Experiencing action evaluation’s cyclic process: partnering conflict, reflection, and action

Abstract

In this article, the authors describe experiences in and offer suggestions from a course entitled ‘Educational Innovation for Excellence Through Action Research, Conflict Resolution, and Organizational Learning’ – an action evaluation (AE). The class was taught using the principles of action research and AE. The authors explore the impact that the course had on the their personal perceptions and classmates’ perceptions of AE, grapple with the criteria for what constituted a shared definition of ‘success’ in the course, and offer a critical lens for viewing educational evaluation as a means to continued self-reflection or reflexivity. The theoretical framework utilized is symbolic interactionism and critical pedagogy. The process of AE, including resonance, positive disruptions, reflexivity, and conflict resolution, is discussed within the authors’ narratives. Action evaluation is revealed as the complex process of joining sometimes apparently disjointed participants as unlikely partners to create change. This study helps to fill a gap of enriching action research with narratives, by exploring AE through reflection, and by creating discussion regarding critical pedagogy and social change. Implications for a wide audience include suggested conflict resolution strategies and examples of evaluation uses for instructors in numerous classes. Recommendations for AE implementation and strategies to promote social change – including core values of democratic participation, community empowerment, and social justice – are also presented.