Action Research Reflection

What have I learned about action research?

Action Research simply put is research in action or should I say re-searching, again and again, for the appropriate action plan. I have learned that an action plan is a process conducted by administrators that continuously gathers data, evaluates information,

Who should use action research?

Administrators, teachers doing coursework for principal ship, district leaders, and superintendents should consider using action research to improve their educational setting (Dana, 2009). Action research should be supported by administration and teachers (Ringler, 2007). If an infrastructure exists for the research, it will be more successful in implementation.

What are some areas of action inquiry as an administrator?

Staff development, curriculum development, and building relationships are some areas that have administrators questioning or wondering what the best strategy is for their campus (Dana, 2009). Finally, I understand more of the interwoven responsibilities of a principal. I will first use this information to be a better teacher. With enlightenment comes responsibility.

My principal has been developing PLCs at our school for approximately three years now. She bought us a book to review as a department and campus called It’s Being Done by Karin Chenoweth. This book covers how schools with low passing scores raised their scores to passing. She requested that we discuss in our staff meetings and we each would have set times to present what we liked about the program.

She would then lead us into inquiring about how we should address our areas of concerns for the state test. How do we meet the needs of the students? What did the data say? What subgroups were low? Was AYP being met consistently? Then we would brainstorm as departments on what we could do to improve score, then as a campus. Now I know this is inquiry-based professional learning communities to complete action research for the betterment of our campus.

How will I be able to use action research?

I will use action research to contribute to my school’s “shared vision” (Harris, Edmonson, & Combs, 2010). The wonderings that have “nagged” (Dana, 2009) me are more daunting today after being exposed to this information. I have always been the type of person to find solutions to my problems. Now action research can give me a systematic method of evaluating issues, researching literature, collecting data, and forming solutions.

References

Dana, N.F. (2009). Administrator inquiry defined. In C.C. Collins, B.
Ory, & J. Haenel (Eds.), Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. (pp. 1-27). Thousand Oaks, CA: A SAGE Company.

Ringler, M.C. (2007). Action research an effective instructional leadership skill for future public school leaders. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 4(1), 27-42.