The lived experience of a primary physical education teacher educator engaging in action research: cycling into change

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper presents the lived experience of a practitioner researcher working as a teacher educator engaging in action research with primary pre-service teachers (PSTs). Aligning with the work of Cook (2009) [‘The Purpose of Mess in Action Research: Building Rigour Though a Messy Turn.’ Educational Action Research 17 (2): 277–291] this paper aims to make visible the decisions and reflections that occurred during the multiple cycles of action research that were significant in the transformations that occurred throughout the study. We argue that embracing and acknowledging the chaos and messiness of the process is essential to initiating change. Therefore, in making visible the often invisible actions and discomfort experienced this paper hoped to contribute as a catalyst for greater articulation of mess across research. Employing a seven-phase longitudinal action research approach, this paper draws on data from the practitioner researcher’s reflective journal maintained throughout the research and field notes based on participant observation. The challenges, complexities, and benefits of action research are discussed including the impact on the research study and the practitioner researcher’s practice as a teacher educator in primary physical education. Making visible the challenges of being comfortable in the uncomfortable elements of data collection, in accessing the PSTs, and the multiple roles of the researcher throughout the research are discussed.