Visualizing Change Pathways

Using Theory of Change to Scaffold Collaborative Inquiry in Action Research

Abstract

This study explores the integration of a Theory of Change (ToC) approach into Action Research (AR) to support systematic and collaborative organizational development. Based on a three-year project in Danish vocational education, the study draws on 15 workshops and rich qualitative data to examine how ToC helps participants articulate challenges, clarify activities, and visualize desired outcomes. While participants valued ToC’s capacity to foster reflection, structure dialogue, and make assumptions explicit, they also encountered tensions around prioritization, timing, and the perceived linearity of change. The analysis identifies two key conceptual tensions: (1) between locally developed and generalizing understandings of theory, and (2) between emergent and linear models of change. Framed through pragmatism, these tensions are treated as resources for inquiry rather than obstacles. The study outlines conditions for meaningful integration, showing how ToC can function as a living visualization that enhances AR’s methodological scaffolding while supporting transparent, context-sensitive, and collectively owned change processes.