The first edition of this book was a first-of-its-kind reference, distilling the authors' decades of action research experience into a handy guide for graduate students. The Second Edition continues to provide an accessible roadmap that honors the complexity of action research, while providing an overview of how action research is defined, its traditions and history, and the rationale for using it. The authors demonstrate that action research is not only appropriate for a dissertation, but also is a deeply rewarding experience for both the researcher and participants. This practical book demonstrates how action research dissertations are different from more traditional dissertations and prepares students and their committees for the unique dilemmas they may face, such as validity, positionality, design, write-up, ethics, and dissertation defense.

Expertly guiding educators through the action research process, alleviating potential concerns and questions, this book is full of new and updated examples that help to make the process concrete. New features to the Second Edition include: a chapter on crafting the research question and the research design; political and ethical considerations; new examples of action research studies that reflect the current educational environment.