STAR-C - About STAR

Our Action Research Community (ARC)

STAR Action Research Community (ARC) is led by professors of action research from eight nations. These professors, who teach action research courses, have met between ARNA conferences over the last few years to think about strategies, issues, and resources to support the teaching action research. In the spirit of action research we continue to evolve.

Within a distributed leadership framework and Learning Circle approach organized by Margaret Riel in 2017, the STAR community has developed through a series of phases.

The first phase (2017-18) Learning Circle -focused on the collective creation of this STAR ARNA ARC website. We selected a set of topics that were essentials in teaching action research and also shared information about the way action research is positioned in different programs.
The second phase (2018-19) Dual Language - centered on the development of the Spanish translation of the website. Clotilde Lomeli Agruel took the lead on this effort. We also forged a closer partnerhip with the Action Research Tutorials and with the Social Publishing Foundation joining the facebook group to provide a link to a larger community of action researchers.
The third phase (2019-20) Extended Reach - evolved with the construction of the STAR ARNA ARC Blog (April 2019) coordinated by Kathy Shafer and the development of the STAR ARNA ARC Newsletter (May 2019) with Teri Marcos, Linda Purrington and Clotilde Lomeli Agruel as Editors.
The fourth phase (2020-21) Extend Sharing - began with a shift in name-- STAR ARC became Supporting the Teaching of Action Research Community (STAR-C), by trimming the double AR. With the names change, we redesigned the banner of the website. We also added one more interactive component- STAR-C Chats. We now alternate monthly meetings between STAR-C Learning Circles and STAR-C Chats around topics central in teaching action research

Meet the 2025 Leaders of the STAR ARC:

Clotilde Lomeli Agruel, Mexico

Clotilde Lomeli Agruel

- I have been collaborating with STAR-ARNA-ARC for almost a year on the Spanish translation of the website. In addition, I am one of the editors of the STAR newsletter, where I also provide translation to Spanish.
- Thanks to the Fulbright Scholarships and the Ford Foundation I was able to do some of my postgraduate work in the United States.
- I am currently a professor-researcher at the Faculty of Educational Pedagogy and Innovation (FPIE) of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) in Mexico. At the UABC I have more than 25 years of service, where I have held various administrative and academic positions.
- I teach distance and blended learning subjects in instructional design, educational psychology, and research methodology.
- Currently, I am starting the Laboratory of Educational Research and Innovation in the FPIE. One of its programs is to promote the training in Action Research of our future teachers.
- I am part of the basic core of the master's program in education at the FPIE and serve on students' thesis committees.

I find it very stimulating to participate in the STAR-ARNA-ARC group, I hope that other colleagues will join in the development of this great ARC.

Carlos Chiu, Peru

Carlos Chui, leads the STAR theme on Youth Action Research. He is the Director of Colegio de Ciencias in Huanuco Peru. He has helped Students from Peru to take part in a worldwide climate change project. In 2018 his students were part of a 13 country student delegation to the 2018 Cities IPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference , a three-day event held March 5-7 in Edmonton, Canada, that features presentations and workshops to highlight and inspire research on climate change and cities. The paper they presented: International Youth White Paper on Climate Change shared work from over 4000 students from 13 countries, in partnership with The Centre for Global Education, C40, the Government of Alberta, TakingITGlobal, Louis Berger, and the Berger Charitable Foundation. The Berger Charitable Foundation described the event. He continues to make it possible for student action researchers to present at the COP (Community of the Parties) United Nations Climate Change Conference each year. COP28 was held this past year in the United Arab Emirates. The returning students joined STAR for the Feb chat.

Christine Lechner, Austria

I met the STAR group at the ARNA conference in Montréal in 2019 and have since been a member. Participation is inspirational and very supportive for my educational action research activities.

