The Origins and Status of Action Research

TLDR

Action research has been described in many ways, ranging from a methodology to a theory of social science, with diverse claims across contexts. The article traces Lewin’s origins, reviews 11 researchers’ claims, and distinguishes weak from strong versions of action research to assess their paradigm status. The authors compare Lewin’s views with contemporary exponents, systematically review 11 scholars’ claims, and classify the approaches into weak and strong variants. They conclude that neither weak nor strong action research currently holds paradigm status.

Abstract

Diverse claims have been made for and about action research in a variety of contexts. In this article, we first trace the origins of this approach to Kurt Lewin and provide a synopsis of his views. We then compare Lewin's views on action research with those of contemporary exponents. In the third section, we review and systematize the claims of 11 action researchers to determine the extent to which their claims constitute a shared conception. While most authors characterize action research as a methodology, a few also attempt to link action research to a particular interpretation or theory of social science. We build on this distinction in the final section and distinguish a weak from a strong version of action research, concluding that, at this time, neither version enjoys the status of a paradigm.