyra böcker skrivas som hanterade delar av läraryrket och lärarutbildningen ur ett nationellt perspektiv avseende policy, styrning och traditioner. Fyra böcker publicerades under 2008. 6

1. Stephen Kemmis and Tracey Smith (eds.) (2008) Enabling Praxis: Challenges for Education. Rotterdam: Sense. 2. Jan Ax and Petra Ponte (eds.) (forthcoming 2008) Critiquing Praxis: The teaching profession in contemporary educational praxis. Rotterdam: Sense. 3. Karin Rönnerman, Eli Moksnes Furu and Petri Salo (eds.) (2008) Nurturing Praxis: Action research in partnerships Between School and University in a Nordic light. Rotterdam: Sense. 4. Matts Mattsson, Birgitta Sandström and Inge Johansson (eds.) (2008) Examining Praxis: Assessments and knowledge construction in teacher education. Rotterdam: Sense. Förutom att utveckla arbetet med böckerna har delar av gruppen träffats vid ett antal tillfällen för att a) diskutera manus till böckerna (Amsterdam, 2006; Waagga, Wagga, 2007; Stockholm, 2007) och b) deltagit i internationella konferenser och där presenterat pågående arbete i symposium (CARN Nottingham, 2006; CARN Umeå, 2007). Wagga Wagga 2008 Syftet med resan till Wagga Wagga, 2008 var att utveckla samarbetet vidare mellan forskarna från de nordiska länderna, Holland och Australien. I arbetet vävdes tre olika aktiviteter samman under två veckor. Konkret planering av kommande samarbetsprojekt, deltagande i en två-dagars konferens samt en doktorandkurs. I det kommande samarbetet avgränsade några områden för fortsatt arbete: 1. Empiriska studier av praxis under lärares yrkesverksamma tid (karriär) Planering av nationella forskningsprojekt genom internationellt samarbete (ej komparative). Arbetet genomfördes i mindre grupper med personer från olika länder. Studier planerades inom områdena ledarskap, professionell utveckling, kulturella skillnader och multikulturalism, verksamhetsförlagd utbildning, lärande på arbetsplatsen, relationella förutsättningar och reflexiv praktik 2. A conversation of traditions den femte boken Arbetet diskuterades i mindre grupperingar under ledning av Stephen Kemmis och Wilfred Carr. Ytterligare forskare som deltog vid några tillfällen i arbetet var Susan Groundwater Smith och Robin Mc Taggart. Ett utkast till struktur presenterades. 3. Journal of Pedagogy, Culture and Society Diskussion kring olika artiklar som kunde tänkas ingå i et temanummer i tidskriften. En ansökan skrevs och skickades in till tidskriften med förslag på sex artiklar, ledarskap, lärares professionella utveckling, examensarbetet i lärarutbildningen, bedömning av praxisforskning, relationella förutsättningar och reflexiv praktik. Artiklar är inskickade och ett temanummer kommer under 2010 4. Nya titlar i Sense-serien Många nya förslag på böcker diskuterades och det utsågs även preliminära redaktörsgrupper som är ansvariga för fortsatta kontakter och kommande arbete. Förslagen på nya böcker i serien var böcker i: Specialpedagogik, Ledarskap, Professionell utveckling, Pedagogik: historia och traditioner, Educology, Vuxenutbildning, Examensarbetet i lärarutbildningen, Medborgarskap och demokrati, Nya upplagor av böckerna Becoming Critical (Carr & Kemmis) och The Action Research Planner (Kemmis & Mc Taggart) 7

