As you probably have noticed, my title is Inquiry, aka Action Research. Dana refers to Action Research simply as Inquiry (Dana, N.F. 2009, p. 6). Practitioners including myself, have difficulty relating to the word research because of the images we remember from past experiences with traditional research. Action Research brings a new light to research, especially in the field of education. In thr educational setting inquiry comes from within the school, and is based on questions and concerns of school practitioners. Action Research allows us to work together in order to “create a compelling vision that takes people to a new place, and to translate that vision into action(Harris, S., Edmundson, S., & Combs, J., 2010, p.3). Being successful in the process of Action Research requires the skill of reflection which leads to deeper thinking and the ability to adjust acordingly(Martin, G., E., Wright, W. F., Danzig, A. B., Flanary, R. A.,& Brown F., 2005, p. 104). The process of reflection and taking action can be time consuming. As practitioners we need to consider the importance of our inquiry and be able to create a balance in our busy schedules in order to complete the research.
Learning about Action Research has opened my eyes to all of the possibilities for inquiry on my campus. I will be able to utilize it during my internship as I collaborate with a team of interns to restructure our Saturday School Program. There will be multiple opportunities for me to investigate other issues as they arise and also to reflect on myself as an administrator.
Resources
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action
researcher, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin and London, UK: SAGE Ltd.
Harris, S., Edmundson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our
schools: 8 steps from analysis to action, Larchmont,NY: Eye on Education.
Martin, G. E., Wright, W. F., Danzig, A. B., Flanary, R. A., & Brown, F. (2005).
School leader internship: Developing, monitoring, and evaluating your
leadership experience, Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
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