This book presents a collection of stories from action research projects in schools and a university. This collection is more than simply an illustration of the scope of action research in education - it shows how projects that differ on a variety of dimensions can raise similar themes, problems and issues. The book begins with theme chapters discussing action research, social justice and partnerships in research. The case study chapters cover topics such as:
* school environment - how to make a school a healthier place to be
* parents - how to involve them more in decision-making
* students as action researchers
* a state system - a collaborative effort between university staff and a state education department
* gender - how to promote gender equity in schools
* improving assessment in the social sciences
* staff development planning
* doing a PhD through action research
* writing up action research projects.

The movement to take educational research out of the confines of academia and direct research projects into the settings where the knowledge is to be applied has resulted in a new approach to the investigation of teaching and learning. Action research projects have been at work in schools and universities for almost ten years now, thoroughly examining and often radically changing the environments in which teaching and learning take place.
This book presents a collection of stories describing action research projects in action in schools and a university, showing how projects that have differed in a variety of dimensions reveal similar underlying issues, problems and themes. With an emphasis on the topic of social justice and partnership, "Action Research in Practice" reveals, through case studies and sustained, thorough analysis, how educational research can be transformative in its very practice, as well as in the practices it recommends.