Dear Branko and Vehid,

I have read the revised paper, which I think shows a real commitment to improving learning and offers an explanation for why and how you do this.

I have made two additional comments this time in respect of action research, a living education theory methodology:

1. Vehid, you refer to how Jack Whitehead emphasises the value basis of action research, in which the researcher determines his values at the beginning of the research, and that these values are the standards for assessing the quality of the resulting action research (Whitehead, 1989). I think then that when you write about setting goals and criteria (page 5) that you need to link them directly to your espoused values.

2. I think that your work has allowed you to learn through the generation and testing of your educational theories, which are now the standards by which you can judge this practice. In writing about the changes you have made and seen (page 18) perhaps you could re-iterate your values briefly here, and explain that they are the standards by which you now judge the quality of the changes in practice.

Presently, the paper needs some English editing. I have no problem in working on this if you would like me to do so.

I recommend this article be published when the English editing is complete and the link to living theory is more explicit.

Branko,

As a practising teacher, I understand and appreciate that practitioners should have the opportunity to present their stories, which I think contribute to the promotion of high quality practice. I do think that the work of teachers like Vehid and Mario should be told.

But I think that teacher researchers should also show how they are contributing to new knowledge in their area. Their work should allow for a synthesis of material drawn from personal experience, including a critical evaluation of the comments of critical friends, of those of the pupils and of their own reflections, in light of what it says in current literature. I accept Winter’s (1998) explanation: â€that the phrase â€developing a theoretical interpretation’ is a better indication of what we need to do within an action research inquiry than... the phrase â€linking practice to theory’’ (p.66). For me, this means valuing the insights from theory in the generation of personal theories of education from practice.

I appreciate the difficulty that practitioners in some social, cultural and professional contexts have in accessing and in reading literature which is easily available to English speakers. But the question is â€How do we do share their stories in EJOLTS?’I would have to accede to the experience of the Editorial Board in answering this question.

Best wishes,

Bernie

Winter, R. (1998). Finding a Voice – Thinking with Others: a conception of action research. Educational Action Research.6 (1), 53-68.