What I have learned about action research:
When I first heard I was going to be taking an action research course, honestly, my stomach cringed at the thought. Flashbacks of countless hours in the library studying, researching and writing a paper which in the end was just something I put down to pass the course. However, as I've learned, Action research is a process in which administrators and teachers examine their own practices, evaluate the changes that need to be made and reflect on the progress. It asks the question "how can we do things better", which as a professional is something I ask myself after almost every lesson.
It forces open-ended questions that are concise, meaningful, and do not generally have a specific
answer. This requires
administrators and teachers to search for solutions for improvement, possible
changes that should be made, and think on a higher level. Action research encourages
communication and input from those who are directly involved as well as the
analysis and solutions from such input.
Reflection must be incorporated as a vital part of action research in
order for administrators and colleagues to continue to improve.
Action research differs from
traditional research, but if implemented correctly, it can provide endless
results for improvement and success.
So I'm going to put away the pink bottle for my stomach. I'm going to enjoy my action research course and what it can teach me!
