Action research is a newer type of inquiry that leads a
principal to find problems by asking questions and then searching for solutions
to these problems. The problems can be
discovered through coursework, leadership meetings, campus teams, or personal
learning communities. The problems may
be school specific, district specific, or general to education. The problems at one school or district are
different from other schools or districts.
Different from traditional types of research, action research incorporates
information obtained from people in the classrooms and at the schools. The foundation of action-research is that
teachers and principals use introspection to identify problems and “wonderings,”
which leads them to make better choices and decisions. I have found a greater respect for my administrators
after reading the Dana text, because I never really thought of them as daily ‘firefighters”
looking for solutions to problems on a constant basis. The picture painted in the reading describes
a principal in constant distress throughout the day. When I think of the principals as a
firefighter, I see more clearly for the need to reflect on a daily, if not at
least weekly, basis. It is important for
the administrators to emphasize the need for staff members to reflect as well,
because teachers should think about what they are doing and then try to do it
better. After all, we ask are students
to go home and reflect (study) on the days lesson and see where they can
improve.
Dave,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you blogged all principals and superintendents should use blogs to disseminate information to the local community and other professional leaders because that information is being sought, and most parents aren't aware that it's out there waiting to be found. A lot of that could be due to the lack of efficient communication between some schools and their stakeholders.
By using action research we are aligning our inquiries with those of our students. They do it on a constant basis, maybe not as aggressively as we should be doing it, but they do. My principals and AP's have always seemed like firefighters to me, constantly putting out small fires, but that may be due to our campus having more fires to put out.
Keep up the great blogging Dave.
Chris Delmas