In this blog, I am going to talk a little about the two cultures of inquiry that strike a chord in me as I consider what path to take in terms of a thesis or a research paper and as I consider what my research might entail - Action Research and Phenomenology.
As I examine Action Research, it seems to align with my own thinking quite well, especially if I can focus this research on my own students, in an effort to improve the lives and learning experiences of students, one of the many joys of being an educator. Some investigation into this area exposes seven key aspects to the process of Action Research and I think examining the process is a good place for me to start. They are:

1. Selecting a focus - What elements or aspects of students' learning do I want to examine?
2. Clarifying theories - What do I believe really works or is at work in this area?
3. Identifying research questions - The all-important meaningful inquiry - what do I really want to ask and why?
4. Collecting data - How do I go about collecting valid and reliable data? Does it align with my classroom environment? Am I using a variety of independent sources to ensure validity? Will my classroom itself provide a rich environment for data? What particular method(s) will I use?
5. Analysing data - What is the data saying to me and why is it saying it? why am I interpreting it in this particular way and am I unbiased?
6. Reporting results - How will I share the findings beyond the institution of my study? Informally with colleagues? Publish? Simply use it for my own purposes and not share it at all?
7. Taking informed action - How will I put my findings and interpretation of the data to use?

I find the process of asking the above questions motivating. Already, I am thinking of areas of Action Research that could work well, not only for my potential degree requirements from Royal Roads University but also to enhance my own professional environment and professional development. Loni Davis' podcast in which she clarifies the difference between academic and applied research has helped me to understand where I should start from if I take the route of Action Research.
The second area that intrigues me does so mostly because I am an artist, I think. Phenomenology focuses on the study of “phenomena”: appearances of things, or things as they appear in our experience, or the ways we experience things, thus the meanings things have in our experience. As a musician, the experience of live musical performance, in front of an audience, is a remarkable occurrence, in that there are a myriad of distinct experiences occurring at once.

1. The private and personal experience of the performer - no-one but the performer exists in that world of perception and it is full of fleeting moments of passion and emotion.
2. The performer's experience of being the "performer", under scrutiny by the live listening audience, existing in the same space and sharing a collective experience with the audience.
3. The audience's experience of being the "audience", evaluating the performance and the performer, existing in the same space and sharing a collective experience with the performer.
4. The audience's collective experience as listener's to the actual music - the art.
5. The individual audience member's experience as a listener to the actual music - the art.

As you can see, this is a complex set of simultaneous experiences and could lend itself very well to Phenomenological research so this is intriguing indeed. And since I have personally experienced all of the above roles or experiences, I am keenly interested in a more detailed analysis of these: What are the common experiences? What are unique experiences? Are there experiences that I have not even thought of perceiving? Are there some that I am simply unable to perceive, given my own life and personal perceptions? Does the individual piece of music or a particular performer create specific experiences for the audience and/or the listener?
Each of these two cultures of inquiry are alluring to me and I am eager to delve  even more into how I might position my research as I go forward in this program. As I have said in other blogs, time will tell. That and a lot of serious thinking...