Action
research is about practitioners (in this case, principals) striving to understand
and to improve their practice.
Action
research proceeds through a process of planning, action and reflection upon
action. This can be thought of as an action-reflection cycle.
Action
research involves the gathering of evidence about practice.
Action
research involves practitioners trying to see the effects of planned change in
their practice.
Action
research strives to be systematic and rigorous.
Analysis
and knowledge formation in action research belong to the practitioner.
Principals
use action research because they want to change their practices or those of the
school. The principal may be concerned that things might not be going as he/she
wishes, or he/she may simply need to implement a new initiative but is unsure
how to do it effectively. Action research provides the opportunity for
reflection and action. The aim of the action researcher is to bring about
development in his or her practice by analyzing existing practice and
identifying elements for change. The process is founded on the gathering of
evidence on which to make informed rather than intuitive judgments and
decisions. One important aspect of
action research is that the process enhances the practitioner’s professional
development through the fostering of their capability as professional knowledge
makers, rather than simply as professional knowledge users.
