Action Research

Action research is research applied in practice, or in a more literal sense, taking action after doing research. In some aspects, action research is akin to problem-solving in that after a problem (or area of improvement) is identified, research on how to solve or address this is initiated and the findings applied in practice. This is different from traditional educational research in that the practitioners themselves – and not other researchers – are involved in all the steps of the action research process. Furthermore, action research is more focused on “providing insight into an administrator's own practice in an effort to make change and improve the school” whereas other research paradigms are focused on “control, prediction, or impact” or “explaining a process or phenomenon” (Dana, 2009, page 7).  Traditional educational research, whether process-product or qualitative, is derived by persons outside of the school and limits the roles of the practitioners, administrators and teachers.  Action research is derived and conducted by administrators and teachers on their own campus.  The initial inquiry comes from within and not from an outside source that does not have a vested interest in the local outcome.  I am planning on using action research to analyze continuing situations or problems on my campus and furthermore to implement strategies to alleviate those problems and situations.