Action research is not a sedentary approach where the participants merely sit and listen; it is a truly active participation that is formulating a solution to a given problem (Dana, 2009). Action research forms living documents that evolve and grow with input from active members of the committee. The pattern of reflection and action is repeated several times thus resulting in a clear understanding of what needs improvement and what progression to take (Dana, 2009). Clear indicators of the achieved goal are created by shareholders. This allows members of an action research team to properly evaluate the outcomes and further reflect on possible improvements. It is this cycle of collaboration that empowers members of the team and provides them with the tools to address a common issue. All too often, we as educators are given the latest fad and encouraged to plug it into our classrooms. This does not always work due to limitations that include program creators that are unfamiliar with district staff or community demographics. Action research breaks the mold and allows active and reactive changes to a plan through inquiry and feedback. The textbook went on to address PLCs within the education system. I have been a member of a freshmen PLC on a traditional high school campus. From my experience, I have seen the power of action research as employed by a collaborative committee. Our PLC team tracked student attendance and weekly scores on core subject test. Our goal was to understand attendance trends and how they affected scores, and then formulate a possible solution. PLCs are powerful tools that refocus on a desired result by evaluation all aspects of a situation. Members of a PLC are driven by continued improvements or identifiable problems. It is up to the team to continue nurturing the plan and taking necessary action. This is totally different from an outside expert that has good intentions but very little working knowledge of all the intricacies of each district’s makeup. It is our reflective actions that help elicit desired reactions and outcomes.
References
Dana, N. (2009). Leading With Passion And Knowledge, The Principal as Action Researcher. (p. 4-9). (ISBN 978-1-4129-6705-1)
I am in agreement that action research involves participants that are active and engaged. One aspect you mentioned is that action research is a living document indicating that it is a ongoing process and not out dated literature or information that does not address the issue. It is true that schools fall prey to many action plans that sound good but have little to no affect. In most every case this is not found out until the desired results are not meet. Finding sound ways to improve in any area need a more thorough approach than applying a new theory every year or two.
ReplyDeleteIn searching for ways to improve our schools and better serve our students is best done through a action research with those involved which gives relevant, current and accurate data to be that particular districts needs.