Action Research

Action research is a process which allows professionals who have personal experience at the school level to determine areas of weakness.   Rather than an outsider, the professionals themselves can create and implement an improvement plan.  Action research is a process in which a person or team study a situation and create questions based on what they find.  These inquiries will point out specific areas that may need improvement.  The teacher or team can then research and create different development plans that will help rectify the issues.  Throughout the plan implementation the teacher must continuously study and question the results.  They must reflect on their actions and the outcomes and adjust accordingly.

 The process of action research is more focused on the teacher or team making an impact on their skills to improve the success of the school stakeholders.  This method seems to be much more effective that the professional development that I am currently exposed to.  When I have a professional development day it is a day in which I sit at meetings and forget half of what I was told.  Action research would get me involved and I would become a facilitator of my development.  I would like to integrate more technology into my classroom.  I think that using the action research model I would be more motivated to try different ways to incorporate technology as well as become more adept in doing so.  I also feel that the concept of self reflection is very important.  With the action research model you must continuously inquire on the outcomes and how to improve them.  This is a habit that I would like to instill in myself to allow me to better myself and my teaching skills.