An Outline Statement
CARN was founded in 1976 in order to continue the development work of the Ford Teaching Project in UK primary and secondary schools. Since that time it has grown to become an international network drawing its members from educational, health, social care, commercial, and public services settings.
CARN aims to encourage and support action research projects (personal, local, national and international), accessible accounts of action research projects, and contributions to the theory and methodology of action research.
CARN sets out to promote:
Recognition
- That professional development requires critical inquiry into past, current and future practice;
- That practitioners themselves should be actively and creatively involved in defining and developing professional practice;
- That practitioners themselves should contribute to the growth of valid professional knowledge and theory;
- That all relevant communities (including service-users, students, clients, etc.) need to be involved in developing the provision of services;
- That individual professional development needs to be seen in the context of institutional practices and structures;
- That action research provides a powerful means of developing worthwhile professional and institutional practice.
Support
- For professional staff carrying out action research, individually and in collaboration with others, in their place of work;
- For employers/managers wishing to set up action research activities as part of development planning;
- For professional development through action research as a life-long focus throughout all phases of professional careers;
- For collaboration and dialogue between those concerned, to develop research-based professional practice, and practice-based research, i.e.
- Between professional practitioners and their clients,
e.g. students, service-users
- Between colleagues in the same and other professions
and at all levels in their organisations;
- Between professional workers and community members.
Networking
- Through sharing accounts of action research, in the bulletins, on the CARN website, in the Educational Action Research Journal, and through other CARN publications;
- Through attentive personal encouragement and critical feedback;
- Through engaging with CARN colleagues at steering group meetings, regional events and at the CARN annual conference.
Regional CARN Networks
CARN also has the following regional and sub-regional networks:
