1. Using Appreciative Inquiry in Educational Research
Dr Maha Shuayb
University of Oxford and National Foundation for Educational Research

2. Flow of the Workshop Appreciative Inquiry What is it?
Where it can be applied?
How to apply it?
Democratisation, participation, giving young people a voice,

3. What is AI
AI as Way of Thinking “AI is the cooperative search for the best in people and their organizations.” AI as a Process “AI involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system. It mobilizes Inquiry through an 'unconditional positive question’.” Cooperrider , D.
AI is a participative approach. An alternative to the problem solving approach underpinning action research.

4. History and Underpinning Rationale of AI
David Cooperrider: Organization development
Change is usually faced with tension
Action research is often underpinned by a problem solving theory
An increasing awareness of the limitations of the problem solving approach

5. Problem solving model of action research
Identify problem
Conduct root cause analysis
Brainstorm solutions and analyse
Develop action plans/ intervention
Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved

6. Unintended Consequences
Fragmented responses
Puts attention on yesterday’s causes
No new positive images of future
Visionless voice... fatigue
Weakened fabric of relationships & defensiveness…negative culture

7. Appreciative model of action research
Appreciate “What is” (What gives life?)
Imagine “What Might Be”
Determine “What Should Be”
Create “What Will Be”
Inquiry is change
Discover the ‘positive core’ of an organization
This kind of change is where people know their strengths, their abilities, the successes.
And they work with others to say
“What if we did even more of that?
“If we allowed ourselves to envision even better results?”
“What relationships would deliver those, what systems could stay the same and which ones would need to change?
The questions are all about looking forward
Metaphor: Organizations are a solution/mystery to be embraced

8. (What is the world calling for)
Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle
Discovery
“What gives life?”
(the best of what is)
Appreciating
Affirmative
Topic Choice
Destiny
“How to empower,
learn, and improvise”
Sustaining
Dream
“What might be?”
(What is the world calling for)
Envisioning Impact
Design
“What should be
the ideal?”
Co-Constructing

9. Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle
Discovery
Dream
Design
Destiny
Appreciate the Best of “What Is”
positive questions
peak times when people felt most effective.
unique factors that made the high points possible.
You organisation has specialist characteristics that differentiate it from other schools, what is the most distinct characteristic of your organisation?

10. Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle
Discovery
Dream
Design
Destiny
Envisioning “What Might Be ?”
Images of the future emerge out of grounded examples from the positive past
What are the most enlivening and exciting possibilities for our organisation?

11. Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle
Discovery
Dream
Design
Destiny
A Time for Innovation
A time to create new forms, new practices and possibly new directions to live the positive core revealed in Discovery and imagined in the Dream. What are the three wishes you would like to come true in your school?

12. Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle
Discovery
Dream
Design
Destiny
Deciding “What will be?” Continuing the dialogue on “How to empower, learn, and improvise?"

13. Applying AI

14. The Art of the Question
What possibilities exist that we have not thought about yet?
What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact?
What makes my questions inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing?
What’s the biggest problem here?
Why did things go wrong?
Why do we still have those problems?

15. Designing AI Questions
Appreciative interviews involve three different types of question:
Initial questions (best of what is)
Follow-on questions (Why?)
Future questions which look for future solutions based on past experience

16. Activity I
Develop an interview protocol with an opening statement and three or four questions.
Topic: Choose an area you are interested in developing

17. Interviewing
AI is an interactive process that positively encourages everyone to become involved.
Keep an open mind
Use positive questions
Present questions as an invitation.
Ask about direct personal experience
Open questions.
Ask additional questions to prompt further response.

18. Activity 2: AI Interviews
Conduct a mini-interview with another colleague using the protocol you designed during the previous exercise.
After the mini-interview, discuss your questions with your partner such as:
What are the strengths of the questions? Did they generate a comprehensive & thought provoking response?
How could the questions be strengthened or enhanced?

19. Facilitating AI group workshops
Ground Rules
Everyone participates.
All ideas are valid.
Listen, ask and be curious.
Engage in relationship-enhancing conversations.
Observe time frames.

20. Facilitating AI Focus Groups
Introduce AI & the topic
Ice breaker exercise
Explain about AI Interviewing
Setting up small groups
Volunteers to lead and conduct interviews in each group
Reporters (write key points or themes)
Ice-breaker: In pairs or small groups, participants carry out a mini-interview, taking it in turns to ask each other about their best experiences of etc. Interview Sheet 1 on page 24 can be used for this. Each person should spend up to five minutes as the interviewer and then swap with the interviewee.

21. The role of the reporters
Ensure that Relevant Information is captured and returned to the Facilitator.
Draw all relevant Templates.
Record Provocative Propositions.
Capture memorable quotes.
Capture highlights of memorable stories.

22. Data Analysis
Bushe (1995): “We're not trying to extract themes from the data or categorize responses and add them up. We're trying to generate new theory that will have high face value to members of the organization”.
Partially analysed by participants (Proforma)
Synthesised and used to facilitate change (focus group)
The facilitator's role

23. Where to next What exactly needs to be done by whom to make it happen?
How easily could this be done within our present structures?
What benefits will it bring and in what time period?
State personal commitments and plan next steps for acting on provocative propositions

24. Implementing AI Institutionalizing change is easier when:
Stakeholders are on board
commitment to the mission;
change is seen as contributing to the organisation’s targets

25. Challenges Motivation Commitment Keeping the focus on positives
Sustaining Change
Time
Financial costs
The researcher’s position

26. Tips Involve the most active Invite, influence and involve.
Design committees and set up targets
Focus attention on the positive image and on the big picture

27. Discussion

28. Maha Shuayb maha.shuayb@sant.ox.ac.uk