I was a classroom teacher for 20 years and it was the participation in an action-research based course for practising teachers run by the University of Klagenfurt that gave me the confidence to move gradually into teacher education.
I had the privilege to teach future teachers for Primary to Upper Secondary levels for a quarter of a century focussing on English language competences, CLIL and action research at the Pedagogical University Tirol and the University of Innsbruck.
I was a participant, then team-member and co-ordinator of the action-research based course for practising teachers run by the University of Klagenfurt. The experience of participating in this course inspired me to change career direction.
I am the Coordinator of “Action Research Communities for Language Teachers", ECML. Austria. www.ecml.at/actionresearch and we are currently running action research workshops for teachers in the ECML countries.
I am a member of CARN and a member of the co-ordinating team of the German-language CARN.

Katheryne Leigh-Osroosh

Assistant Professor, School Counseling Department of Counseling, School, & Educational Psychology The State University of New York at Buffalo

Teri Marcos, USA

I am leading the section of the STAR ARC related to reflection in action research.
I serve as professor of educational administration for National University.
I am currently teaching action research in the M.S. in Educational Administration as well as School Improvement Leadership.
I also serve as qualitative methodologist for dissertation proposals.

Prior to moving to higher education, I served for 20 years at the middle school level in Chino Valley Unified as a teacher, principal, and GATE Coordinator.

I am Nana to four grandbabies and a serious baker of gingerbread. Nothing delights me more than to share their joy at rolling, cutting, baking, frosting, and nibbling. The sounds and smells of home are deeply ingrained from my parents' Southern, extremely hospitable DNA. This, along with a gift of gab, is my rationale for being a qualitative researcher. There just aren't enough words in the day so let's capture as many as we can and make sense of them.

Ronald Morgan, USA

I am new to the STAR ARC group and look forward to being a part of it. I'm an Associate Professor in the Educational Counseling Program at National University and currently the course lead for the action research course for the master's in education. Before coming to National in 2018, I was a full-time faculty at the University of Redlands for nearly 20 years. During that time at Redlands I served as a program director, department chair and Associate Dean in the School of Education. Prior to Redlands, I was a high school counselor for 5 years and then school administrator for another 5 years. I'm also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and had a part-time private practice for nearly 30 years.

Geitza Rebolledo Márquez, Germany

Dr Geitza Rebolledo has a Master of Philosophy Degree from the University of London.UK

and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the University of East Anglia.U.K.. She is a Titular Professor at the Pedagógic University UPEL IPC Caracas, Venezuela.

Dr. Rebolledo teacher Action Research at the Doctorate of Environmental Education.UPEL IPC .Caracas.Venezuela. She has served as an evaluator of articles of the Journal of Action Research CARN.U.K from 2010 to 2019. She has supervisored seven Action Research thesis in Venezuela. She also teaches an Online Course of Action Research for Colombian Teachers, UPEL IPC.

Pedro Navareño Pinadero, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain

Dr. Navareño is a teacher, counselor and school inspector. He currently works as a trainer, advisor, researcher and volunteer in education. He has taught classes in Primary Education for 18 years, in Secondary Education he worked as a counselor for three years, he has been a tutor teacher at the UNED, he collaborated in the Master of Teaching in Secondary Education at the universities of Salamanca and Autonomous University of Madrid. For 15 years, 1996-2012, he worked in the Educational Inspection Service of Cáceres, a situation that allowed him to learn a lot from the directors and teachers of the centers with which he had the opportunity to share occupations and cares. He has been President of the European Forum of Education Administrators of Extremadura, also President of the Federation of Spain (FEAE), he was a member of the European Executive of the EFEA (THE EUROPEAN FORUM ON EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION) for 4 years, as responsible for publications and webmaster.He has been fortunate to give numerous presentations in teacher training courses, always to share and learn more than to teach.

Linda Purrington, USA

I am leading the section of the STAR ARC related to framing action research questions.
I taught action research in the educational leadership and learning technologies programs at Pepperdine University.
I am a recent Past Director for the Educational Leadership Administration and Policy (ELAP) Ed.D. Program and the Educational Leadership Academy (ELA) M.S. Program at Pepperdine University.
I am also a recent Past Co-President for the California Association of Professors of Education Administration (CAPEA).
After 19 years of full-time service as a professor at Pepperdine University, I transitioned to an adjunct role and currently chair Ed.D. Leadership Program dissertation committees.

