Action research and the possibilities for critical and reflective teaching practice

Abstract

Educational research is a process that requires, beyond the continuous practice of reading scientific works to substantiate writing, the application of methods and data collection techniques, always grounded in theory, to ensure the completeness of the necessary stages of scientific investigation. Thus,  in the aimof this we will reflecton action research as a methodology in scientific research in education, with the intention of answering the following question: What are the contributions of action research from a qualitative perspective in education, both as a methodology in scientific research and as a possibility for a critical and reflective pedagogical practice in the classroom context? Initially, we will present a brief historical overview of action research from the qualitative perspective; then, we will examine the contributions of this type of research in educational investigations; and finally, we will refer to the data collection technique known as the “focus group” as an important method in this investigative process. At the end of the study, we observed that qualitative action research in education had to overcome significant challenges to establish itself as a legitimate method of scientific inquiry, especially in the face of positivism and its emphasis on quantitative methods as the only valid form of investigation. Studies indicate that action research fosters critical and reflective possibilities, as it involves participants directly in the investigative process, enhancing reflection on their practices and generating positive impacts on pedagogical actions.