EDLD 5301 Week 1 – Action Research Project

During this first week of class, I have learned a great deal about action research. Before enrolling in EDLD 5301, I did not know there was a difference between traditional educational research and action research; I thought they were both the same. As stated by Nancy Fichtman Dana in the book "Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher" (2009), the biggest difference between both is that action research focuses on the concerns of practitioners; “not outside researchers” ( p.5). This is exactly what makes action research so much better than traditional research; it is relevant to the person conducting it! In so many research projects that I have conducted in the past, I lacked motivation during my participation in them. Why? Because I could not relate to them. Therefore, I was not interested in them. By engaging in action research, the practitioner chooses a topic or problem, comes up with a question he/she would like an answer to, and conducts his/her research based on the chosen question. This is far more interesting than doing research on a topic that was given because it is something the practitioner really wants to learn more about. Also, action research provides more room for professional growth. By engaging in action research, the practitioner must look at himself/herself, and analyze and reflect on his/her work. By doing so, the practitioner is able to make improvements that will make him/her a better and more knowledgeable leader in the end. This is exactly how I plan to use action research. I recently graduated, so I plan on using action research during my first year of teaching to periodically analyze and reflect on my teaching. By doing so, I will continue to move forward on my teaching abilities and I will grow to become a better educator. If all research were conducted as action research, stronger leaders that are aware and confident of what they can offer would be seen in campuses all over.

Reference

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.