Challenges Emerged During an Action Research Approach Applied in a Schoolgarden Project: Reflections and Revisions

Abstract

AbstractThis paper reports on the challenges that emerged during an Action Research (AR) school kitchen-garden project. The AR team included the teacher/researcher (T/R), the critical friend, the facilitators (i.e. the T/R’s academic advisor and the school’s principal) and three more colleague teachers. Data was derived from T/R observations and students’ reflecting notes. The results exhibited four categories of challenges that emerged during the AR cycles concerning teaching and research strategies, research coordination and students’ participation. It transpired that a research group which was committed to dialogue, shared knowledge and action managed to create a participatory and effective project. Strategies such as organizing regular meetings between the research team members, developing a friendly relationship between teachers and participating students, having a personal approach toward students who participate in the applied project (e.g., private conversations), identifying students’ personal worries or social difficulties and applying activities promoting students’ creativity, mobility and autonomy could be helpful to other environmental educational projects, as well.