Reflection upon Action Research

My previous entry explained why action research has emerged as a favorable paradigm of research studies and why reflection for an administrator is vital in professional development. As I continually reflect upon the benefits of action research, I'm trying to establish a routine I could exercise in action research once I become an educational technology leader. According to Dana (2009), there are nine different "areas of passion" from where you can construct your action research topic: staff development, curriculum development, individual teacher(s), individual student(s), school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice or equity issues (p.30). These areas help me categorize my topics. 


I watched an interview with an elementary school principal on action research. What I learned from his interview was the necessity to research a topic of interest so that you can actively read on the topic daily. That way the readings can be applied and the wheel not invented.  I also watched an interview with a director of research of an independent school district. What I learned from his interview is that all faculty, not just administrators, should be capable of conducting their own action research to obtain the data that they seek instead of waiting for that data. Both interviews clearly distinguished for me action research using qualitative data and quantitative data. Neither research topic was more significant than the other, therefore, I am encouraged to develop topics using both types of data.


Ideally, I would use my faculty to help me address the nine areas. We would regularly confer for reflection purposes and I would ensure a balance of topics using qualitative and quantitative data.