What I've Learned on Action Research

Today, I started my 6th class in my Educational Technology Leadership Master's program, EDLD 5301 Research, which is a course on action research. I have learned a great deal on action research from the required readings this week. Typically, when most people think of educational research, one word pops into their head: boring! I must admit, I have that same tendency. It brought back memories of my college days and all the educational research we were required to learn about. In fact, while I was reading Nancy Fictman Dana's book on action research, I could definitely relate to her description of traditional educational research. Principals are not expected to be problem solvers but are to refer to outside experts to solve their schools' problems. The outside experts are almost always university researchers who don't have a clue about what goes on inside the school on a daily basis (Dana, 2009). I have found more times than not that most theories sound good on paper, but generally don't work in the classroom. That's why I was intrigued by the action research method which is also known as practitioner inquiry. It focuses on the concerns of the principal or teachers (not outside researchers) and engages them in the process. Basically, they question a practice and reflect on it. They then collect data to gain insight into their inquiry, analyze the data and read relevant literature about it, make changes in the practice based on the new understanding during the inquiry, and share their findings with others. By engaging them in the process and allowing them to come up with solutions to the problem, they will buy in to the changes that need to be made. The focus is on student achievement and how improvements can be made to the school as a whole. It supports reflection and provides opportunities for peer collaboration. As a teacher, I can definitely use action research to help make me a better teacher, thereby increasing student achievement. As a technology leader, I can use action research to help teachers incorporate technology into the curriculum, provide meaningful professional development on using technology, and provide teachers with ideas on how to use technology to individualize instruction.

Dana, N. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge the principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.