Friday, June 8, 2012

Action Research 5301

Action Research 5301


Why Action Research?


When I began this course, I have never heard the term “action research”.  After reading the texts, and working a little “Google magic”, I feel I have a better understanding and an educational connection to the term.  I have had an epiphany during this first week of study. I never realized that there was an entire cycle and world of research based education that was used to make decisions. I am very familiar with  Fichtman-Dana’s term “transmissive mode” (2009, p. 4).  Most of the staff development trainings I have attend the last few years have been modeled in this way; this is the way to do it,  it will increase learning, so just do it.  After research Fichtman-Dana’s book, Leading with Passion and Knowledge, I now know there is a research based world of implementing new educational strategies.  Turning educators into problem solvers, just as I teach my students, is the most beneficial to the whole. Allowing yourself to learn from others successes and mistakes, allow you to save time when implementing new programs and strategies. I am also accepting of action research because it takes less time to research others work than to try a new strategy for a year and realize it was not right for your campus. In the little research I have done to begin my own Action Research Project, I am learning that articles list new programs step by step, so I can fully understand if that would be right for my school.  Having to come up the answer is the hardest part of the action research for me.  Once the question or questions are posed, all one needs to do is seek educational articles to aid in answering the questions at hand.  The article, in hand with your research and feedback gives you enough knowledge to make an informed decision for your campus.


references
Dana, Nancy Fichtman (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as the Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

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