Reflections on what I have learned about Action Research

From my study of what Action Research is, I have learned a great deal. Action Research, also known as Administrative Inquiry, is in effect a systematic approach to improving practices for educational excellence. I think that this approach is very interesting in that the readings indicate research suggests that this is a practice of excellent leaders. It also indicates that the expert administrator will engage in this type of study to improve not only the school, but also the administrator’s skills as a school leader. I think the most interesting facet of this type of research is that it emphasizes the practitioner being engaged in the research. In a sense, it provides for a custom solution for problems that have circumstances unique to the individual school. I think that this is a great idea because when the practitioner is engaged in finding the solution, you tend to have a higher rate of buy in. From my experience, people like to be a part of the process of building and shaping policy and practice. The other forms of research and professional development tend to take “outside” research and attempt to apply it to schools. I think that many administrators feel “push-back” from teachers when they feel that a “one size fits all” solution is being applied to a very unique situation. It is also common in my experience that teachers see this “outside” research solutions as the “flavor of the month” policy. I think it is vital in developing a sense of community in schools to have a system like this in place to help shape policy and improve practices.