Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Action Research Background Reflection
After watching and listening to the interviews with the three scholars on action research, I realized the tremendous need for inquiry at the campus level. It is through action research that positive change, professional growth, and increased student performance will occur on a given campus. Action research does not have to be a complex process like traditional educational research. All three scholars indicated that action research on their campuses begins with a problem or area of interest. Additionally, there is a growing need for teachers to participate in action research due to the increased accountability pressures.
When choosing a topic for research, you must have a purpose and significance. Your purpose is what you will do or what you will look at. The significance is how the project will benefit others or what will follow the research. These two points are important to identify prior to choosing a topic for research otherwise the research will not have be focused.
When choosing a topic for research, you must have a purpose and significance. Your purpose is what you will do or what you will look at. The significance is how the project will benefit others or what will follow the research. These two points are important to identify prior to choosing a topic for research otherwise the research will not have be focused.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Educational Leaders and Blogs
Educational leaders can use blogs to capture their thinking during the inquiry process. Blogs serve as an online "diary" of the inquiry process an educational leader may conduct. With the instantaneous responses and accessibility of the Internet, blogs are an excellent way to reflect and gain feedback in a timely manner.
Action Research Reflection
Action research is a cyclical process that involves formulating a problem, collecting and analyzing relevant data, making necessary changes, and sharing findings with others. Administrators and teachers use action research to reflect on their instructional and leadership practices and continue growing professionally for the better of students and school. Action research takes place in the educational setting in four contexts: university coursework, superintendent/district meetings, leadership teams, and professional learning communities.
There are several benefits of conducting action research. Administrators and teachers are able to reflect on their own instructional practices, and make changes that improve classroom instruction and student learning.
Action research is different from traditional educational research. The roles of practitioners in traditional research are limited to implementing research findings of outside experts, while the role of practitioners in action research is more collaborative because they investigate their own problems and solutions. The process in traditional research is linear in that teachers and administrators are seen as technicians and the process in action research is cyclical and builds on other findings or conclusions made by the practitioners. In traditional research practitioners are not expected to pose problems or solve problems of their own, however, practitioners in action research are directly involved in formulating a problem and find solutions to make desirable changes.
As part of my professional growth and improvement, I would use action research to reflect on my own practices and make necessary changes for the better of my school and students. Whenever I come across a problem or area of particular interest, I would use action research to guide my decisions and make necessary adjustments to my instructional practices.
There are several benefits of conducting action research. Administrators and teachers are able to reflect on their own instructional practices, and make changes that improve classroom instruction and student learning.
Action research is different from traditional educational research. The roles of practitioners in traditional research are limited to implementing research findings of outside experts, while the role of practitioners in action research is more collaborative because they investigate their own problems and solutions. The process in traditional research is linear in that teachers and administrators are seen as technicians and the process in action research is cyclical and builds on other findings or conclusions made by the practitioners. In traditional research practitioners are not expected to pose problems or solve problems of their own, however, practitioners in action research are directly involved in formulating a problem and find solutions to make desirable changes.
As part of my professional growth and improvement, I would use action research to reflect on my own practices and make necessary changes for the better of my school and students. Whenever I come across a problem or area of particular interest, I would use action research to guide my decisions and make necessary adjustments to my instructional practices.
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