Action research...What is it? Who does it? Why is it useful? The way I see it is as a hands-on, personal quest for a solution to a problem specific an administrator, their campus, a classroom, or any of the stakeholders engaged in the school's life may have at any given time. In essence, it is about slaying the dragons that are holding others back - be it teachers, parents, students, achievement, or even ourselves as leaders.
The action research process begins with a question, moves on to information collecting and fact finding, proceeds to data analysis of the facts discovered, and then requires a change in the current practice based on these findings. Of course, when all is said and done, we must ensure that the final step is taken to share the information with the others involved in the situation and gather feedback in order to reflect on what has taken place.
Leaders who take on this type of action research play a more active role in the inquiry process and this ownership of the question brings with it a passion that allows for more probable implementation of the found solutions. It also incorporates instinctual collaboration, relationship building, and peer support to get to the bottom of a problem in order to come out on top of it - creating a meaningful and effective change to occur.
No comments:
Post a Comment