As I immerse myself in reading about Action Research, there are some big ideas that I don't want to lose track of. I might post bits and pieces on this blog because the blog is more easily searchable than my notes. This is from McKernan, James. (1996). Curriculum action research: A handbook of methods and resources for the reflective practitioner (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

The restricted professional has the following characteristics:

1. A high level of classroom competence.
2. Child-centredness (sometimes subject-centredness).
3. A high level of skill in handling children and in understanding them.
4. Derives a lot of satisfaction from personal relationships with pupils.
5. Evaluates performance in terms of own perceptions of changes in pupil behaviour and achievement.
6. Attends short courses of a practical nature.

On the other hand, the extended professional has all the qualities of the restricted professional, plus:
1. Views work in the wider context of school, community and society.
2. Participates in a wide range of professional activities (subject panels, teachers; centres, conferences).
3. Has a concern to link theory and practice.
4. Has a commitment to some form of curriculum theory and mode of evaluation

The extended professional has an inquiring attitude to the profession and to personal performance, and a broad understanding of curriculum. (Stenhouse 1975 in McKernan, 1996)

“The late Lawrence Stenhouse (1975:144) argued that the outstanding characteristic of the professional teacher (or administrator is ‘the capacity for autonomous professional self-development through systematic self-study, through the study of the work of other teachers and through the testing of ideas by classroom research procedures’”