Inför 2010 The Nordic Network for Action Research provides the base for the Nordic PEP-group. The network consists of members primarily from three universities; the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the University of Tromsø in Norway and the Åbo Akademi University in Finland. Individuals from both Island and Denmark are also affiliated to the network. About 15 of the networks members meet twice annually to direct and coordinate the overall work of the research and to work with course development. Further at each of the participating universities members meet more regularly to discuss ongoing work. In Gothenburg a specific research group for school development meets every month to hold literature seminars and, in addition, offer on occasion open seminars about action research for teachers within and outside the university. The Nordic PEP members participate in PEP international empirical projects in (1) Leadership, (2) Professional Development, (3) Relational Architectures and (4) Praxis and Practicum. There are also connections to the Inclusive and Exclusive practices in education from the University of Gothenburg. Members have this year submitted proposals to the Swedish Research Council for research covering some of the research questions with a focus on collaboration in relation to praxis development throughout the teaching career. At Tromsø University research projects concerning Leadership and Praxis and Practicum are soon to reach their conclusion and findings will be presented in different publications throughout the coming year. The Network has sent in a proposal to the Councils for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences in the Nordic countries concerning Nordic Perspectives on Action Research in School and Education. The group has received funding from each university for travel and minor research. Newly enrolled doctoral students from the University of Gothenburg will attend the Nordic Network and their work accords well with the overall aim of the PEP-project. The University of Gothenburg has sponsored a doctoral course in Gothenburg in 2009 and hosted a three-day PEP meeting in September 2009. Stephen Kemmis has been a visiting professor for one month at the University of Gothenburg in May 2009 and will be made an honorary doctor at the Faculty of Education in October 2009. Karin Rönnerman is an adjunct professor at Charles Sturt University. The University of Gothenburg and Charles Sturt University have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding in addition to a Letter of Intent drawn up previously by the two respective faculties. Similarly, faculties at The University of Gothenburg and Utrecht University of Applied Sciences have, as part of a Erasmus agreement, also drafted a Letter of Intent. A Memorandum of Understanding is also agreed upon between Åbo Akademi University and Charles Sturt University. Joint papers from the Nordic PEP members have been published in Educational Action Research ( in 2005, 2008, 2009). The volume Nurturing Praxis in the Sense Pedagogy, Education and praxis Series was compiled by the members. Joint papers by PEP- members on leadership and professional development will be published in a forthcoming issue of Pedagogy, Culture & Society. 8

2005 Norge Presentationer vid internationella konferenser Symposium NERA,Oslo, March 10-13, 2005 Knowledge, tools and the role of the researcher in Action Reserach an interactive discussion Chair: Karin Rönnerman Discussant: Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft In this round table/symposia we will try to engage attandees through active discussion and promote deeper understanding by all (including presenters). A large portion of the session is devoted to activities such as discussion among presenters and discussants, questions and discussion among those present at the session, or small-group interaction. The session is devided into three parts in which a specific topic is focused. Each topic will start off with a 3 x 10 minutes presentations. After that an interactive discussion will begin. The discussion will be held by a discussant. The presenters belong to a new Nordic network and come from different universities in Norway, Finland and Sweden. By action research both teachers and researchers are involved in action and research. This is today spread in the Nordic countries as part of teacher education and in-service training for teachers. The professional knowledge of schoolteachers is currently under scrutiny in the Nordic countries. Teachers are expected to be involved in development of the whole school not only their own classrooms. Beyond their core teaching responsibilities, their formal responsibilities also include evaluation and quality assurance. Further, teachers are also expected to contribute to school development, basing their efforts on research findings. Nevertheless, one of the foremost goals of school development is that such activities should derive from the schools' own context and intentions. In other words, it is about developing schools in line with improvement issues posed by practitioners as well as policy-makers. Teachers, therefore, are expected to be involved in both action and research, taking up positions on both theory and practice. A consequent issue is how teachers can develop their practice from their own questions, experience and knowledge while, at the same time, developing their practice from research and theory. How does this dual task take shape? How can two fields of knowledge be joined? What knowledge can be generated from the intersection of theory and practice? In which way do scientific techniques contribute to the knowledge that is acquired in action research? These are questions we want to focus on in the three topics below: 15.00-15.30: Development of Knowledge in Action Research Knowledge is commonly divided into two fields: scientific knowledge and everyday knowledge. Our daily lives are influenced by both these fields they are both sources of our knowledge. In this topic we will take a closer look at what kind of knowledge emerges from action research projects. We will problematise the relation between contextual knowledge and more general knowledge and the relation between knowledge interest of researchers and practitioners. The presenters will present the topic under the following headings: Jan Nylund, Göteborg University: Do researchers and practitioners meet around the same interest of knowledge? Janne Madsen, Tromsø University: 9

