Action research involves the voices of the people who work on a day to day basis within the school building, and who understand better the educational experiences for all members of the schoolhouse--from the administration, to the teachers, to the students, assistants, janitorial staff, etc. Action research provides a more realistic, hands-on approach to investigating problems, facilitating change, and implementing problem-solving strategies for areas campuses may need improvement in, or where conflict resolution may need to be reached.
Benefits are that, as teachers and administrators, we have the opportunity to gain empowerment to take ownership of learning, by actively participating in the decision-making and learning process of the learning experience for students. It also has the ability to empower teachers to share results of their action research with teachers, students, parents, and other administrators. Sharing the process and results encourages the informal process of learning communities where colleagues learn from each other. It helps to motivate teachers to continue improving their teaching practice.
Through the process of action research, teachers are able to take a well-grounded stance on the learning that is taking place in the classroom. Steps in action research include identifying a classroom learning problem, developing and implementing an action research plan, collecting and analyzing data, and evaluating and sharing results (Calhoun, 1994; Sagor, 2000). This process takes time to develop, implement, and complete and requires support at several implementation levels.
The action research process also improves instruction and student learning because it is defined as learner-centered leadership.
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