Facts on ALAR

What is ALAR?

Action Learning and Action Research are two different kinds of action inquiry. Action inquiry is a “generic term for any improvement process that repeatedly uses a cycle in which one oscillates between taking action in the field of practice, and inquiring about it in an on-going fashion” (Tripp, 1994).

When teachers engage in ALAR, they go through the cycles of reflecting, planning, acting and observing. One cycle usually leads to another in which improvements suggested by the initial cycle are incorporated in the next. We can ask questions about teaching and learning, explore opportunities for using new technologies, collect and analyse data and act on what we have learn. This cyclic process continues until we are satisfied that the questions have been addressed.

What are some differences between action learning and action research? AL and AR can be placed along a continuum (adapted from Tripp, 2004):

Practical Action is…	Action Learning is…	Action Research is…
thoughtful		researched
chaotic		systematic
continual		occasional
naturalistic		experimental
experienced		recorded
unarticulated		discursive
private		public
local		disseminated
pragmatic		explanatory

Why ALAR?

Teachers accumulate a tremendous amount of knowledge over the years of classroom teaching. ALAR is one viable method to mine this knowledge by getting teachers to study their own practice and make visible the complexities of teaching for sharing with their peers.

Benefits of using ALAR:

• ensures reflection is occurring;
• solves problem, challenge or task in a systematic approach;
• focuses on the process (e.g. exploration of ICT for teaching and learning) rather than just the outcomes (e.g. student achievement);
• creates a learning culture that can handle change.

Have we whetted your appetite to learn more about action learning, action research? If not, we are providing you with more references and examples of ALAR.

• Classroom Action Research Overview
• Action Research – Who? Why? How? So What?
• Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action researchers
• Introduction to Action Research
• Action Inquiry