What have I learned and how can I use Action Research?

I have learned the following things from Action Research. First, that it is unlike any other research method. The fact that the Principal can work with his peers instead of experts from outside the profession is of immense importance for two reasons. It drives the Principal from out of his or her isolation in the school and gives her chances to interact with the readings and conversations of other “workers in the trenches” that have done what he/she has done and has changed schools as a result. The second reason why Action Research through peers helps the Principal is because the Principal gets the chance to change his/her own School.

After all, being a Principal is not just about accepting the status quo to help students, but constantly moving forward to find ways to help kids through inquiring and asking questions to make them better and helping the  School staff make sure they get there. This by the way is a point made by Mark Bracewell (2007) a veteran inquirer and administrator, who states that inquiry “must be done because you have to do it. If your kids are going to excel… you’ve got to look at what they’re doing. Where are they, where do they need to be, how do we get them there? That’s essentially what inquiry is” (Dana, 2009, pg. 15). This is how I will use Action Research, through asking my predecessors and various other “tried and true” Educators what they have done and how I can implement or improve on what was said  or written by these Educators.