Action Research

Being a science teacher, I am very familiar with “inquiry” labs. We do inquiry labs to allow students to investigate and discover science concepts on their own. It allows students to learn new concepts and determine where they want or need to go. Administrative inquiry or action research is very similar to this. It allows a campus leader to reflect on their self as a way to lead the school. As Dana stated, “administrators can use it to gain deeper insights into their practice as administrators and their leadership role in school improvement efforts.” To gain deeper insight, administrators will gather and analyze data and then work collaboratively with the staff to make change for the school. It is a way of looking at data to gain insight to determine a plan of action and sharing it with others. Sharing with others means working collaboratively with the staff to not only determine a plan of action but also to put the plan into action. Administrative inquiry allows self-reflection that gives the principal ownership. It also allows teachers to have ownership as well.

As a future administrator, I will use action research to allow me to develop a vision for my school. It will allow me to work collaboratively with my staff to make sure all the students in my school succeed.

Fitchman Dana, N. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.