When this course began, I was unsure of what the term action research meant. I had heard of it but that was about it. I was not sure how it differed from other types of academic research. In just a few short days I have learned that action research is performed by administration and involves investigating issues or practices with an ultimate goal of changing those issues to better the teaching and learning at the school. Administrators first think about a topic, gthen begin collecting and analyzing data, and develop a plan of action for needed change. After this is done, the leader will then share the results with peers. I also learned that action research allows personal professional development and allows the campus leader to become the "head learner" at his/her campus. (Dana, 2009, P.12)
Something else I have learned about action research is using team collaboration to gather information and to research problems in specific areas. Teams work together to discuss ways to solve problems. We practice team collaboration at my school. My team meets at least once a month to discuss topics that the "team leader", principals, and other team leaders have proposed. We gather imput from our teams and then all team leaders meet again with the principal to solve problems.
Action research is a beneficial way of research in educational systems. For many years, schools have just done what all other schools across the country have done instead of researching solutions to their own problems. Certain ways of doing things are not always the best wys for everyone. All schools have their own set of problems and issues and should work together to solve them with ways that will work for them.
How might educational leaders use blogs:
A blog can be an important asset for a leader involved in action research. A blog allows leaders to reflect on information that they have collected as well as explore information that others may have contributed to the blog. By blogging, a leader is able to explore and develop ideas and also reflect back on information gathered previously. Nancy Dana says "reflecting on practice to become more intentional about what principals do is the foundation of engagement in action research." (Dana, 2009, P. 150)
