What is Action Research and how will I use it?

Action research in the education setting is a process used to assess areas of need and acquire and reflect on knowledge.  Anybody can conduct action research to improve students’ education, from superintendents, principals, to classroom teachers.   The bottom line is that it requires cooperative learning and cooperation, therefore, involving all stakeholders.  Action research is a valuable tool used to focus inquiry and efforts on a specific topic.  It is a systematic way of thinking that results in revelations about what is working and what needs to be changed and how.  Action research is a cycle of learning.  First the researcher analyzes which situation or area of their educational environment they wish to further study.  They develop an open-ended question with which to focus on their action research and begin to create a plan of action with which to improve the status of the issue at hand.  The data of results is continuously assessed to observe patterns and modify as needed to reach the desired goals.  Action research is much different from traditional education research because as I previously stated, it involves stakeholders and is focused on the particular campus and/or district’s needs and is not a one-size-fits-all.  Action research is tailored to what the researcher wants to focus on based on their needs so it becomes much more interactive, meaningful, and purposeful.  As an aspiring administrator, I have a gallimaufry of questions, doubts, and curiosities about the profession that I can respond through action research.  I want to obtain my degree in Education Administration having cleared all my major inquiries to be ready to address all the new knowledge, skills, and challenges that I will face in the real world of education administration.  Action research will help me address the issues I want to know more about and how to handle them if I am confronted by them in the future.   For instance, to me, student and teacher motivation are a crucial factor to improve student achievement.  I plan to conduct an action research plan based on student motivation to address, evaluate, and reflect on what motivates students to desire and work towards success.  This action research will help me to develop my next action research plan which would be based on teacher motivation.