One of my favorite assignments in high school English was the research paper. I loved gathering information on a person, place, thing, or event and organizing my thoughts on note cards. I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I received an "A" on my finished paper filled with facts. I have come to learn that even though those high school papers required a lot of time and work, they really didn't scratch the surface of what research can really involve.
I first learned of action research in 2005 while completing a Masters in Elementary Education from Texas A&M Commerce. It was then that I learned that research is not just about compiling facts into a well written paper. Research is about investigating, collecting data, asking questions, thinking, processing, and putting your findings into practice. Action research is just that, taking action for improvement.
Action research in the educational sense is taking an in-depth look at an issue as it relates to school achievement. Action research is a systematic way of looking at an issue from the point of view of college professor or outside party and doing qualitative or interpretative studies to improve the educational setting. The action researcher actually becomes a part of the research process by involving themselves in the study of the "outsider."
As a teacher, there are so many concerns that we have for our school and our students. These concerns include textbook, resources, attendance, testing scores, drop out rates, and much more. Action research can help educational leaders make improvements in these areas based on school data and previously done research.
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