Carr and Kemmis entitle their work critical action research, what does being critical mean?

A reference point for Carr and Kemmis, though a position they critique as not going far enough, was the German social theorist Habermas (1984) who differentiated knowledge as technical, communicative and emancipatory. Technical knowledge is concerned with empirical generalisation; communicative is broadly interpretive; while emancipatory knowledge has an action orientated focus on liberation from oppressive situations. All three forms of knowledge have a value but the first two have dominated social research – not surprisingly, perhaps, given the influence of positivism and, more recently, interpretivism. Critical theory, introduces normative values such as democracy, fairness, equity and how social cultural forces, as much as legal and physical conditions, restrict us from realising change. It draws on its Marxist heritage to argue the ‘dialectic’ necessity that in order to change the world one must seek to understand it and in order to understand the world one must seek to change it. Thus critical theory much explain what is wrong, who can change it, what kind of change is needed.

Action research need not be critical and many of the projects carried out by local practitioners seek to address instrumental problems (how can I turn GCSE Ds into Cs?; How can I address problems of attendance?; How can I prepare my pupils for certain exams?) and some are more ‘communicative’ focused (how can I better understand what is happening in my classroom or in my school?). Unlike instrumental action research, critical action research questions the ends as well as the means of action, for example just why this focus on D’s into C’s, is this equitable? And indeed, in a wider sense who does the present examination system benefit and disadvantage? Unlike research with a communicative focus action research is about change. In this sense critical action research offers an important corrective to instrumental or ‘technical’ rationality but some would argue that action research does not need to be an either / or and can accommodate discussion of both means and ends. Critical theory need not be taken as a methodology but a commitment to the logic of critical reflection.

In a wider sense a commitment to critical practice is not confined to educational action research, indeed action research has roots in community activism and was influential in developing critical pedagogy. For example Freire argued for an educational practice involving a dialogue between teacher and taught rather than a transmission of knowledge. Teaching can become a more cooperative activity allowing those being taught to gain a better understanding of the causes of oppression. As an example (Freire 1974) a critical literacy intervention would help learners reflect on and critique the world rather than engage with ‘empty representation of reality’ found in most adult literacy texts.

References

Freire, P. (1974) The Adult Literacy Process as Cultural Action for Freedom, Harvard Educational Review, 40, 2, 205-225.

Habermas, Jürgen, (1984) The Theory of Communicative Action, Volume 1. translated by Thomas McCarthy, Cambridge: Polity.

Focus question

How has the term critical been applied in other areas of study with which you are familiar?