Action research / the research cycle
Action research (meaning the research-based improvement of one's own professional practice) takes place in an iterative process of observing one's own context, the emergence of a research question, problem exploration, planning, acting, analyzing and evaluating. This is shown schematically in the image below (derived from Kiewiet-Kester, 2014). Source: Loo, J. v., Lieskamp, M., & Zwart, C. (2015). Investigative leadership. Houses: Pica education management. Zuber-Skeritt and Perry (2002) also refer to this cycle as the 'core action research cycle'. In addition to this cycle, there is a second important cycle; the reflection cycle, also referred to as the 'thesis action research cycle' by Zuber-Skeritt and Perry. In other words: at the same time as carrying out the research cycle, the researcher reflects at each step in the process on how the research process itself is proceeding and what he learns from it with regard to the implementation o...