What practitioners did to increase the understanding of their own practise. Did we increase knowledge? Rachel Jakhelln, Tromsø University: From experience to knowledge - the long and winding road. 16.00-16.30: The role of the Researcher in Action Research In action research the researcher usually is close to the practitioners, but this may cause some problems if the researcher and the practitioners are not sufficiently aware of their respectively roles. How close can a researcher be without interfering and influencing too much or even take over the field so the practitioners are left sidelined as passive spectators of what is going on? The possibility for success in the activity depends to a great extent on how the researcher navigates in the field and works together with the practitioners. The action researcher role in the meeting with practitioners has another meaning compared to a researcher who lean on established methodology and procedures. The presenters will present the topic under the following headings: Torbjørn Lund, Tromsø University: Understanding the role of the Action Researcher in dialogue conferences Anette Olin, Göteborg University How, as Action Researcher, handle a study in your own working place Else Stjernstrøm, Tromsø University: At a distance or close upon? The researcher's position in Action Research. 17.30-18.00: Scientific tools used in Action Research Action research uses different techniques to render everyday life visible, to initiate action, to observe what happens, and to reflect over what has happened. Tools, such as journal writing, observation, interviews and supervision, derive from instruments originally developed in the social sciences. In action research different tools are used to visualise what happens in daily work as a way of coping with nearness and distance. Between the two fields of knowledge (theory and practice) the tools will be transformed for its specific use. In this process the used language plays an important role. The presenters will present the topic under the following headings: Petri Salo, Åbo Akademi/Eli M.Furu, Tromsø University "The importance of language and teachers' metaphors" Karin Rönnerman, Göteborg University, The development of personal, collective and communicative knowledge by using different tools in Action Research Ann-Christin Wennergren, Luleå University Communicative support as part of the Action Research Process 1800-1830: Discussion 10

2005 Holland Symposium at CARN/PRAR, Utrecht November 4-6 Action Research: How to deal with knowledge, tools and the role of the researcher? By action research both teachers and researchers are involved in action and research. This is today spread in the Nordic countries as part of teacher education and in-service training for teachers. The professional knowledge of schoolteachers is currently under scrutiny in the Nordic countries. Teachers are expected to be involved in development of the whole school not only their own classrooms. Beyond their core teaching responsibilities, their formal responsibilities also include evaluation and quality assurance. Further, teachers are also expected to contribute to school development, basing their efforts on research findings. Nevertheless, one of the foremost goals of school development is that such activities should derive from the schools' own context and intentions. In other words, it is about developing schools in line with improvement issues posed by practitioners as well as policy-makers. Teachers, therefore, are expected to be involved in both action and research, taking up positions on both theory and practice. Based on different action research projects this paper will discuss some specific tasks occurring in doing action research. The paper is divided into three topics: Developing knowledge in Action Research. We will problematise the relation between contextual knowledge and more general knowledge and the relation between knowledge interest of researchers and practitioners. The role of the Researcher in Action Research. In this topic we will focus on the relation between the researcher and the practitioner and if it may cause some problems if the researcher and the practitioners are not sufficiently aware of their respectively roles. Scientific tools used in Action Research. Here we will talk about how you in action research uses different techniques (journal writing, observation, interviews and supervision) to render everyday life visible, to initiate action, to observe what happens, and to reflect over what has happened. Papers 1 Karin Rönnerman, Göteborg university, Göteborg, Sweden Ann-Christine Wennergren Luleå Tekniska universitet, Luleå, Sweden Niklas Gustafson, Malmö Högskola, Sweden Papers 2 Petri Salo, Åbo Akademi, Vasa, Finland Eli Furu, Tromsö university, Norway Papers 3 Jan Nylund, Department of Education, Göteborg university, Göteborg Sweden Rachell Jakhelln, Tromsö university, Norway Papers 4 Anette Olin, Department of Education, Göteborg university, Göteborg Sweden Torbjørn Lund, Tromsö university, Norway Else Stjernstrøm, Tromsö university, Norway 11

