"If history repeats itself and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience."
George Bernard Shaw
I believe action research is the ability to empower educational administrators to learn from their experience. It is a unique research model that deviates from traditional research models and instead allows educators to use inquiry and investigation to study their own body of work. Traditional models used research and solution based techniques that implied that every situation is created equally and that solutions imposed would always be successful. The methodology usually began with a problem that assigned blame and looked for a solution from outside of the school. This theory might look great on paper but might not be great in practice. Rather than forcing "top down" strategies from experts in educational research, action research values differences in schools, education systems, students, teachers and communities. Action research makes the stakeholders the experts in the school and demands that the investigation begin from within. This type of research model creates evidence of the idea that administrators should lead by example as a lifelong learner. To me, action research is an invaluable approach to education administration in schools today.
As I read The Principal as Action Research by Nancy Dana, I could not help but think of my own experience as a teacher with various administrative leaders during my career. I could quickly delineate between principals who have used action research versus traditional methods. It has been those leaders who have used administrative inquiry practice that have inspired the type of leader I hope to someday be. As I read I could easily recognize the steps of action research through their use of inquiry, collaboration, supportive data, action, change and reflection. I truly believe that action research is the only way a school can truly achieve proactive changes to benefit a majority of stakeholders and promote a school and district vision.