Prior to Pepperdine, I served as an adjunct professor at CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, Chapman, and Concordia Universities. I made a career transition to higher education after serving 21 years in K-12 education as a bilingual teacher, principal, and district office coordinator.

Margaret Riel, USA

I am leading the section of the STAR ARC related to blending theory and practice.
I am the Director of the Center for Collaborative Action Research at Pepperdine.
I was one of the five people who initiated the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA). I also joined with these colleagues to edit the Palgrave International Handbook on Action Research.

I have retired from Pepperdine where I directed the Learning Technologies M. A. program and taught in the action research strand. However, I continue to work with educators in the International And Resource Network (iEARN) to support global teachers in their action research. To help in this effort, I created the online action research tutorials which are freely available to support the teaching and learning of action research.

I am enjoying being a member of this ARNA Action Research Community (ARC) and hope you will want to join with us as we explore issues in the teaching of action research.

Ingibjörg Ósk Sigurðardóttir, Iceland

I am an associate professor in early childhood education at the School of Education, University of Iceland.

I teach in the preschool teachers’ education program at the School of Education. In Iceland, preschools are a part of the educational system as the first level of schooling. Also, you need to have a master’s degree to get a license as a preschool teacher. Graduate students engage in action research during their paid internships, focusing on their own professional development and leadership.

My research has been in the field of play, preschool teachers’ practice, preschool teachers’ professional development, and the process of action research. I have participated in several national and international research projects about different fields in relation to preschool practice, in collaboration with preschool teachers and researchers.

Kimmie Tang, Canada

I am new to the STAR ARC group. Having been in the field of special education for over 20 years, I am currently working on special projects (e.g., designing online modules for special education teaching credential programs) for various institutions while I am temporary located in Canada. I was an Assistant Professor of Special Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), teaching and preparing future special education teachers. Prior to CSUDH, I was an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Special Education at Mount St. Mary’s University, where I coordinated and implemented the Special Education Teaching Credential and Master’s programs. In Texas, I worked as an Education Specialist at Region 4 Education Service Center, providing professional development trainings, program evaluation, and customized instructional services. I also served as an instructional faculty member for the LoneStar Leadership Education in Autism and Neurodevelopment Disabilities (LEND) Program at the UTHealth Children’s Learning Institute. Throughout various positions, action research has been embedded in all of my teaching and courses work.

Our History:

This ARC began with a Learning Circle Approach. A learning circle is a highly interactive, participatory structure for organizing group work. The goal is to build, share, and express knowledge through a process of open dialogue and deep reflection around issues or problems with a focus on a shared outcome. Online learning circles take advantage of social networking tools to manage collaborative work over distances following a timeline from the open to the close of the circle. Circles have a final project which collects the shared knowledge generated during the interactions. Learning circles are a great way to organize learning in global projects.

Learning Circle interaction is a process of distributed leadership. Each of us led the circle around a project idea and developed the site resources around that topic. We met monthly and worked on different projects. This website is the outcome of the learning circle interactions. We continue to meet monthly in our learning circle.

The projects have evolved and include a translation of the materials into Spanish and the development of a blog and a bilingual newsletter. Most recently we have started alternating our learning circles meetings with STAR-C Chats on topics in the teaching of action research. These are open and we are happy to have visitors.
You can read our monthly meeting notes which we collectively keep on our etherpad.
The leaders of STAR-C meet in a learning circle or STAR-C Chat on the first Wednesday of the Month at 10:00 am PT. If you want to join us, use the STAR website Join option to let us know of your interest.

After we have developed the first draft of the website, we continue to evolve with the goal of moderating a larger level of participation around teaching topics. We are all members of the action research tutorials facebook discussion and we hope you will join us there.

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