WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ACTION RESEARCH & HOW I PLAN TO USE IT

The first week of EDLD 5301 Research has been very informative. We dove straight into the topic of action research. We began the week by discussing how administrators are under constant stress with the busy demands that accompany the leadership involved in directing a school. We then learned about administrative inquiry which is one of the tools available to principals to help them improve their practice, also known as action research. The tool involves using a systematic approach to collecting and analyzing data to solve a problem. Administrative inquiry allows the principal himself to work collaboratively with those who hold a vested interest in improving the school. As data about a particular problem is collected, the principal and his inquiry team are able to implement new action plans to solve the problem, observe the changes and then make decisions based on all observations. Administrative inquiry allows a principal to take the actual time needed in making valuable decisions to help the campus. As stated by Dana, “Administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry” (Dana, 2009, p. 2).

As a member of the technology team in my district, I plan to implement the action research tool. Throughout the year, many new technology tools are purchased and I would like to investigate whether or not the district is making purchases that are the best decisions for the students and teachers to improve learning. When administrators or action researches participate directly in solving their own problems, the entire staff will be able to see that the leader is concerned with making the best decisions and improvements to the school. According to Dana (2009), “Transforming the profession is really the capstone of the principal inquiry story” (p. 2).

References

Dana, N. (2009). Administrator Inquiry Defined. Leading With Passion and

     Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher (p. 7-10). Thousand

     Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.