about Tavistock Institute Theory This page provides an introduction to group relations theory, arranged as answers to some common questions. It outlines some of the major ideas and work in the field, but it is not intended to be comprehensive - the publications section is a good place to start if you want to read more deeply. The people section provides biographies about some of the people who have worked in the field of group relations - from its foundation in the 1940s to today. What is group relations? Group relations is a method of study and training in the way people perform their roles in the groups and systems to which they belong. How did the study of group relations develop? Group relations was the phrase coined in the late 1950s by staff working at the Tavistock Institute to refer to the laboratory method of studying relationships in and between groups. This laboratory method had been developed at Bethel, Maine, from 1947 onwards by the National Training Laboratory (NTL). A.K. 'A' Membership. References
Supported Experiments - Geoff PettyGeoff Petty Supported Experiments or Action Research are excellent ways to improve your teaching, and that of your team. Indeed experimenting with something new to you is arguably the only way to improve student achievement. You can’t improve without changing! Each Proposal has a bit of theory, and then some very practical ways of implementing the approach. Don’t just copy the ideas in these Proposals. Are you are a manager trying to improve learning and teaching? Many colleges are using Supported Experiments, here is a link to Woodhouse college in London who have done some brilliant experiments, perhaps some in your subject. Hundreds of colleges in the UK make use of Supported Experiments. Zoya Galzie an ICT teacher at West Thames College wrote this account of an experiment on the ‘One Minute Paper’. Here are some proposals for Supported Experiments.
Group Dynamics, Processes & Development What is a Group? A group is: two or more people who share a common definition and evaluation of themselves and behave in accordance with such a definition (Vaughan & Hogg, 2002, p. 200) a collection of people who interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members and who share a common identity. Criteria for a group include: formal social structure face-to-face interaction 2 or more persons common fate common goals interdependence self-definition as group members recognition by others Societies can be seen as large groups consisting of a myriad of sub-groups. Introduction to Group Dynamics Human beings exhibit some characteristic behavior patterns in groups. When group patterns are combined with study of individual development, then group dynamics can also be applied to education and therapy (as is often the case in experiential, outdoor and adventure education). People may may underestimate the importance of society and group memberships on their lives. References Bacon, S.
Action research Contents: introduction · origins · the decline and rediscovery of action research · conclusion · further reading · how to cite this article. see, also: research for practice. In the literature, discussion of action research tends to fall into two distinctive camps. The British tradition – especially that linked to education – tends to view action research as research oriented toward the enhancement of direct practice. Action research is simply a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out (Carr and Kemmis 1986: 162). Many people are drawn to this understanding of action research because it is firmly located in the realm of the practitioner – it is tied to self-reflection. Origins Kurt Lewin is generally credited as the person who coined the term ‘action research': (Stringer 1999: 9-10)
Relationship Model --Illustrated The illustration above shows progressive building blocks for relationships. All meaningfull relationships must start on the Primary level then progressivly move up to the next level. RULE 1. Work on the primary level till all three blocks are sufficiently developed before going on to the next level. If these three can not be developed, then do not go on to the next level . Do I like this person(s) enough to become personal with them? Can I grant the other person the benefit of the doubt? Am I going to extend my person to gain mutual respect and trust? Will I attempt to share my deep thoughts, feelings, and dreams? Do I really know this person ? Will they honor my intentions ? Can they accept our differences and honor them - me ? Is this person trustworthy? Will they keep their word? Can they follow through with action on what we want together? Do they have the strength, character, and ability to gain and keep my confidence? To develop Trust and Respect, be honest.
An Introduction to Action Research I feel that we need to make a greater effort to involve teachers in Action Research. Teachers already know much about teaching--more than many of us do. But many are waiting to be invited to participate in research studies in which they examine students' preconceptions, or effective teaching strategies. Dorothy Gabel Presidential Address National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) San Francisco, April 24, 1995 Action Research (AR) represents a growing field of educational research whose chief identifying characteristic is the recognition of the pragmatic requirements of educational practitioners for organized reflective inquiry into classroom instruction. Action research has been described as an informal, qualitative, formative, subjective, interpretive, reflective and experiential model of inquiry in which all individuals involved in the study are knowing and contributing participants (Hopkins, 1993). Action Research Design The Role of Communication References:
Essentials of Group Psychology | PsyBlog How groups form, conform, then warp our decision-making, productivity and creativity. When we’re in a group other people have an incredibly powerful effect on us. Groups can kill our creativity, inspire us to work harder, allow us to slack off, skew our decision-making and make us clam up. The keys to understanding human behaviour—our lives as citizens, as workers, as friends—are in the research on group psychology, which PsyBlog has been exploring over the past few months. This post provides an overview and you can follow the links to explore the experiments that reveal the power groups hold over us. Formation, influence and leadership The seeds of group behaviour are sown even before its members meet. Once we are in a group it starts to shape us through conformity, pulling our attitudes and behaviour in line with others, threatening us with ostracism if we dare to rebel and, when facing rival groups, firing our competitive spirit (see 10 rules that govern groups, #3, #4, #10). Productivity
Beginners' guide to action research A beginner's guide to action research 1 This is a resource file which supports the regular public program "areol" (action research and evaluation on line) offered twice a year beginning in mid-February and mid-July. For details email Bob Dick bdick@scu.edu.au or bd@uq.net.au ... in which action research is briefly described, and the simultaneous achievement of action (that is, change) and research (that is, understanding) is discussed Contents Action research consists of a family of research methodologies which pursue action and research outcomes at the same time. It therefore has some components which resemble consultancy or change agency, and some which resemble field research. plan --> act --> observe --> reflect (and then --> plan etc.) The reflection leads on to the next stage of planning. In summary, I assume that action research is true to label: it pursues action and research outcomes. Copyright (c) Bob Dick, Ron Passfield, Paul Wildman 1995-2000.
Overview of Action Research Methodology “If you want it done right, you may as well do it yourself.” This aphorism may seem appropriate if you are a picky housekeeper, but more and more people are beginning to realize it can also apply to large corporations, community development projects, and even national governments. Such entities exist increasingly in an interdependent world, and are relying on Action Research as a means of coming to grips with their constantly changing and turbulent environments. This paper will answer the question “What is Action Research?” Definition Action research is known by many other names, including participatory research, collaborative inquiry, emancipatory research, action learning, and contextural action research, but all are variations on a theme. "Action research...aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of social science simultaneously. Several attributes separate action research from other types of research.