Action Research

Action Research is usually done in a school setting. It is usually a collaborative effort that is centered on problem solving. In many cases it is used to brainstorm methods to solve current issues in the school setting. Action Research is also  a reflective practice where professionals in the field test new methodologies to solve real-time problems. The problems examined in action research are problems that are identified as those issues that we can control in or educational settings. An example would be a group of faculty addressing a discipline problem in a school and progressively taking different steps to achieve the desired outcome. The staff would engage in posing questions on a topic, such as classroom management. Teachers would collect data on their practices and the practices of others and make decisions for improvements based on that data, in an ongoing process. Action Research has become a main stay in schools today. Teachers and Administrators are not sitting back and letting scores decline. Many professionals are collaborating and using Action Research to glean best practices and improve their schools. Many schools are taking Action Research into their professional learning communities and collaborating instructional strategies as well as management strategies to enhance their classroom environments. Action Research is changing the school climates for the better.