Stories on Action Research

As a learning community, faculty members and instructors generously shared their experiences on using Action Research to improve student learning. Below are their stories grouped according to the Schools under HKUST and other Institutions.

HKUST

School of Business & Management

School of Humanities & Social Science

Prof. Robert Ferguson Division of Social Science

Prof Robert Ferguson explored a very simple action learning technique that borrowed from industrial learning-by-doing methods. By providing a structured venue for student input, as well as establishing shared learning goals, students can become active participants in the design and operation of their education. | Presentation |

Use of action research for the improvement of teaching practices in local higher education institutions is not new. In 1994, a grant was obtained from the Central Allocation Vote of the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong for a Project which is known as the "Action Learning Project". Dr. David Kember of the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong was appointed as the Project Coordinator overseeing and directing the project. The Project aimed to encourage and support academics in all UGC institutions in Hong Kong to participate in action research projects concerned with aspects of their own teaching. In 1996, a second grant was received from the University Grant Committee, thus allowing the project to be extended into its second phase.

In the first phase, there were a total of 50 projects supported by the grant. Another 40 projects were then supported through the second funding. Two books containing selected final reports from the two phases have been published. Thanks to Dr. David Kember and his team, the full-text of both publications are made available here for your reference.

"Case studies of improving teaching and learning from the Action Learning Project" edited by David Kember, Bick-har Lam, Louisa Yan, Jessie C. K. Yum and Susan Blumberg Liu.

"Further case studies of improving teaching and learning from the Action Learning Project" edited by David Kember, Sally Candlin and Louisa Yan