DUNMORE, Pa. — A book edited by Patricia Hinchey, professor of education at Penn State Worthington Scranton, has received a national professional award. "A Critical Action Research Reader" has been named a 2017 Outstanding Book by the Society of Professors of Education.
It is Hinchey’s second book on the topic of action research — a process educators and community members use to improve conditions in their classrooms and communities.
“What makes action research critical, is a focus on social justice," said Hinchey.
“I’m gratified to receive this award because of the three or four years I worked to bring together not only seminal pieces on the topic, but a wide range of original work from practitioners, university colleagues, and community leaders," she added. "I had already written a primer on the topic, and I was convinced that what the field needed next was one work that offered examples of the various schools of research in the field. I couldn’t be happier to have this endorsement for the text.”
Hinchey has been at Penn State Worthington Scranton since 1992 and has authored several books on education, including "Finding Freedom in the Classroom: A Practical Introduction to Critical Theory"; "Becoming a Critical Educator: Defining a Classroom Identity"; "Designing a Critical Pedagogy"; "Student Rights: A Handbook"; "Action Research: A Primer"; and with Isabel Kimmel, "The Graduate Grind: A Critical Look at Graduate Education."
She also co-edited a highly publicized book assessing the recent quality of think-tank research, "Think Tank Research Quality: Lessons for Policy Makers, the Media and the Public."
The Society of Professors of Education, which will host an award ceremony at its annual meeting in San Antonio on April 29, has been in existence since 1902. Its purpose is to provide a forum for addressing issues facing the discipline and vocation of education.