Saturday, July 10, 2010

What Have I Learned About Action Research?

     Forget about stuffy old research consisting of control groups and confusing statistics, action research happens right where the ACTION is. Also known as inquiry, action research begins with a question. Something that makes you say, “HMMM.” It’s the first step for educators to take in order to make improvements on campus. It’s all about taking time to observe, reflect, learn, collaborate, experiment, and analyze.

     Dana (2009) explained that, “Inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or ‘wonderings,’ collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others” (pp. 2-3).

     Action research can be used as part of a graduate course, a district meeting, the campus leadership team, and professional learning communities (Dana, 2009). It can become part of our existing activities to make the time spent more valuable and effective. For example, instead of sending a small group of teachers to a workshop outside the district, the principal could ask the group to pose a question and systematically apply action research to find a solution within their classrooms. Experimentation and reflection provides hands-on learning and leads to more effective practices. Inquiry allows us to wonder, reflect, learn, and change.



Reference


Dana, N. (2009) Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

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