When beginning my blog, I was a little unclear as to what action research even meant. After some reading and research, I learned it was a tool that most people use, they just don't know what it is called. Action research seems to be the way for teachers and administrators to hold themselves accountable for what and how they are teaching. This is not a new theory, merely a "proper" name for what most successful teachers are doing already. As educators, we are constantly evaluating the students by checking their response to the learning opportunities in their classrooms. Knowing how to collect the information on our own is needed when trying to solve a problem.
We have all been victims of a "great idea" gone bad. I, for one, have sat through conferences, staff developments, websites, etc..., with all these amazing ideas on how to solve a particular issue. Sadly, I never seem to read the fine print that tells me I need more time, more money or more support. It can be very frustrating.
One of the greatest advantages to action research is that I am able to do it on my own. I believe that by implementing the time myself, I will become more invested in the success for my students. When I know that I am able to feed my passion, I tend to take ownership because I want it to be successful. At this point, I feel pure joy because I know that I came up with the best outcome possible.
Reflection is also a large part of action research. This is a tool that allows us to process our outcome and see if it is, in fact, the best solution. Since I would have started the research at the beginning, I will know each step along the way. Being able to reflect upon each individual step will allow me to make changes and modifications to my research so that I can have the ultimate success.
The old familiar saying, "timing is everything" really hits hard when it comes to action research. To come up with the project, implement the plan, research, and then reflect upon it, could take months if not longer. Many people just don't want to put forth the time or effort on such an ordeal. Depending on if I chose to use the project annually, I could be evaluating it and tweaking it each year for quite awhile until I was pleased with the end result.
There are always pros and cons to every situation, I just have to weigh my options and strive for the highest success for my students.
I think you said it perfectly when you said that action research is "proper" for most successful teachers. I think successful school districts have implemented this type of research as well. I can think of my old high school principal as a prime example. He led by example, and was constantly trying to implement change and reflecting on his actions for the better. He became a very successful superintendent at a very big school district in Houston at a young age. I hope that I can follow in his footsteps and make an impact like I know he has.
ReplyDeleteThis post is interesting to me. I wonder how leaders could capture the buy-in that you describe when you say you are able to do it "on my own." Would it be beneficial to introduce the concept of action research to teachers and have them develop plans of their own in groups or as individuals. It is something I will be pondering, since lack of buy-in by teachers can severely damage any initiative. Thanks for the food for thought!
ReplyDeleteI had the same thoughts on people using action research but never really knowing what it is called or that they are even using it. As educators we constantly are asking our inner self questions and how to grow. Action research just takes it to a deeper level, and a process that uses methods on how to make something better and be able to grow.
ReplyDelete