My Thoughts on Action Research

Action research can be a valuable tool for all educators.  It is basically how we all learn.  We inquire! As humans, we are naturally inquisitive.  I have told my students many times, when you follow the scientific method, you are following the natural learning process.  I believe that action research is much like that.  It is a process of  inquiry about an educational topic that leads to knowledge and benefits for the entire school.  In an action research project, you investigate in a systematic way, much like a scientist in a lab.  The administrator then takes action based on his findings.  Most of the time this leads to more questions that demand another action research project.  In this way the administrator becomes a lifelong learner, and the school reaps the benefits of the knowledge gained.

The principal also becomes a role model for his teachers.  I would hope that the department heads of the school would follow the Principal's lead, and pursue action research as a tool to become lifelong learners as well.  This would greatly enhance the achievement of the school, and promote ownership in the learning process.  The action research project also causes the administrator to slow down and take a look at what is really going on in the school.  With the daily grind being what it is, this inquiry helps the principal look into the working of and issues of his school.  He normally runs through his day putting out fires of one sort or another.  The action inquiry helps him find answers to questions that he might have otherwise put off until another time, or help him to develop new programs that would benefit the achievement of his school. 

I believe that I can use an action research plan to help improve the technology at our school.  I plan to compare the achievement of surrounding schools that have laptops in the classrooms for student use, with ours that does not.  We don't have any computers in our classroom available for student use.  My district has computer labs, that are shared by all classes in the school.  I also plan to use action research in the future to analyze curriculum plans that are being used at our school, the discipline since returning to the use of ISS, and the benefits of morning tutorials versus those after school.