Action Research

Administrator inquiry or action research “refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry” (Dana, 2009). Harris defines inquiry as “investigating in a systematic way” (Harris, 2010).  “Inquiry is examining data, asking questions, and requesting more information” (Harris, 2010).  Action Research gives teachers and administrators the information they need in order to continue growing professionally.  I learned that “inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or wonderings, collecting data to gain insights 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” (Dana, 2009).

Action research is not based upon outside research.  It is based upon people who are involved in the design, data collection, and interpretation of data.  Elliot describes action research as a “continual set of spirals consisting of reflection and action” (Elliot, 1988). 

I learned that each spiral involves “(1) clarifying and diagnosing a practical situation that needs to be improved or a practical problem that needs to be resolved, (2) formulating action strategies for improving the situation or resolving the problem, (3) implementing the action strategies and evaluating their effectiveness, and (4) clarifying the situation, resulting in new definitions of problems or areas for improvement, and so on, to the next spiral of reflection and action (Elliot, 1988).