Action Research: What I Learned and How I Might Be Able To Use It

Action research is a systematic process that allows you to try different ways of doing things  until you find something that really works for your organization. Action research can be looked at as a professional development tool, since it enhances the capacity of teachers as a generator of professional knowledge in contrast to enhancing their capacity to apply someone else’s knowledge. Action research is an influential tool for school and classroom investigation. It is a means of remedying problems in a specific situations or improving a given set of circumstances. It is also a means of in-service training by equipping the teachers with new skills and methods, sharpening analytical powers and heightening self-awareness. Action research allows professional educators to grow and gain confidence in their work. It also influences thinking skills, projects a sense of efficacy, creates a willingness to share and communicate, and improves attitudes toward the process of change.  Through action research, educators learn about themselves, their staff, their colleagues, and can determine ways to continually improve. Action research strengthens communication.  Team work within the school or district brings individuals together for a shared purpose.  Educators involved in action research become more flexible in their thinking and more open to new idea.