Image courtesy of: http://elementary-education.wikispaces.com/Action+Research
What I've Learned about Action Research:
How might educational leaders use blogs?
I believe educational leaders might use blogs as a collaborative tool to share ideas. They might reflect on practices they're using at their campus or district. Other educational leaders may use the reflections and practices of their peers to adapt and implement the practices being used to increase student achievement at their school or district.
Administrative inquiry, or action research, is the process
of identifying problems and making changes according to the problems found.
Inquiry is investigating information, posing questions, and requesting further
information. This process needs to be conducted in a systematic way. Action
research might be compared to a scientific investigation as they both require
reasoning and processing skills. This process is a continuous combination of
both thinking and questioning.
There are several steps in this process.
1)
The
first step is to pose questions. This is a reflection on current practices.
2)
Second,
there’s the collection of data to gain insight into their “wonderings”.
3)
Next,
is the analyzing of data by reading topics on their inquiries.
4)
Then,
comes making changes based on the leader’s findings of the data.
5)
Finally,
the findings and changes are shared with others.
Based on findings, it may be necessary to repeat the process
over again until the results are satisfactory. Of course, this process may be
difficult for people to understand, as people are generally opposed to change.
The thought, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” comes to mind. Administrative
inquiry may require changes of practices that are not necessarily “broken”.
Action research is different from traditional research in
that traditional research is usually conducted by outside sources, people who
are seen as having no real knowledge of what really goes on in the “trenches”. It is a process of collecting data and making
changes by the higher-ups and passing it down through the ranks. This process
might mean that old, nonproductive practices stay in use longer than necessary
because of the time required for the changes to trickle down through the chain
of command. This process is more general and less personal.
Action research on the other hand, requires self-evaluation
and reflection by the people implementing the practices. It requires a
substantial amount of time to tread through the entire process, and should be
followed up by the evaluation of any new implementations. If the collection of
data after the evaluation is not satisfactory, it may require the process to be
repeated. This process is more immediate because all the changes may take place
as soon as the appropriate questioning and data collecting is finished
appropriately. Also, this process leaves room for plans to be individually
tailored to the specific needs of districts, schools, and classrooms. Just as
in the classroom, students need to have individual needs met in order to make
them successful. This process helps make organizations more successful because
their needs are being met.
How might educational leaders use blogs?
I believe educational leaders might use blogs as a collaborative tool to share ideas. They might reflect on practices they're using at their campus or district. Other educational leaders may use the reflections and practices of their peers to adapt and implement the practices being used to increase student achievement at their school or district.
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