Action research, in many ways, seems so far in the realm of common sense that to think of it as something the educational community had to come to slowly is difficult. As a history major and political science minor my collegiate days were spent elbows deep in research attempting to not only retell a story or research an issue, but bring to it something new, inventive, and fresh. using research of what exists to create that which does not yet exist is one of the great joys I find in academia and I am thankful that its place in the educational setting seems secure. Allowing teachers and administrators to actively seek out a body of knowledge, then applying that to their own unique situation to resolve an issue in their own community, attack a problem or promote an endeavor is the incredible value of action research. It should be alive in all that we do as educators and administrators. I know, in fact I am sure that even before it had a name, great teachers and administrators were already using this technique everyday. To see what is out their in the world, harness it for the good of our students and staff and create something new that directly aligns with our goals for our campus is what action research is all about. That is the value, and I know it is common and should continue to be so.
In describing how administrators can use actiona research, numerous areas of need come to mind: ways to engage various subgroups into more meaningful academic discourse, improving test scores, creating staff loyalty, enhacing community buy-in, improving visions, increasing communication, and an unlimited number of other issues and administrator concerns all scream for the benefit of action research.
Well said, Maggie. I, too, believe that the best have always been using "action research" in order to achieve great things in their classrooms and schools. I think that often people are reticent to embrace research (of any kind) and all of the power that it holds because they are afraid. The core of the learning can so easily get lost in the perceived "rules." I specifically remember an undergrad class that I had in literary criticism---the professor had us so fearful of making an MLA mistake that the pure joy of learning about our selected topic was covered by a black cloud that could storm ruin on the GPA at any moment. This was in the time when there were no word processors --Smith Coronas with correction tape is what all of us used. I often think back and cannot believe that I formatted paper after paper that way!
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