2006 England Symposium at CARN-conference, Nottingham England, November 7-9, 2006 Power and trust in action research. OVERVIEW In a collaborative network between the Nordic countries Norway, Sweden and Finland this symposium will deal with the concepts of power and trust. These concepts has come out of papers written by the participants, and presented at earlier conferences. The concepts are seen as a continuum and applied on five different cases, each one with a separate theme. Power and Trust are here seen as connected to both the researcher and the practitioner in the action research process. Trust is here seen as a premise for knowledge and action which include legitimacy. Power is seen here as related to context. We want to focus on these concepts because our experiences from Action-Research projects has shown that these questions are important to discuss. ABSTRACT 1 Power and trust in school leadership by Janne Nylund, Margaretha Milsta and Else Stjernström School leadership is a mixture of power with and power over as this is an interactive and reciprocal process. Power and trust are so interrelated and they both threaten and presuppose each other. Trust creates the conditions and mobilizes people to action and collaboration and power without trust destroys in the long run. Trust without power can hardly survive, because it will always be a potential of violence. The school leader develops trust through trustworthy use of power. In this paper we will discuss how distributed leadership, meaning concertive action, can build this kind of trust in developing school. ABSTRACT 2 Trust, Dialogues and Action Research by Torbjørn Lund, Ann-Christine Wennergren, Trust seems to be of most importance in the meeting between actions researcher and practitioners. Trust as a phenomenon is non-existing before people meet and has to be shaped in the meeting. Learning dialogues which is a fundament for knowledge building, assume that trust is established. One question is how trust occurs in dialogue situations with the action researcher present. Another question is how trust occurs in dialogues between the practitioners. This paper discusses how trust occur in both situations. ABSTRACT 3 Examinations; a question of power and trust by Matts Mattsson, Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft, Sweden The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between academic knowledge and practice knowledge in teacher education. Examination papers produced by students will be used as a tool for communication between researchers, teacher trainers, students and practitioners. Action research will help us to identify the ways the actors involved tend to value examination reports and practice knowledge. Do the participants use similar criteria or not? Which actors have a major impact on the educational process that results in an examination report? Could this phenomenon be conceived in terms of power and trust? 12

ABSTRACT 4 Action Research and the Micropolitics of Schools by Tor-Vidar Eilertsen, Petri Salo, Niklas Gustafsson Action research will in various ways inevitably influence the relations between individuals, groups and constellations within the participating organisations, in our case schools. The established order of things that is latent in the organisational culture will in different ways be disturbed, latent structures of power and influence will become manifest. The researcher will not only contribute to this, but also be conceived as the friend of some or the foe of others. This is a greater challenge to the role of the action researcher compared to more detached research strategies (and make it important to the difference between the researcher and other professional roles, e.g an OD consultant.) The presentation will exemplify and discuss these challenges and the dilemmas that are inherent in them. ABSTRACT 5 Supporting a new culture by facilitating by Rachel Jakhelln, Anette Ohlin, Karin Rönnerman, Torbjørn Lund There is a change in school from individualistic culture among teachers to a collectivistic culture. This change gives a room for developing new roles with a facilitating function. Experienced teachers from inside the school and researchers who are outsiders fulfil this function. These new roles support the new culture. Our questions are: What is the substance of this work? What gives this work legitimacy? Who initiate this function, is it the teachers need for support or the leaders whish for managing? How does confidence develop between the supervisor and the teachers? 13

2007 Finland Symposium at NERA, Åbo,, Finland, March 15-18, 2007 Empowerment in Action Research? Coordinator and chair: Eli Moksnes Furu, University Of Tromsø, Norway Commentator: Ann-Christine Wennergren, Luleå University,Sweden S1 Date: March 15, 2007 Time: 15:00-16:30 Location: CAL1 Introduction 5 min. Contributors: 15:05 CHALLENGING TEACHERS UNDERSTANDING BY FACILITATING IN AC- TION RESEARCH PROJECTS Karin Rönnerman, Gšteborg University, Sweden Anette Olin, Göteborg University, Sweden Torbjørn Lund, University of Tromsø, Norway Rachel Jakhelln, University of Tromsø, Norway 15:45 ACTION RESEARCH AND THE MICROPOLITICS OF SCHOOLS Tor Vidar Eilertsen, University of Tromsø, Norway Petri Salo, Åbo Akademi, Finland Niklas Gustafson, Malmö Högskola, Sweden Discussion in groups 15 min. S2 Date: March 15, 2007 Time: 17:00-18:30 Location: CAL1 Introduction 5 min. Contributors: 17:05 SEARCHING FOR MEANING AN APPROACH TO SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT Janne Madsen, Liv C. Knudsen, Eli Moksnes Furu, University of Tromsø, Norway 17:45 EXAMINATIONS - A TOOL FOR EMPOWERMENT? Matts Mattsson, Institute of Education,Stockholm, Sweden; Elisabeth Hesslefors-Arktoft, Annika Lindskog, University of Göteborg, Sweden; Kerstin Stenberg, Institute of Education, Sweden Discussion in groups 15 min. 14

