ACTION RESEARCH

In order for schools and districts to keep up with the ever changing world, everyone from the superintendent down must constantly be asking reflective questions and searching for new and better ways to do things, and this requires ACTION RESEARCH.  Action Research starts with an introspective look at how things are going and posing a question.  For a principal it would mean looking at the decisions he or she has made and seeing what worked and what did not.  Once an area of concern arises, the principal must look for solutions by studying data like test scores or talking to teachers or students about ways to solve the problem.  He could talk to others in his position and see what worked for them or conduct research related to the problem.  Once he has a solution in place he would evaluate to see if the solution was working like it should, and the process continues from here, posing questions and actively searching for answers.  If a principal or leader only researches and makes changes based on the finding of others, he is falling back into the traditional research methods that were discussed in the book.   ACTION RESEARCH continues in somewhat of a spiral so that the school environment is always changing and becoming better.

ACTION RESEARCH is a great way for any teacher or leader to stay current and not become satisfied with mediocrity.  It is a way to ensure professional growth in myself and in those that teach and work around me.  As we all grow as professionals and as we seek answers through action research, our classrooms and school environment will improve, thus, the support for this type of reflective research.  I look forward to learning about and using this type of inquiry as I become an educational leader.