In my mind research meant going to the library, searching through endless text and hoping you found enough information to get your quota of pages written on your specific topic of research. Obviously the majority of research I had to do in school was not assisted by the Internet. Thank goodness for technological advancements!
After the assigned reading this week I have a completely different opinion of research and am very excited about this adventure. Action research/administrative inquiry is a way for administration to take a recognized problem or situation, look at the current way things are being done and research ways to improve or remedy the situation. The difference between action research and traditional research is that action research is done by the people involved in the situation. Simply stated, administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in a 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). The key difference is in the reflection of the administrators own practice. By reflecting on practice we are able to look at ourselves critically and see where the problems lie and what can be done to change these issues. Self reflection is a hard thing for educators to do sometimes. Through the "continual set of spirals consisting of reflection and action" (Elliot, 1988), we are able to reflect and then make a change that best suits our students. The process is continually repeated until we achieve our goal. As administrators participating in action research, we are stetting examples for our teachers and students as well. We are showing them that we choose to be life long learners and search for continual improvement through research, data collection and reflection. I look forward to learning this process well and leading by example through out my administrative career.
I agree that the key difference in action research compared to traditional research is reflection on the current practices. The "continuous set of spirals" also shows that we must continue to revisit issues to grow and change with new advancements and technology.
ReplyDeleteYes, while there are many differences between action research compared to traditional research, the key difference is reflection. Our professional growth and development is trivial for it is only with these that our students will flourish the most. We are to model what we want our students to do and that is to be life-long learners who are never complacent. The majority of people, especially in education, perceive change as a bad thing; however, in most cases it is a GREAT thing and in our case it is an even GREATER thing. I ALSO look forward to this process!
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