Action Research - Collaborate and Validate!

Action Research - 

collaborate and validate!

 

Administrative inquiry or action research is a way for the principal to become the “head learner” of the school.  The principal studies his/her own leadership strategies and uses the introspective observations to make a plan of action for improving the school.  It provides the opportunity for the administration to be directly involved in identifying the needs of the students, teachers and administration and determine the best way to improve skills, techniques and strategies that will benefit the students.  Through this process, administrators and teachers learn more about themselves and their choices.  Therefore, they can evaluate and validate what is truly a “best practice” to use at their school. 

Traditional educational research is done by "experts" outside the school who may not be familiar with normal, everyday life in your school. Action Research is people at the school doing research about the school.  They identify the needs and then collaborate to determine the best way to address the issues they have identified.  Essentially, the administrators and teachers become the "experts" through inquiry and research of issues they are dealing with at their school.  


The term research does not refer to book learnin'.  Instead, this type of research is done in the school with the students and staff to address the questions about the areas that require improvement.