Action Research is something that sounds intimidating to many, but is
really no more than a structured framework to use to examine the results of
changes in practices and/or programs. It is important to structure this work so
that the desired success measures can be thought about and planned for in
advance of the beginning work. It is this important planning step that frequently
makes the difference in an educator simply "trying something new"
versus a true action research endeavor. Many teacher teams and professional
learning communities do action research without realizing it, but many do not
plan the outcome measurement in advance, therefore never being able to clearly
identify how changes may or may not have made a difference.
Choosing something to
study involves first learning what has been done in the field in the prior work
of others, then thinking about how that work may apply in one's actual setting
(classroom or campus) given the people, resources, and history available. Then
a course of action is chosen, while attempting to control variables as
possible, and methods of measuring effect(s) must be determined and planned
for. These measures may be highly quantitative in nature, such as assessment
scores, or highly qualitative in nature such as interviews. Many outcomes lie
somewhere between these absolutes with elements of both present. Once the
change or new endeavor begins, data is gathered according to the plan.
Examining these data should either give some indication about the effectiveness
of the change, or it could lead to further questions that can drive changes to
the plan for the action research project to continue.
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