Action Research Conference Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jack Whitehead

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Professional Overview and Accomplishments
Dr. Jack Whitehead, a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath, after having worked in the Education Department there for 36 years, has agreed to play a role in the development of the EdD at Liverpool Hope University, with a specific brief to mentor and support doctoral supervisors as a Professor at Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK.

Dr. Whitehead has established an outstanding reputation as a PhD supervisor. In the last 14 years he has supervised 26 doctoral students to successful completion – making him the most effective supervisor in the Education Faculty. A significant gift of Jack’s is his ability to support doctoral students in pursuing research inquiries of the kind, ‘How do I improve what I am doing?’ They are encouraged to engage in a process of developing themselves as knowledge creators in ways that directly improve and enhance their professional practice; and to extend and understand the educational influence they have in their own learning, in the learning of others, and in the learning of the wider social contexts in which they live and work.

This approach enables doctoral students to make a significant contribution to the development of a knowledge base that sees values and relationships as central to the education process, and to examine in depth what represents ‘truth’ and ‘evidence’ when justifying the validity of their claims to knowledge generation within their professional worlds. Dr. Whitehead continues to research these issues himself; and in doing so, can play an invaluable role in helping to develop the Ed D program at Liverpool Hope University.

Jack has devoted his life to the democratization of learning, fairness, justice and epistemologies that enable people to realize their talents and gifts.

Publications
Dr. Whitehead has written numerous publications on the subject of Action Research including: