WEEK1 ACTION RESEARCH AND USES

I have learned through my assigned readings on action research that the benefits of action research, allow administrators to build a community within and around a school that lead to more efficient and better leadership practices and a more stimulating, positive, and productive learning environment for faculty, staff, and students within the school setting.   For instance, research from Bracewell, in 2008 demonstrates better practices can be investigated and effectively utilized in a school setting such as the new-implemented inclusion model and how it affected regular education students and ESE students alike.  It also provided an opportunity to break isolation between teachers, by allowing them to co-teach and utilize one another’s expertise in the classroom setting.

Based on the current research, the benefits, applications in educational settings, and the positive outcomes associated with action research, it far outweighs the traditional approaches of research in the school setting and provide a much more effective and enriching experience for principals to work with all constituents involved in solving the problems that exist in a school, while forming a long-term systematic and collaborative approach to finding solutions to better ensure the success of all of the students in a school district or school;  and ultimately allows administrators to become “head learners” and proactive versus reactive, working with all parties involved in making a school function at its highest potential day-to-day.

I think I can use action research to do these very things. Right now, our school district is using it in the PLC's among teachers teaching different disciplines and in some ways in the leadership and technology committees.  Furthermore, other ways of using action research in my internship and profession would be to: get more involved in administrative implementation of action research in our school and school district, revising administrator and building leadership meetings to include some of the examples outlined in the readings, that involve reflection and collaboration of one's administrative practices, and to involve all constituents in solving some of the issues that our school district and school are focusing on in the days ahead.