2008 Australien RIPPLE - Conference Action Research and Professional Practice February 7-8, 2008 Wagga Wagga, Australia Keynotes Karin Rönnerman, Göteborgs universitet, Sverige 'Empowering Teachers: Action Research and School- University Partnerships' Petri Salo, Åbo Akademi, Vasa, Finland The Micropolitics of School Development and Action Research Matts Mattsson, Stockholms universitet, Sverige Serving two masters Paper presentationer Eli Moksnes Furu, Tromsø universitet, Norge Emotions and Empowerment in Professional Development Torbjørn Lund, Tromsø universitet, Norge Action Research and School Development in Expanded Learning Environments 15

2008 Sverige Symposium at the ECER-conference in Göteborg, Sweden,10-12 September, 2008. Network 1: Continuing Professional Development for Teachers and Leaders in Schools The Development of Educational Praxis: An international study Chair: Stephen Kemmis Discussant: Wilfred Carr In this symposium, editors of four new (2008) books on the development of praxis in education present major findings for discussion. The books address issues related to praxis development through the teaching career, from the perspectives of teachers and those involved in their initial and continuing professional development, on the one side, and, on the other, in terms of the practice architectures of professional development and work situations that enable and constrain their development. This is especially relevant at an historical moment in the West when the teaching profession and education itself faces pressures of commodification and marketisation in the steering medium of money, bureaucratisation and increased regulation in the steering medium of administrative power, and new pressures brought about by the globalisation of educational policy and administration. The books are the first major publications from an international collaborative study of the conditions for praxis and praxis development. An Australian study reported in Enabling Praxis discusses the development of educational praxis broadly in neo-aristotelian terms, but also showing how practices like education exist in enabling and constraining practice architectures. A study of contemporary educational praxis in the Netherlands, reported in Critiquing Praxis, shows that the teaching profession is at a critical moment, especially with teacher shortages, and that policy responses have exacerbated tendencies towards the deprofessionalisation of teaching. A Nordic study, reported in Nurturing Praxis, shows how partnerships between universities and other educational institutions can and does offer powerful support for the continuing development of professional praxis in a variety of settings. A Swedish study, Examining Praxis explores issues in assessing the development of praxis, especially in the initial professional education of teachers, and especially through the small thesis or degree project in which students report on their own research. Each volume presents a distinctive analysis of issues in the field of praxis development, but each also offers resources for the continuing development of praxis through the teaching career (and in related careers of educational administration, for example). The four volumes (published by Sense Publishers, Rotterdam) are the first stage in a conversation of traditions on pedagogy, education and praxis being conducted by European and Australian researchers collaborating in this international study. Paper No 1 Enabling Praxis Challenges for education. Contributors: Stephen Kemmis and Tracey Smith with Ian Hardy, Roslyn Brennan Kemmis, Jane Wilkinson, Christine Edwards-Groves Abstract This paper will present the main findings of the Australian book and introduce the notion of practice architectures as a way of understanding how social and educational practices evolve in accumulating patterns of enablement and constraint on the actions and interactions of professionals and those with whom they work. The nature and operation of practice architectures 16

are illustrated by case studies from initial teacher education, continuing professional development, educational administration and community education. Paper No 2 Critiquing Praxis. Conceptual and empirical trends in the teaching profession. Contributors: Jan Ax and Petra Ponte Abstract: Critiquing Praxis describes the contemporary state of the teaching profession based on different aspects of Dutch educational praxis. The authors are analysing the current situation in curriculum thinking in teacher education, trends in policy and administration, conditions for teaching professionalism, trends towards diversification, and current responses in teacher education. The descriptions are followed by reflections from Australia and Scandinavian perspectives. Its critique of the current state of the profession, especially in the face of the centralisation of education policy and the decentralisation of responsibility to schools and school boards, has widespread applications elsewhere in the world. The book aims to offer opportunities to learn from history via a praxis model for critique that is strongly based on European perspectives in pedagogy and sociology. It concludes that educational praxis is multifaceted and dynamic but that in practice, conceptual one-sidedness is often the norm. Paper No 3 Nurturing praxis Action Research in partnerships between school and university in a Nordic light. Contributors: Karin Rönnerman, Eli Moksnes Furu and Petri Salo with Anette Olin, Monica Nyvaller, Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft, Niklas Gustafson, Liselott Forsman, Rachel Jakhelln, Tor- Vidar Eilertsen, Torbjørn Lund, Ann Ahlberg, Sigurlína Davíðsdóttir. Abstract Nurturing praxis aims to give a contribution to the field of action research. Although there are many books written about this field this volume will have a specific perspective, trying to present a variety of cases dealing with collaborative action research focusing on professional development. All the cases presented in the volume are a partnership between schools and universities in which the partner from the university has the role of a facilitator or researcher (doctoral student). Partners from the schools are teachers who work with children from different levels in the school system including preschools. In some chapters the partners are school leaders (head/principal), which means this volume deals with many aspects of developing praxis where actors from different positions in the school system will be introduced. As the authors of this volume come from the Nordic countries- Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland -we think that it is important to give the reader an overview of the policies in the countries as a background. This will enable the reader to understand the particular developments that will be presented. Action research as part of the Bildung tradition will also be presented as part of this background. Paper No 4 Examining praxis assessments and knowledge construction in teacher education Contributors: Matts Mattsson, Inge Johansson and Birgitta Sandström, with Tor Vidar Eilertsen, Monica Hansen Orwehag, Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft, Annika Lindskog, Anette Sand- 17

