Action Research Learnings

        After reading the required readings for the week, I learned an abundance about action research. Before reading, I did not realize there were different types of research, but after reading, I found the most valuable type of research within a school is action research. Action research is research that is taking place within the school, not research that has been done outside the school system and then being implemented within the school. Action research is implemented by a principal and focuses on providing vision into each of their practices in an effort to change or improve the classroom. Action research consists of several different steps. According to Dana in Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, the steps include “posing questions or ‘wonderings,’ collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others” (Dana, 2009, p.9). These steps are crucial and continual within a principal’s career if he/she is pursuing growth as all principals should in order to be a successful leader. Action research is not just growth for the principal, but also growth for the students and teachers; therefore, most likely, they are also included in the action research. After reflecting on this week’s reading, reflection seems to be the most important aspect of action research. This stage allows for principals to help determine best practices that will allow the school to flourish, allows the principals to become role models for teachers showing that they too are concerned with growth and change within themselves, as well as, the school, and lastly, allows principals a chance to share with other administrators their findings and learn of different action research projects from other administrators. Once I become an administrator, I know with time, beliefs, teaching methods, and strategies will change within the school. Through action research, I will be able to determine what is best for our students’ success as this is the reason teachers and I choose our career.
        Principals today have hectic daily schedules within the school, so blogging creates an easy way that principals can collaborate and share their findings of action research that occurred at their school, as well as, a place to reflect and learn of other action research topics and there outcomes that occurred within other schools.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action
        researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.