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Social Action Research

Social Action Research. History of Kurt Lewin and an analysis of a qualitative exploratory study Presented by Adele Dobry 15 October 2009. Overview. Who was Kurt Lewin and why are his theories important? What is action research?

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Social Action Research

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  1. Social Action Research History of Kurt Lewin and an analysis of a qualitative exploratory study Presented by Adele Dobry 15 October 2009

  2. Overview • Who was Kurt Lewin and why are his theories important? • What is action research? • Analysis of a qualitative exploratory study of information literacy in the workplace

  3. Kurt Lewin (1890-1947) • Born in Prussia (now Poland) • From a Jewish family • Concerned with equality and democracy • Taught psychology and philosophy • University of Iowa 1935 (Smith 2001)

  4. Lewin’s Research Interests • Influenced by the war • Social processes • Minorities • Inter-group relations • Field theory (Lewin 1951, 188-190) (Smith 2001)

  5. Influence of Ernst Cassirer • Cassier’s Philosophy of Science and the Social Sciences (1949) • What is considered “unscientific” or “illogical” is important for progress • Quantitative versus qualitative (Lewin 1951, xv-30)

  6. Theoretical and Applied Social Psychology • Importance of group problems • Experimenter does not determine policy, but rather investigate and secure data • Data is important for policy determination (Lewin 1951, 68)

  7. Changes in Group Dynamics • Applied to modern culture • Experiment outside the lab • Integrate social science • Focus on problems of group life instead of description of group • New techniques of social research (Lewin 1951, 188)

  8. Social Action Research • Social management • Research of social action • Effects of social action • Research that leads to social action • Collecting data just to collect data is not enough • Create change (Smith 2001)

  9. Spiral of Steps • Identify idea • Find information • Plan • First action phase • Evaluate • Adjust plan if needed • Second action phase (Smith 2001)

  10. Information Literacy in the Workplace • A Qualitative Exploratory Study • Scottish Information Literacy Project • Adult Literacies • Interview based • Need for information literacy training programs through the public library (Crawford et al. 2009)

  11. Pedagogic Theory • Lave and Wenger • Community of practice • Social dimension • Social interaction (Crawford et al. 2009)

  12. Eleven ways to learn in the workplace (Gerber) • 1. Learn from mistakes • 2. Self education • 3. Personal values • 4. Theory and skill • 5. Problem solving • 6. Interaction • 7. Planning • 8. Advocate

  13. Ways to learn in the workplace, continued • 9. Leadership • 10. Training • 11. Practice (Crawford et al. 2009)

  14. Implications of theories • Social learning and information literacy • Pedagogic authorities • Professional qualifications a factor • Training programs can be important • Multiple Learner Model • Changing nature of work from manual to literate (Crawford et al. 2009)

  15. The Research • Interviews with Adult Literacy trainers • Interviews with Tribunal Services staff • Interviews with Scottish Government Civil Service Staff • Interviews with social work/health staff (Crawford et al. 2009)

  16. Discussion • Pedagogical implications • People learn together in the workplace through social interaction • Need for information literacy • Knowledge management systems • Role of the public library (Crawford et al. 2009)

  17. Conclusions • Traditional view of information and people as a source of information • Human relationships important • Information Literacy training opportunities • Change public library image • Skills audits (Crawford et al. 2009)

  18. Recommendations • Contact chamber of commerce • Information policy • Assess staff information literacy skills • Viability of developing IL programmes • Private sector should be researched further • Provision of IL programmes by public libraries • Developmental work with Adult Literacy agencies

  19. Recommendations continued • Further research is planned • Health literacy • Develop or utilize existing IL training programs (Crawford et al. 2009)

  20. Bibliography • Crawford, John, and Christine Irving. “Information Literacy in the Workplace: A qualitative Exploratory Study.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 41, no. 1(March 2009), http://lis.sagepub.com. • Lewin, Kurt. Field Theory in Social Science Selected Theoretical Papers. Edited by Dorwin Cartwright. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1951. • Smith, Mark K. “ Kurt Lewin: groups, experimental learning, and action research.” Infed. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm (accessed October 13, 2009).

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