This paper explores how co-teaching and co-design enrich graduate Action Research education, fostering inclusive, participatory, and ethically grounded learning spaces. Drawing from three years of co-facilitation and collaborative co-design, we examine how methodologies such as Self-in-Field and Participatory Action Research create dynamic, student-centered pedagogies that prioritize emergence, collective knowledge generation, and reflexivity. Using a meta-action research analysis, we critically reflect on the evolving nature of facilitation, classroom collaboration, and adaptive teaching strategies that support both students and educators. This paper also considers how work-life integration in academia intersects with co-designed learning environments, emphasizing the role of flexibility and care in sustaining inclusive educational spaces. By centering innovative, student-driven methodologies, this work contributes to broader discussions on how co-teaching and co-design can transform graduate learning spaces, equipping scholars with the tools to navigate complexity through shared agency and ethical practice.
AndersonG. L.Herr, K. (2015). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
2.
BarkleyE. F.MajorC. H.CrossK. P. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.
3.
BergB. L.LuneH. (2012). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Pearson.
4.
CestouL. P.ReyesA.SanmiguelE. R.HuberT. (2019). Creating a culture of critical consciousness and interpreting intercultural competence in educators. In HuberT.O’MearaJ. G. (Eds.), Teacher education at the edge: Expanding access & exploring frontiers International education inquiries: People, places, and perspectives of education 2030 (premiere vol.). Information Age Publishing.
5.
ChecklandP.PoulterJ. (2010). Soft systems methodology. In ReynoldsM.HolwellS. (Eds.), Systems approaches to managing change: A practical guide (pp. 191–242). Springer.
6.
CoelhoM. L. (2017). Transformative learning through music: Case studies from Brazil. International Journal of Music Education, 35(1), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761416667464
7.
FriedmanV. J.SykesI. (2012). Self-in-field action research: Understanding the personal and professional in practitioner research. Palgrave Macmillan.
8.
FriedmanV. J.SimonovichJ.BitarN.SykesI.Abboud-ArmaliO.ArieliD.Tannous-HaddadL.RothmanJ.ShdemaI.DarM.Desivilya SynaH. (2020). Self-in-Field action research in natural spaces of encounter: Inclusion, learning, and organizational change. International Review of Qualitative Research, 13(2), 247–264. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940844720934369
9.
FriereP (1970) (Submitted for publication). Pedogogy of the Oppressed. Herder and Herder.
10.
GayG. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.
11.
HenriksenD.RichardsonC.MehtaR. (2017). Design thinking: A creative approach to educational problems of practice. Thinking skills and creativity, 26, 142, in In: MertlerC. A. () “Action research as teacher inquiry: A viable strategy for resolving problems of practice,” Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation: Vol. 26 , Article 19, p2.
12.
HuberT. (2002). Quality learning experiences (QLEs) for ALL students. Caddo Gap Press.
13.
HuberT. (2011). Culture clips and captions. In WarringD. F. (Ed.), Understanding and applying human relations and multicultural education: Teaching∼learning in a global society (7th ed., pp. 55–62). Diversity Plus.
14.
HuberT.SanmiguelE. R.CestouL. P.HernandezM. (2018). Preparing globally competent educators through critically engaging in service-learning. In MeidlT. D.DowellM. S. (Eds.), Service-learning initiatives in teacher education programs (pp. 480–502). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-4041-0.ch026
15.
KurlandHet al. (2015) (In press). A Participatory Self-in-Field Inquiry Method. The SAGE Handbook of participatory research and inquiry, 608–620.
16.
LyonG. E. (1999). Where i’m from: Where poems come from. Absey & Company.
MertlerC. A. (2021). Action research as teacher inquiry: A viable strategy for resolving problems of practice. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 26. Article 19, P2. Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol26/iss1/19
Ortiz AragónA.Giles MacedoJ. C. (2015). Radical epistemology as caffeine for social change. In BradburyH. (Ed.), The Sage handbook of action research (3rd ed., pp. 681–690). Sage Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473921290.n71
21.
PipherM. (2006). Writing to change the world. Riverhead Books.
Scott-VilliersP. (2021). Reflexivity and reflection in action research: ‘to locate, again, a through line to the future. In GrootJ.KarlssonT. (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry (2, pp. 220–233). Sage Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529769432
24.
StringerE. T.Ortiz AragónA. (2021). Action research Fifth edition. Sage.
25.
WallersteinN.AuerbachE. (2004). Problem-posing at work: Popular educator’s guide. Grass Roots Press.
