Functionality of Action Research

Why should what I have done for the last ten years be reflected upon?  Why should I look at how students are performing on tests or lining up for the buses after school?  Action research projects are the answer to these questions for the simple reason that it potentially improves the process, program or practice that is currently in place.  In today's ever-changing school environment, it takes a significant amount of effort to keep pace.  From the changing of state assessments to the collapse of the traditional family, educational practices have to be reviewed and improved upon frequently to remain successful.  Demands are always being increased from a state or federal standpoint and those legislators seem to always want the educational arena to do more with less.  Action research projects allow the local school or district to assess campus needs and address the issues they see as crucial or pertinent in an appropriate manner.  The individual or team responsible for the project collects necessary data and monitors the effectiveness of the changes that have been imposed.  The local aspect of the project allows for constant tweaking if necessary to bring about the desired results.  

To date, I have learned that the process of action research attempts to clear the muddy waters.  It prompts the professional to reflect on previous thoughts or efforts and allows for creating, revamping or dumping previous practices in order that they might become more effective.  Action research projects create a better buy-in from  responsible educators due to the fact that they are the ones designing and implementing the changes.  Those educators, if they are worth their weight, want to design a program or improve on a process that will make their efforts worthwhile and lead to student success, which should always be the long-term goal of any school related endeavor.

I will be able to utilize action research in my current school setting to analyze my classroom expectations, to reinforce key concepts and address learning gaps in our math curriculum and implement a character development curriculum that actually addresses the needs of the students with whom I work.  I need to reflect on how I perceive the effectiveness of my classroom rules and expectations.  Do I enforce them?  Are they realistic?  Do I need to add or delete to bring about more effective results in my efforts to manage my classroom?  In regards to the math gaps, I will need to look at previous state assessment results, current placement test results, benchmark results and current unit test scores to address noticeable areas of deficiency.  From that data collection, I will have to devise a plan to offer remediation in the noted areas and have a way to monitor improvements.  Finally, I desire to implement a truly meaningful character development curriculum that addresses real-life issues in today's world and is not a skim the surface "just act right" farce.

I am looking forward to going through the action research process to see how well I can reflect, design and implement my desired practices.  I look forward to posting in the near future about getting from where I am to where I want to be in regards to my above listed action research options.