Research Circles

A participatory research approach

Abstract

This article presents a further development of the Research Circles (RC) approach. The RC methodol-ogy is a participatory research approach situated within a broader landscape of collaborative research approaches, including Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Practice Research (PR) and the aim of the paper is twofold: To showcase and exemplify the RC methodology generally, and discuss some further developments of it as a result of a concrete study Green Transition and World-care. The article presents key innovations to the original RC format, including researcher-led lessons introducing common themes and conceptual resources, and practitioner-organized learning circles (LC) designed to ensure ownership and followship across the entire collective of staff. Finally, the RC methodology developed in this project is discussed in relation to practitioners’ reflections and feedback, dilemmas concerning boundaries, ethics, and limits to participation across the differing realities of pedagogical research and practice. We argue that a two-tier RC–LC design supports locally grounded transformation and conceptual development without promising a direct transferable RC model.