Starting with week one, there were a number of highlights worth emphasizing upon reflection that stuck with me. First and foremost, the very concept that action research itself was a reaction and an alternative to more traditional educational research approaches. Specifically, traditional educational research has been primarily a linear activity applied by principals and teachers based on the finding of experts outside of the school environment (Dana, pg 4). This has resulted through the years in a top-down approach that often creates a professional development culture based on the rigid implementation of new foreign initiatives that fail to account for everyday events in public schools. In contrast, action research aims to reverse more traditional approaches by grounding research in the realities of local campus practice and incorporating administrators/teachers as collaborators in the research process, all of which helps to generate a bottom-up approach. As I’ve learned not only in EDLD 5301, but throughout the Lamar Academic Partnership, this type of approach fosters greater campus change because both administrators and teachers are more likely to embrace research findings based on the information they themselves have collected and interpreted.
The framework for action research also offers educational leaders a unique way of turning research practice into habit. As an aspiring administrator, I am constantly looking for ways to increase my organization, minimize my stress level, while at the same time maximize my productivity. At the heart of action research is the idea that it’s habitual, not something on a list of things to do. Dana states that engaging in inquiry becomes a natural way principals can be assured that their campuses are taking a proactive learning approach, and making action research/inquiry a part of everyday regular practice, rather than apart from it (Dana, 2009). When action research practices become everyday habit, educational leaders are capable of taking on more responsibilities, while at the same time ensuring that student learning is proactively molded by locally developed best practices.
One final thought or highlight that I took from my Lamar research class was the fact that simply sharing ideas for positive student growth with others opens a world of opportunities for change. Specifically, I’m speaking about the power of open communication. In my conversations with my site-supervisor, I found that our talks yielded far more positive ideas and direction for my action research topic than simply reading journals and various other periodicals on my own. I welcomed the experienced perspective that my site-supervisor gave. It provided me with valuable insight and helpful techniques for approaching educational problems on a campus level. This experience was a highlight for me, and its one that I hope to carry on in my journey through the Lamar Academic Partnership program for educational administration.
Reference:
Dana, Nancy Fichman (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