berg, Rolf Lander, Monica Hallström. Abstract: In different ways the authors of this book have explored the academic tradition of knowledge construction as manifested in student teachers degree projects. In Sweden the degree project is a touchstone. The large number of students, supervisors and examiners involved in this process is one reason why the degree project itself has become a controversial issue. Another reason is that the degree project is generally regarded as an indication of the quality of an educational program as such, and of the university in charge of the teacher education program. The authors analyse and criticise this academic tradition. Some take as a point of departures an action research project aiming at achieving praxis development. The question to be discussed is therefore: What alternatives are there to the dominating academic tradition of assessments and evaluations of student teachers achievements? 18

2009 Norge Symposium at NERA, Trondheim, Norway, March 5-7, 2009 Nurturing Praxis: School-University Partnership in a Nordic Light Chair: Karin Rönnerman, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Discussant: Senior Researcher, Hannu L.T. Heikkinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland This symposium is about school and professional development. Twelve different cases from the Nordic countries are presented in the perspective of collaborative and action research. All cases can be regarded as examples of how actors in schools (teachers, teacher-researchers, principals) deal with reforms or developmental challenges initiated from outside as well as inside. The cases are about strengthening educational praxis (Kemmis & Smith 2008), through partnership between schools and universities. Partners from the schools work with students from different levels including preschools. The role of the university has been to facilitate and support educational change through a collaborative partnership. When analysing the cases of partnerships, we have asked if we might speak about a Nordic tradition in professional development. Our aim is to present a comprehensive framework for nurturing praxis, and to further reflect on lessons learned by relating them to the traditions of bildung and (folk) enlightenment as we have interpreted and understood them. Our ambition is to reflect upon the cases presented in terms of experiences, understandings and knowledge, or, in other words, in terms of sayings, doings and relatings in everyday practices (Kemmis & Grootenboer 2008) in schools, through the lenses of collaborative and action research. This is done in order to reflect upon what we would like to call professional enlightenment and the ways in which it might be enhanced by reciprocal challenges to collaborative arenas, such as action research. Our ambition is also to scrutinise some of the aspects presented in different cases and to develop them further by relating them to the concept bildung and how, currently, it is conceptualised and used to understand praxis in the Nordic countries. Upplägg: Symposiet bygger på boka 'Nurturing Praxis. Action Research in Partnerships between School an University in a Nordic Light' som har redaktørene: Karin Rønnerman, Petri Salo og Eli Moksnes Furu, og der 12 forfattere har skrevet hvert sitt kapittel. Ut fra dette har vi planlagt følgende: 1. Presentasjon av "Nurturing Praxis- School-University Partnership in a Nordic Light" - v/rönnerman, Salo og Furu (20 minutter) 2. Discussant: Senior Researcher, Hannu L.T. Heikkinen (20 minutter) 3. Gruppediskusjoner. Alle forfatterne (9) vil spre seg på de ulike grupperne og lede diskusjonene (30 minutter) 4. Plenum: Spørsmål og kommentarer fra gruppene løftes fram i plenum (20 minutter) Vi har flere ganger tidligere anvendt denne måten å organisere på, og fått gode tilbakemeldinger fra konferansedeltakere som har vært til stede på symposiene. 19

