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Data is the cornerstone of action research and may take many forms such as interview notes, documentation of observations, video and audio recordings, photographs, drawings, graphs, charts, curriculum documents, meeting records, policy documents, and so on. For those engaged in action research in classrooms, one of the most commonly utilized forms of research data is the artwork made by students. From this work, a great deal may be learned about the artistic capabilities of students and their learning (or lack of it). All forms of data produced by research subjects may be regarded as artifacts. For the purpose of this chapter, we will focus on the value a specific class of artifact data known as the portfolio. Strategies for gathering and managing both traditional and electronic portfolios, data analysis, and interpretation of those data, as well as procedures for judging the quality of portfolios, will be discussed in the chapter.

DOI: 10.1057/9781137046635_7

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