Just what is Action Research?

After having spent a great deal of time in a previous career utilizing more traditional research, I never thought the idea of "research" would be exciting to me again. But the concept of "action research" has recast the idea of research, taking it from the mere implementation of other's academic study to the development and execution of self-directed inquiry that is intended to a more select audience - you and your educational community.

Action research is focused on just that - action - on the part of the individual who will ultimately benefit the most from the efforts. Most often, this is the administrator or teachers within a school setting. These individuals begin by self-analyzing their own practices to identify an area of study that they believe can benefit from a deeper examination. These "wonderings" become the basis for a systematic review of existing data and relevant literature related to the topic.

While these first steps do involve some "action" the real action occurs when the "researchers" make changes in their own practice. Therefore, their inquiry generates genuine results that are seen locally within their own school or district. Finally, in the ultimate act of "pay it forward," the researchers share their findings with others, through local presentation or on the internet, thus making it easier for future generations of action researcher to learn from their experiences.

What I find exciting about action research is that it provides a way to focus on continuous self-reflection and improvement, while also allowing for collaboration through the sharing component. While one may be working as an individual on a specific project, with the community of other "action researchers" sharing their wonderings and findings, one is never truly alone in the process.

As I begin my own journey to what I hope will be an administrative position, I look forward to using the process of administrative inquiry, or action research, to further my own understanding of specific things within my own school community. For instance, our district has recently gone on a tremendous technological upgrade initiative, with the goal of bringing interactive learning to as many classrooms as possible. As someone who is not involved in the decision making, but who is involved in the implementation, I wonder whether these new interactive tools enhance and improve student learning, especially in the elementary classrooms. I hope to utilize the action-research process to better understand this and to hopefully have it improve my own classroom practice.

I don't doubt that action research can be a time-consuming task, but unlike traditional research that goes into some "black hole" of academia, this type of research will have a willing consumer - myself.