Learning About Action Research

This blog entry is part of an assignment for week 1, EDLD 5301: Research, Lamar University.

According to the Dana text, administrative inquiry or action research is the process of a school administrator or teacher engaging in systematic and intentional study of one’s own practice, then taking action for change based on what is learned. (2009) It is interesting that in this text, we see similarities between the concepts of "formative assessment" and "action research". Action research, used in this context, allows an educator to take time during the school year, reflect upon action taken, and devise a plan to either improve those actions, or determine which actions might be better to pursue. Action research differs from traditional research in that it includes the contextual “voice” of the people being studied. Traditional research is driven more by qualitative or quantitative analysis that is written by university researchers for an academic audience. Action research highlights the role practitioners play as knowledge generators. By the educator having the opportunity to conduct the research of their own techniques or students’ performance, they have ownership of what actions to take next. In traditional research, educators are given the results and told how to proceed. Action research empowers them to want to implement their own findings and see their own findings improve classroom achievement.

Educators can use blogs to help them organize the findings after reflecting upon various practices. Educators owe it to themselves to continuously reflect upon the activities they and their teachers are engaging in. By blogging the results of the reflection, the educator not only produces an online “diary” in which to record reflective thoughts, but also potentially provides that information to fellow educators who may be facing the same challenges. Ultimately, a blog can serve as a repository for ideas and techniques that the educator can revisit over time to remind themselves of how they created a certain plan, or how they accomplished a certain task.

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