Action Research

Action research is a one of those terms that will be tossed around in education circles. But, because of the time involved in properly participating in action research, few educators truly participate in it or fully understand the depth of it. I did not fully understand the steps involved in action research and because of that I missed out on how beneficial it could be to my classroom and campus. Choosing a topic from your campus or classroom to further study holds such great value because it can involve and directly impact my students' achievement. I also like the fact that action research is so flexible in that it can be done in many contexts. I have included a PLC in my study because there are a few of us that attended the Marzano workshop and after we teach it on our campus in August we will hopefully pick up a few more people. I think we will provide each other with valuable input and be able to act as a sounding board for each other. Action research takes time, but for professionals that want to improve themselves, their students' achievements, or any other campus cultural issue, it is a valuable tool for the teacher and administration. As I go through the steps of refining my topic, researching, formulating action plans and reflecting on the results I know I will learn many new things. Action research will be a valuable tool in my toolbox.