Action Research as it Relates to Me

Action research can be a valuable tool for educators and administrators. It is a systematic approach to effecting change and improvement. Action research begins with identifying a problem or question to be answered based on studying one's own practices. Then, the researcher must collect data through various means including, but not limited to observations, surveys, and literature reviews. After the data has been collected and analyzed, the researcher takes action to make improvements based on the results learned from the data.
Personally, I can use action research in various settings. As a teacher, I can use action research to directly improve my teaching practices, which in turn, will improve student learning. As a teacher, I must consciously observe my practices to determine areas of needed improvement, and then effect the necessary changes to ensure improvement. I can also use action research as the acting department chair at my school. I can model and encourage the use of action research to engage my department members in active learning based on collaborative inquiry. As a department, the members can act as a professional learning community that seeks to improve teacher practices and student learning based on experiences, using the action research approach. As an administrator, action research can not only be used to improve one's leadership and management skills, but can also be implemented throughout the school to improve the campus as a whole through professional learning communities and leadership teams. In education, teachers and administrators are always seeking improvement, and the use of action research in various school settings can increase the rate of improvement.