Lessons Learned From Week Two Assignments

The readings for this week have opened my eyes to two important aspects of action research.  One- my "wonderings" will most likely change along the way.  Two- I need to research a topic that interests me.  It was a light-bulb moment for me when I combined these two revelations. 

I was leaning towards inquiring about the effectiveness of Saturday School. Although the topic is important for my campus, I truly wasn't interested in it.  I decided to totally change the direction of my action research topic (after reading that the topic needs to interest me).  The current topic for my action research topic is to find out how my campus can become a better, working community within the school and to investigate the benefits that will result when my campus is on the same page. 

The middle school (6th- 8th grade) campus I work in has over 1,300 students and over 55 teachers and I feel that we are disconnected.  When students bring up a teacher from other grades, it is somewhat embarrassing to say I don't know them.  And this is my 6th year to teach at this campus.  I want to find ways to connect to other teachers within the same building.

It feels like I come to work, shut my door, and do my job without having opportunities to get to know other teachers that are possibly feeling the same way.

What I Have Learned About Action Research

Action research is an in-depth, structured way of analyzing issues and solutions that affect the researcher.  In the book, Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Research, Nancy Fichtman Dana states "inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or "wonderings", collecting data to gain insight into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others" (p. 3).  This type of research allows the researcher to take ownership of the whole process from identifying the situation that needs improving to carrying out the solutions.  It is different than traditional research in the way of actually developing the plan instead of using someone else's plan.  During the process of action research, sources can be found (other articles) to help steer that action research in a certain direction but it is not the only component.  Reflection is also important aspect of this type of research.  If the researcher can put in writing how he or she feels and discuss what is working (or not working), then it is easier to process the research as a whole.  Also researchers can share their ideas with others and get feed back.  In this way, different perspectives can be given which will enhance the research.

Educational leaders can use blogs in several ways.  They can post their brainstorming ideas; they can post the actual research plan, and post the difficulties of implementing the solutions discovered by creating their action research.