Action Research: What I Learned

Until this week, action research was a foreign concept to me. However, through the required readings, I have learned what action research is and the beginnings of how I can apply it to my professional development and life. Research, in the past, have been using references, such as the Internet, articles, journals, and/or books, to explore an idea or thought seen through the various people who conducted and wrote about their findings. Action research expands on the traditional model by looking at what others have found, applying it to the different circumstances in my professional life, and then, making new observations. There are several ways in which inquiry can be completed: university coursework, district meetings, leadership teams and professional learning communities. The major hindrance to performing action research is time. Administrator’s time is in high demand; however, it is imperative to allot the time each week to focus on inquiry. Action research has many benefits. For example, it forces principals out of isolation to work with their peers, sets a good role model for teachers and students as the Head Learner and helps “best practices flourish” (Dana, 2009) in schools. Finally, the main benefit of the action research process is improved student achievement. I look forward to participating in the action research process during this class, especially as it pertains to parental involvement.