Action Research

When they signed me up for this course all I could think about was the amount of time and work I would have to do. I was pleasurably surprised to find that the research in this class came from me, an inquiry of my choosing. In this course, I enjoyed learning concrete steps to take to conduct an action research project. With the help of the readings from the Dana text (2009), videos, site supervisor’s suggestions and the discussion board interactions, I was able to focus my plan and begin my journey of action research. I learned that action research is a professional development approach for administrators to deliberately study, gain insight, collect data and analyze best practices in order to implement changes and take action to benefit their school community. The key concepts of inquiry research that make it so valuable are it is practical and it has immediate application. Another great thing about action research is that you get to pick the topic to suit your needs and interests. Each district and school has their own requirements, so those that live in that environment have a grasp on what needs to be reflected upon. Initially, the process starts with to discover what “wondering” or “inquiry” you would like to pursue. The first step in this process is to “Wonderings materialize at the nexuses of the real-world observations, dilemmas, felt difficulties, and passions that you develop in your work as an administrator.” (Dana, 2009, pg. 30) These wonderings can be in one of nine categories: staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, individual students, school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice.
The tools and resources provided in this course will be useful in implementing my Action Research plan. My new understanding and knowledge will guide me as I follow through with my current plan in hopes to improve student achievement on my campus. I also found the comments on the discussion board to be very helpful.