Action Research as a Tool for Social Change

Öz

Action research is a dynamic approach that aims to produce in-depth knowledge about a social system while simultaneously transforming it. With its origins dating back to Kurt Lewin’s work in the 1940s, this method has found a place in many different disciplines, from education to health, community development to organizational change, over an eighty-year period. This study aims to examine the fundamental characteristics, theoretical foundations, and implementation steps of action research as a tool for social change. Within the scope of the article, the participatory, democratic, and status quo-questioning nature of action research is addressed, while the stages of identifying a focus area, the reconnaissance process, developing an action plan, data collection, and analysis are detailed. Unlike traditional research methods, action research synthesizes academic knowledge with everyday life experience by establishing a horizontal collaboration between the researcher and participants. Consequently, action research does not merely describe the current situation but offers a powerful methodological framework that encourages social justice and social transformation by producing concrete solutions at the local level.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Action research
• social change
• social work
• participatory research

Bir Sosyal Değişim Aracı Olarak Eylem Araştırması

Öz

Eylem araştırması, bir sosyal sistem hakkında derinlemesine bilgi üretmeyi ve aynı zamanda o sistemi dönüştürmeyi amaçlayan dinamik bir yaklaşımdır. Kökenleri Kurt Lewin’in 1940’lı yıllardaki çalışmalarına dayanan bu yöntem, seksen yıllık süreçte eğitimden sağlığa, topluluk geliştirmeden organizasyonel değişime kadar pek çok farklı disiplinde kendine yer bulmuştur. Bu çalışma, eylem araştırmasının temel özelliklerini, teorik temellerini ve uygulama basamaklarını bir sosyal değişim aracı olarak incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makale kapsamında; eylem araştırmasının katılımcı, demokratik ve statükoyu sorgulayan doğası ele alınırken; odak noktasının belirlenmesi, keşif süreci, eylem planı oluşturma, veri toplama ve analiz aşamaları detaylandırılmaktadır. Geleneksel araştırma yöntemlerinden farklı olarak eylem araştırması, araştırmacı ile katılımcılar arasında yatay bir iş birliği kurarak akademik bilgi ile gündelik yaşam deneyimini sentezler. Sonuç olarak eylem araştırması, sadece mevcut durumu betimlemekle kalmayıp, yerel düzeyde somut çözümler üreterek sosyal adaleti ve toplumsal dönüşümü teşvik eden güçlü bir metodolojik çerçeve sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Eylem araştırması
• sosyal değişim
• sosyal hizmet
• katılımlı araştırma

Kaynakça

1. Bargal, D. (2008). Action research: A paradigm for achieving social change. Small Group Research, 39(1), 17-27.
2. Bogdan, R.C. ve Biklen, S.K. (2007). Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Methods, 5th Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
3. Creswell, (2012). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.
4. Corey, S. M. (1954). Action research in education. The journal of educational research, 47(5), 375-380.
5. Costello, P.J.M.(2003). Action research. New York, NY: Continuum.
6. Foster-Fishman, P. G., Law, K. M., Lichty, L. F., ve Aoun, C. (2010). Youth ReACT for social change: A method for youth participatory action research. American journal of community psychology, 46(1), 67-83.
7. Glassman, M., Erdem, G., ve Bartholomew, M. (2013). Action research and its history as an adult education movement for social change. Adult Education Quarterly, 63(3), 272-288.
8. Goodnough, K. (2011).Taking action in science classrooms through collaborative action research: A guide for educators. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

9. Greenwood, D. J., ve Levin, M. (2007). Introduction to action research: Social research for social change (2nd ed.). SAGE publications.
10. Gustavsen, B., Hansson, A., ve Qvale, T. U. (2008). Action research and the challenge of scope. SAGE handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice, 63-76.
11. Hart, F., ve Bond, M. (1995). Action research for health and social care: A guide to practice. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
12. Kemmis, S. ve McTaggart, R. (Eds) 1988), The Action Research Planner (3rd ed.). Deakin University Press, Geelong, Victoria.
13. Kemmis, S. ve McTaggart, R. (2005). Participatory action research. In N.K. Denzin ve Y.S. Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R. ve Nixon, R. (2014). The Action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research. Springer. Leite, S. (2025). Action Research for Transformative Climate Change Education: Rethinking Sayings, Doings, and Relatings at One Canadian School. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 25(3), 43-69.
14. Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of social issues, 2(4), 34-46.
15. Lykes, M. B., ve Mallona, A. (2008). Towards transformational liberation: Participatory and action research and praxis. The Sage handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice, 106-120.
16. Meyer, J. (2004). Action research. In Studying the organisation and delivery of health services (pp. 184-199). Routledge.
17. Pettit, J. (2010). SSRC| Learning to do Action Research for Social Change. International Journal of Communication, 4, 8-8.
18. Reason, P. ve Bradbury, H. (2008). The Sage Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice. (2nd. ed.). London, UK: Sage Publications.
19. Swantz, M. L. (2008). Participatory action research as practice. The Sage handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice, 31-48.
20. Taylor, M. (1994). Action research. In P. Banister, E. Burman, I. Parker, M.Taylor & C. Tindall (Eds.). Qualitative methods in psychology: a research guide (pp. 109-120). Philadelphia, PA: Biddles