MISSION, VALUES & VISION

Mission, Values & Vision

Note: We list our mission in four languages to represent our design to make ARNA available in one’s own language.   Currently we are maintaining two sites, one in English and one in Spanish. As our resources develop we hope to offer our site in these four languages. 

Mission

 The Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) unites college and university students and faculty conducting practitioner inquiry into teaching and learning with fellow action researchers in public schools, private schools, community settings and workplaces throughout the Americas. ARNA members are committed to taking action locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to promote action research that is conducted with a commitment to honesty, integrity, inclusiveness, multi-vocality, engagement, and achievement within sustainable democratic societies.

Nuestra Misión

La  Red  de  Investigación  Acción  de  la  Américas  (ARNA,  por  sus  siglas  en  inglés)  congrega  a  los  estudiantes  y  a   los  profesores  de  los  colegios  y  de  las  universidades  que  realizan  investigación  profesional  en  los  procesos  de   enseñanza  -aprendizaje junto  con  otros  colegas  investigadores  docentes  de  escuelas  públicas,  privadas,   organizaciones  comunitarias  y  otros  sitios  de  trabajo  a  lo  largo  de  las  Américas.    Los  miembros  de  ARNA  están   comprometidos  en  actuar  local,  regional,  nacional  e  internacionalmente  para  promover  una  Investigación  Acción   comprometida  con  la  honestidad,  la  integridad,  un  ambiente  incluyente  y  participativo  que  se  logra  dentro  de   sociedades  democráticas  sustentables.

Notre Mission

Le Réseau de Recherche en Action des Amériques (ARNA en anglais) unit des  étudiants  et facultés universitaires qui  mènent  une ênquete pratiecienne d’enseignement et d’apprentissage  avec des chercheurs aux écoles publiques, aux écoles privées, à la communauté, et aux lieux de travail à travers les Amériques. Les membres de ARNA se consacrent à  prendre des mesures localement, nationalement, et internationalement pour  promouvoir la recherche en action qui est mené avec l’engagement à l’honnêteté, l’intégrité, la globalité, l’obligation sociale , des voix multiples, et la réussite dans les sociétés démocratiques viables.

A Rede de Pesquisa

Acção das Américas (Action Research Network of the Americas, ARNA)  reúne estudantes e universitários que levam a cabo  a troca de experiências  no ensino e na aprendizagem com seus homólogos de escolas públicas, particulares, ambientes comunitários e locais de trabalho em todo o continente americano. Membros da ARNA comprometem se a tomar medidas a nível local, regional, nacional e internacional, para promoverem pesquisas que serão realizadas com honestidade, integridade, abrangência, “multi-vocalidade”, compromisso e sucesso dentro de sociedades democráticas sustentáveis.

 

Values

Values that Guide our Collaboration
In our efforts to engage in meaningful cycles of observation, reflection, action, and
public presentation, we affirm our commitment to
  •  honesty in sharing what we have learned with wider audiences;
  •  integrity in gathering and analyzing data;
  •  inclusiveness so that all may benefit from action research efforts;
  •  multi-vocality of diverse participants and their unique perspectives;
  •  engagement of learners, teachers, and researchers in the process;
  •  achievement as defined and demonstrated by participants as well as by outside authorities;
  •  sustainability of limited and renewable human and material resources;
  •  democracy as an imperfect but preferable choice to guide decision-making.

 Our Vision for the Future

We envision multiple layers of collaborative action where
  • local action research efforts improve professional practice, leading to a demonstrable greater good for all participants;
  • practitioner inquiries, where appropriate, are coordinated and celebrated across regions, extending the benefits of the inquiry to wider constituencies;
  • action research methodologies and findings are shared within nations to form openly accessible data bases of practitioner inquiries and to inform policy decisions;
  • action researchers from diverse points of the Americas come together both virtually and physically to share action research findings and support one another in promoting local, regional, national, and international agendas promoting practitioner inquiry.

Early in its’ development, ARNA leadership adopted a set of Operational and Strategic Priorities. These priorities have guided the network in establishing initiatives and holding the leadership accountable. We now are working to establish ARNA’s first Three Year Strategic Plan. The current draft of the priorities is shown below. The ARNA Coordinating Group will complete the process of adopting the Three Year Strategic Plan during summer and fall 2014. Member input on ARNA priorities was sought through a recently completed member survey. Further input will be requested in Fall 2014.

• Development of the premiere action research conference in the Americas in alignment with mission & vision of ARNA
• Use of 21st century multimodal technologies internally and externally to promote action research, including expansion of multimodal technology use in conjunction with ARNA
   conferences, seminars, and symposiums
• Procurement of 501c(3) non-profit status for ARNA
• Continued recruitment of new membership, especially practitioners in non-university settings
• Development of an electronic action research journal in conjunction with further development of ARNA website
• Continued development of ARNA website, with expanded features and functions that help attract visitors and new members
• Continued development of the working groups structure, including balanced attention to the need for operational committees and working groups and the importance of member    
   engagement in establishing interest-area working groups
• Development of hemisphere-wide institutional sponsorships and partnerships as an integral part of the ARNA structure
• Continued strengthening and deepening of the multi-cultural contexts of networking among action researchers in the Western Hemisphere