Action Research

Action Research in education is a process for examining data and practices to improve schools. Teachers and administrators work together to examine data and reflect on instructional practices. Through their research, educators inform their decisions and tailor change to best benefit their own districts, campuses, or classrooms. I have participated in action research on my campus through examining AEIS report and PBMAS data. By looking at trends in this data, we have targeted specific areas for professional growth and instructional changes. Also, through examining campus walk-through and appraisal data with other campus administrators, we made decisions for instructional strategies we wanted teachers to implement and changes we would make in our walk-through procedures.

Action research is a valuable tool since it is specific to the organization. By looking at our own data and reflecting on our own practices, we can better determine what changes will best benefit our students. The reflective practices that come through working together to conduct action research can also help teachers and administrators grow as professionals. When we look at ourselves and the results of our work, we see areas for improvement and continued growth.

I plan to include action research as part of my superintendent internship plan. I will ask my superintendent if there is a specific project she would like me to complete for the district. If there is nothing specific she requests, I would like to include a research project on the state of technology integration in our district.