Action Research

I have come to learn that action research has been being used for quite sometime. It hails from the scientific community, particularly the social sciences. In the educational world, it was first widely used by professors to study needed changes within education practices and to guide their decisions in making policy for school administrators and teachers. It was then used by teachers to help adjust their teaching methods to better serve students. Now it is being advocated to principals for use as a form of reflection when practicing self improvement. Principals also use action research to personalize solutions to problems encountered in their jobs as leaders.

Action research follows the format of identifying a problem or simply wanting to see if change is needed. Posing a question starts the process. After a question has been generated, research and data collection are done to help find a solution or make a plan of action. The plan of action is implemented and monitored to track outcomes. If the need for adjustment is realized, there is the posing of a new question to address the new findings. The plan is revised and re-implemented. This process of questioning, data collection, implementation, and reflection is repeated in a spiral until an acceptable solution is found. The spiral format lends itself to constant scrutiny and always leaves room for the attainment of new knowledge.

I would use action research as a means of improving my teaching methods. I believe it would also be beneficial to address as yet unidentified campus-related problems. My first project will be either a look at the benefits of using social networks in the school or how using social networks will improve student's ethical use of the internet.