Anexos

Action learning action research (ALAR) takes time and should be allowed to dictate its own progress and process. All this is difficult when combining it with the requirements of academic deadlines. The researcher had to learn to trust the ALAR process, which meant allowing the research process to be organic and abiding by the emancipatory and democratic principles of ALAR, letting the VRTT nominate practice problems in the order of what they perceived to be most important, staying engaged and supportive whilst allowing individuals to make mistakes they could learn from and waiting for them to recognise an error and take the time they needed to acknowledge it. All of this meant that phases did not proceed in a neat chronological order.

2.4.1 The Process

The research process was planned to have observe, plan, act, and reflect phases in keeping with typical action research cycle phases. Within each phase, multiple ALAR cycles would take place. The plan was to start with an observational phase in which the occupational therapy’s vocational rehabilitation services would be observed to establish its current status. This would be followed by a planning stage, in which a vision of occupational therapists vocational rehabilitation services could

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be established in order to act as an indicator of what services should look like. Once this was established, transformative actions could be undertaken. At the end of the research tenure, there would be a reflection of the transformation achieved and the effect of ALAR.

True to the nature of ALAR, the expectation was not for these phases to follow in a linear chronological fashion. Allowance would be made for the collaborative research team to identify and influence the content and progress of the cycles. In addition, cycles would be allowed to influence each other. This resulted in phases and cycles within phases, on occasions running concurrently and influencing each other. Furthermore, the VRTT used the last meeting of each year to reflect on the years’ transformative actions with the aim of planning for the new year.

Keeping all this in mind, the research process can best be described accordingly:

 It started with an integration phase, when the researcher, an outsider, entered a pre-existing insider group and they formed a collaborative research team.

 An observation phase was launched in which three ALAR cycles were started and concluded.

 A planning phase with a literature review and an opinion survey continues to date.

 The action phase began whilst the researcher was integrating herself into the group, and continues to date.

 The reflection phase was a meta-reflection of the researcher’s tenure with the insider group.

Consensual and gradual withdrawal of the researcher from the VRTT concluded the research tenure.

This is illustrated in the form of a time line and shown in Table 2.1 below.

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Table 2.1 Research Timeline

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2.4.2 Data Collection

The researchers were in agreement with Koshy et al. (2011) that in action research it is important to collect the type of data that best serves the transformative purpose of the study. Although action research is popularly aligned with qualitative enquiry (Denzin & Lincoln, 2007) and its associated data collection tools, it is more correct to see it as an approach to change (Hart & Bond, 1995) that systematically draws on many ways of knowing, both qualitative and quantitative, in an iterative fashion (Reason & Bradbury, 2007). In this enquiry, data were collected as the context and framework of the particular ALAR phase and cycle required.

The data collected took the form of individual and group narratives, participant observations, field notes, reflective journaling and critical reflection, written and verbal feedback from stakeholders, meeting minutes, opinion surveys, semi-structured interviews, convergent interviews, the Vocational Rehabilitation Practice Profile Tool, biographical questionnaires, photographs and anonymous workshop feedback forms.

2.4.3 Data Analysis

In keeping with good research practice (Creswell, 2009) and in support of ALAR principles (Zuber-Skerritt, 2009), analysis of data were done manually and directly after the conclusion of an event or cycle. In action research this is especially important as data analysis guides further data gathering and decision making (Herr & Anderson, 2005). As is required in ALAR, the researcher and volunteering members of the VRTT conducted data analysis together (Marsick & O' Neil, 2010). An important consideration for the researchers was the suggestion made by Winter and Munn-Giddings (2005), that action research data should be analysed in such a way that it can be related, in an appropriate fashion, to the community from which it was gathered.

In action research different cycles and questions required different analysis approaches and in this research both quantitative and qualitative data analysis was used. Throughout the research inductive and deductive analysis and thematic and content analysis as described by Creswell (2009) were utilised..

Zuber-Skerrit’s (2005) suggestion of data analysis was followed for routine reflections, field notes and personal journaling. At the end of each month raw data were summarised and categorised. For specific actions such as a mentoring occasion, practice orientation action cycles, workshops or interviews the data were analysed immediately after gathering. Throughout the research the

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summarised and categorised data were further refined and used for presentation as a journal or newsletter article, feedback at a VRTT meeting or oral presentations on a variety of forums.