A cooperative inquiry into action learning and praxis development in a community nursing module

As nurse lecturers we investigated practice development and action learning approaches aimed at enabling postreg-istration bachelor’s- and master’s-level nursing students (Community Health Studies, Nursing in the Home) to advance practice in the context of policy and professional developments. A patchwork text was used to assess sum-matively what students achieved (practice change/development) and how this was informed critically, via an extended epistemology. First-person inquiry supplemented by cooperative inquiry postcourse completion (includ-ing reflective discussions with 16 students and 16 practice mentors) were used to assist coresearcher constructions of meaning. A relational, tripartite approach to learning and assessment (students’, teachers’, and practice mentors’ collective contributions) depends on continuing reflective attention. Action learning enhances interrelation of experi-ence with dialectic thinking. The patchwork text functions to promote creative writing, evaluative thinking, and praxis development. Role modeling by all, being genuine and not just “talking ” genuine, is challenging yet crucial if people are to function as mutual resources for learning