Action Research

I have to admit, I did a lot of moaning and groaning when I realized my next class was “Research.”  Research has never been a favorite activity of mine and it has been many years since I attempted a research paper. I have always viewed research as somewhat boring.  Taking the time to put the research on paper seemed unproductive to me since after the paper was turned in that was “all she wrote."  Thank goodness, after reading what an action research is I feel pretty relieved and excited.  It is very different from the traditional research paper.  Actually, an action research, also known as action inquiry, is just the opposite of what I knew about research in that it is so engaging and truly productive.  As an educational leader who wouldn’t want to find an answer to a curiosity or problem you have in your school?  Action research allows you to address a topic that is interesting and relevant to you, making the topic much more personable, valuable, and exciting.  While searching for answers during an action research you will find that it creates opportunities for teacher input and participation which goes a long way to accomplish teacher buy in.  Action inquiry broadens into collaboration and leads to individual growth while at the same time creating change and/or school improvement.

I learned that action research is instrumental in providing relevant and meaningful professional development.  I am impressed at how well this kind of research drives professional development compared to traditional professional development.  The professional development experienced during action research makes so much more sense.  Sadly, I can't count the many workshops I have attended and never used.  Oh, my intentions were good.  I usually left thinking I can't wait to use this in my classroom, but when I returned to school all I thought I had learned went right out the window.  I truly believe if I would have participated in defining an issue to study,  researching, collaborating with others about the topic, and sharing results, which is what you do in action research,  I would have definitely put it to good use.  With action research you are so involved and have so much invested that there's no way you would not use what you learn to make improvements, change, or remain confident in what you are doing that is already working.  I have also discovered that reflection is a vital part of action research because it leads to thoughts building upon each other and deeper understanding which then leads to more discoveries that you may or may not have anticipated.  The reality is that action research extends far beyond just turning in a research paper. 

Now that I understand what action research is through reading Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Dana, I look forward to putting this knowledge into my own action research.   Reading in the upper grades, especially fourth grade, at our elementary has been a concern for a couple of years.  Last year my school implemented Read 180 in hopes of helping those struggling the most with reading.  I am wondering what impact Read 180 is having on these particular students.  Is their reading ability actually improving?  Going into our second year I am curious to see how last year's growth compares to this year's for students who remained in the program, how new students growth compares to last year's new students, and how these students STAAR scores from last year will compare to this year's.  Something else I find intriguing about action research is that it opens the door of possibilities to discover things about my subject that I hadn’t thought of.  I look forward to a very engaging experience with my action research and am eager to learn and share the knowledge I gain. I am so glad that action research extends far beyond just turning in the commonly known research paper.