Enhancing postgraduate learning and development: a participatory action learning and action research approach through conferences

ABSTRACT

As supervisors who advocate the transformational potential of research both to generate theory and practical and emancipatory outcomes, we practice participatory action learning and action research (PALAR). This paper offers an illustrative case of how supervision practices based on action learning can foster emancipatory and lifelong learning within a university context that is becoming ever more focused on throughput of students, rather than on the quality of their learning. Conference attendance offers an excellent opportunity for postgraduate students to develop as researchers and lifelong learners, yet anxiety often prevents them from making the most of the learning experience. We explain how we encouraged the development of capabilities in students through a PALAR support programme that assisted postgraduate students prepare for a conference to make overall participation, presenting a paper and subsequent publication a true learning experience. We generated and analysed data from the written reflections of 11 postgraduate students who participated in the programme. The findings suggest that action learning, specifically PALAR, can be used to enable a rich learning experience for postgraduate students attending conferences through fostering relationships, building trust, a supportive environment, collaboration, communication and competence among them. Postgraduate students who experienced our PALAR support programme developed not only skills, knowledge, confidence and deeper appreciation of learning opportunities through conferences, but also understanding of the principles of PALAR that apply not just to the conference context but across all aspects of learning and research and life at large.

KEYWORDS:

• Action learning
• action research
• coaching
• higher education
• learning conference

Acknowledgements

The authors would also like to acknowledge the postgraduate students in the NRF project who participated in the two workshops we discuss here. The authors are especially grateful to Maureen Todhunter for co-facilitating the pre-conference workshop with us to provide language tuition.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Lesley Wood (D Ed) is Research Professor in the Faculty of Education Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University, South Africa. Her research focuses on the improvement of psycho-social well-being of community stakeholders in education through action research, with a special focus on HIV and AIDS in education. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Moravian College, Pennsylvania, in recognition of her pioneering work in these fields. Currently, she leads research at her institution in Community-Based Education, and mentors colleagues in the use of action learning and action research for professional learning. She has published widely in leading journals, has edited three books and is an NRF rated scientist.

Ina Louw (PhD) recently joined the Education Innovation Unit at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where she will focus on teaching innovation and curriculum development in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. She was a mathematics educator for 26 years and was also involved in quality assurance and professional staff development at her previous institution. Her research focuses on mathematics education, academic staff development in higher education and leadership development programs. She has published journal articles and book chapters.

Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt is Director of OZI (Ortrun Zuber International P/L), specializing in action learning and action research, leadership development programs, postgraduate research training and supervision, including qualitative research methods. She is an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, and an Extraordinary Professor in the Faculty of Education Sciences at North-West University, South Africa, Potchefstroom Campus.

Notes

1. Setswana is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa and is spoken by approximately 3.6 million people in South Africa.

Additional information

Funding

The research that this article was based on was funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) [grant number CE82623]. The opinions and findings expressed therein are those of the authors and the NRF cannot take responsibility for them.