Action research in higher education: exploring ways of creating and holding the space for reflection

Abstract

This article explores the place of individual and collective reflection in action research in higher education. It draws on the experience of a year-long project in which a group of five lecturers explored their practice as supervisors of students preparing dissertations. The project provided opportunities for both individual and group reflection on practice through interviews and a series of group meetings. A key dimension of the project was the creation of ‘reflective spaces’ within both these contexts. The authors present the strategies they used and discuss some of the issues raised in facilitating action research of this kind.