Publikationer 2004 Rönnerman, K. (Red.). Aktionsforskning i praktiken erfarenheter och reflektioner. Lund: Studentlitteratur. Tiller, T. (Red.). Aksjonsforskning. I skole och utdanning. Kristiansand: HøyskoleForlaget 2006 Stjernström, E.; Lund, T. & Olin, A. (2006). Critical Distance Essential Closeness. I Mockler, N. (Ed). Local Research, Global Community: Action Research for a New Century. Carn Bulletin 11 A, Autumn 2006, Manchester Metropolitan University, 3-9. Wennergren, A-C & Rönnerman, K. (2006). Action Research in the light of the Zone of Proximal Development. I Mockler, N. (Ed). Local Research, Global Community: Action Research for a New Century. Carn Bulletin 11 A, Autumn 2006, Manchester Metropolitan University, 3-9. Lendahls Rosendahl, B. & Rönnerman, K. (2006) Facilitating School Improvement: the problematic relationship between researchers and practitioners Journal of In-service Education, 32(4), 499-511. Wennergren, A-C. & Rönnerman, K. (2006). The relation between action research and the zone of proxiaml development. Educational Action Research, 14(04), 547-568. 2007 Furu, E. M, Lund, T. & Tiller, T (Eds.). (2007). Action Research: A Nordic Perspective. Kristiansand: HøyskoleForlaget. Furu, E.M (2007). Rak lærerrygg. Aksjonslæring i skolen,tromsø Universitetet i Tromsø. Wennergren, A.-C. (2007). Dialog för meningsfull skolutveckling. En aktionsforskningsstudie med fokus på lärandemiljöer i hörselklass. Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet. 2008 Rönnerman, K., Furu, E.M. & Salo, P. (Eds.). (2008). Nurturing praxis Action Research in partnerships between school and university in a Nordic light.rotterdam: Sense Publishers 1. Eilertsen, T-V., Gustafson, N. & Salo, P. (2008). Action research and the micropolitics in schools. Educational Action Research (16)3, 295-308. 2009 Ponte, P. & Rönnerman, K. (2009). Pedagogy as human science, bildung and action research: Swedish and Dutch reflections. Educational Action Research (17)1, 155-167. Olin, A. (2009). Skolans mötespraktik en studie om skolutveckling genom yrkesverksammas förståelse. Göteborg Studies in Educational Sciences 286. Göteborg: Göteborgs universitet. 1 I denna bok finns kapitel skrivna av Petri Salo & Peter Johnson, Anette Olin, Penelope Lisi & Sigurlina Davíðsdóttir, Monica Nyvaller, Elisabeth Hesslefors Arktoft, Tor Vidar Eilertsen, Eli Moksnes Furu, Karin Rönnerman, Torbjørn Lund, Ann Ahlberg, Niklas Gustafson, Liselott Forsman 20

Doktorandkurser 2008 Understanding and Researching Professional Practice Kursen gavs den 11-15 februari, 2008 i Wagga Wagga, Australien. Kursen samlade deltagare från Holland, Sverige, Norge och Australien. Kursen baserades på en bok skriven inom RIPPLE med Bill Green som redaktör. Övriga författare från boken deltog i kursen. Kursen var upplagd med föreläsning och diskussioner på förmiddagarna och tid för läsning på eftermiddagarna. Doktoranderna hade till uppgift att a) presentera sitt eget projekt, b) leda en kritisk diskussion av ett angivet kapitel och c) skriva en reflektion över använda begrepp i relation till det egna avhandlingsarbetet. Seniora forskare på plats inbjöds att delta i diskussionerna. Från NNAF deltog: Rachel Jakhelln, Birgitta Berne, Anette Olin, Monica Nyvaller Från PEP deltog: Carlos van Kan 2009 Researching Professional Practice Kursen samlade 18 deltagare från Danmark, Sverige, Holland, Finland, Ukraina. Kursen genomfördes i Göteborg den 20 24 april. Kursen baserades på de fyra böckerna som skrivits inom det internationella projektet PEP. Deltagande lärare/forskare var Karin Rönnerman, Stephen Kemmis, Wilfred Carr, Matts Mattsson. Petra Ponte och Jan Ax kopplads upp via ichat. Kursen var upplagd med föreläsning och diskussioner på förmiddagarna och tid för läsning på eftermiddagarna. Doktoranderna hade till uppgift att a) presentera sitt eget projekt, b) leda en kritisk diskussion av ett angivet kapitel och c) skriva en reflektion över använda begrepp i relation till det egna avhandlingsarbetet. Från NNAF deltog: Birgitta Berne, Zahra Bayati, Lena Tyren, Lill Langelotz, Richard Baldwin Från PEP deltog: Carlos van Kan 2010 Ny kurs planerad till december 2010 21