Action Research

     Action research is a commonly used practice in school settings that can be highly effective in setting goals and implementing strategies for change. The practice of action research can range from a collaborative process that involves all stakeholders in analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of an area of focus within a school district to  individuals who wish to evaluate and enhance their own effectiveness. It is a reflective process that conditions those involved to continuously assess practices and make adjustments based on current outcomes.
     Individuals, such as teachers who want to develop more effective instructional strategies, may use action research to enhance their own areas of expertise. A collaborative group may be as small as two teachers whose objective is to evaluate and improve curriculum and instruction in their content area. This level of action research is relatively straight forward and can utilize data available from the classrooms related to the study.
     District-wide action research is much more complicated. It must include representatives of all stakeholders who are committed to objectively analyzing information from their area of concern and/or expertise. The advantages of action research at the district level include building a climate of collegiality and that all involved are vested in establishing objectives that are based on data collection. The outcome of this process can result in authentic engagement among stakeholders in the district and the community. Though this process presents inherent challenges in communication and documentation due to the number of individuals involved, if care is taken by a strong facilitator, the outcomes can be very meaningful to everyone involved.