Research impact: This paper presents the lived experience of a practitioner researcher working as a teacher educator engaging in action research with primary pre-service teachers (PSTs). It is hoped that it may serve as a catalyst for researchers to make ensure there is greater exposure of the mess in the write up of research, alleviate feelings of being disheartened by the action research approach, and ultimately contribute to an understanding that the messy arena is an essential part of the cycle into change.
As outlined in the literature often research is presented as a pathway of neat and tidiness. This paper is significant in highlighting the rigour and validity of action researchers and the depth of reflection that is engaged in throughout the process of facilitating change and transformation in practice. There is little evidence of the navigation skills required to arrange complex studies when working as a full-time teacher educator. Navigation in research is like google maps, sometimes you are re-routed whether intentionally or by means of another’s actions. Through writing oneself into the research, exposing our own lived experience, exemplars can serve as the map to guide or instruct others.
Macken, S., MacPhail, A., & Calderón, A. (2023): The lived experience of a primary physical education teacher educator engaging in action research: cycling into change. Irish Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2260789
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