Action Research is a term that was new to me when I began this endeavor. The idea of performing research was not new, but adding the term “Action” introduced an entirely new concept to the idea.
The term “research” is defined by Webster as “3: the collecting of information about a particular subject”, which is how I always viewed research. However, adding the word “action” to make the complete term “action research” carries with it the presumption that now something must be done with the information collected.
Now the term Action Research has come to mean much more. Action Research means collecting information about a particular subject, developing new ideas to address a given situation, and finally implementing a new course of action based of that research.
Action Research should be a major component of what a school administrator does on a routine basis. It should underlie every major decision made by a school, or district, with a focus on using the information to solve a problem or improve the educational processes provided to stakeholders. We have moved away from simply purchasing a new curriculum to improve content, or firing up the teachers with a motivational speaker to temporarily improve instruction. We are now entering a time where the new buzz words are continuous improvement. Action Research is a key component to continuous improvement.
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