What I have learned about action research.

The week one assignment focused on defining and understanding action research.  Action research is a systematic examination of a principal’s tactics and daily activities.  Once the examination is complete, it involves implementing a plan for positive change based on the findings of the initial inquiry/research.  This process can be extremely helpful to the administrative since it gives constant feedback and evaluation at a local level.

Action research can come in many forms.  Some of those forms include university coursework, superintendent and district meetings, leadership teams and professional learning communities.  The first two forms happen outside the principal’s school building.  University coursework involves university study like we are partaking in right now and allows for the relationships that are developed in the interactive process of educational evaluation.  Superintendent and district meetings can be very productive forms of action research where the administrators come together periodically with the focus of group action research based on current issues within their schools. 

The final two forms of action research happen at the campus level.  Leadership teams are a common occurrence in schools today.  The most often consist of a group of classroom teachers and an administrator who meet regularly and evaluate daily issues and assess ways to resolve these topics.  It is a good way to have regular feedback from teachers to administrators and to quickly resolve issues on your campus.  Professional learning communities are larger than leadership teams and are more focused on developing instructional strategies within the staff.

All of these forms of action research will be applicable to me both now and as an administrator.  Some of them are already being done on my campus and are a daily part of our activities.  I am currently doing the university form with Lamar.  Part of my internship plan is to begin to observe the administrative meetings within my district so that I can see action research at that level and learn from it.  Our campus already uses both PLC’s and leadership teams to help gain a consensus decision on most topics.