Friday, July 16, 2010

Action Research: Then and Now


Research has always proven to be a negative topic to me because I think back to all of the “research” papers I had to write. This involved looking through books and articles online to find something that could help me write the paper. After reading Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, I realized that I was not referring to action research. Action research is finding the areas that need improvement, actively finding data to gain insights, analyzing the data, and making changes based on the new findings. This is a constant process because once you have made the changes you are now reflecting on the implementation and this always leads to more inquiry and improvement.

I believe that it is important to use action research as a teacher, as a principal, but also in every facet of our lives. We should constantly be asking questions and digging into the areas that are weak, find ways to improve them, and then reflect on what we have done. In my professional life it is important now as a grade level chair to use action research with my grade level in our weekly meetings. This can be a great way to collaborate and improve together as teachers. As a principal, action research needs to be something that is scheduled into the hectic pace in order to make continuous improvements and to reflect upon them as well.

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