Education That Inspires

Evidence & Student Voice

The Lighting of a Fire: Action Research In Practice

"The Lighting of a Fire" (2026) is a published action-research dossier documenting the transition of students from passive recipients of content to active creators of knowledge.

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Abstract

This action research demonstrates the extraordinary development possible even within a short time frame when student-centered and liberatory education is combined with holistic, humanistic mentorship outside of institutional assumptions regarding standardization of teaching and learning.

Snapshot

6 Students

Action-Research Cohort

Snapshot

14-18

Age Range

Snapshot

50%

ESL Representation

Snapshot

4 Long-Term, 2 New

Program Duration Mix

Student Reflections

What Students Reported

"Analyzing sources and weaving them into essays was a massively important step in my advancement from student to researcher."

Tommy, 14

"I learned how to research, fact check, and speak my truth confidently, creating claims that are passionate as well as evidence-based."

Jaiah, 18

"In one day at ETI, I learned more than I had in years at other schools."

Kian, 16

"The program has a really nice balance between classic AP studies and modern technology, including the world of AI."

Josh, 18

"The process tested and grew my critical thinking, debate skills, teamwork, and organization."

Walden, 17

"ETI taught me to think beyond the surface by questioning rhetoric, purpose, and evidence."

Aiden, 16

Research Strands

Student Inquiry Topics

  • Truth in the age of AI and social media literacy
  • Connectivist models and alternatives to conventional schooling
  • Critical thinking and parental mediation in AI-heavy media environments
  • Authoritarianism, resistance, and political ethics in Indonesia

Dialogue Evidence

Seminar Process In Student Language

  • Student dialogue, January 2026: The in-between space is where everything happens. That is where we think, have conversations, and create the foundation.
  • Student dialogue, January 2026: If anything, I should think through the full picture first, then choose the phrase.
  • Mentor-family dialogue, December 2025: Science, for me, is not a matter of content. It is a matter of method.

Source Base

Derived from: The Lighting of a Fire action research dossier and linked ETI dialogue transcripts in the Teleodynamic Education archive (Dec 2025 - Jan 2026).

For instructional design structure drawn from Teleodynamic History modules, see the Teaching Materials page.