Action Research and Planning

Several potential challenges come to mind when I think about action planning for an educational change.  In my fifth grade classroom at a well-established school, I might experience difficulty with data interpretation, face resistance to change by parents, as well as colleagues, and lack of time.  However, I am confident I can employ a few strategies I have learned in reading Mills (2014) to overcome obstacles and ultimately in implementing action research and change.

I have learned that data interpretation is more easily facilitated when the research design is chosen, or constructed, to help identify best practices in education and to strive for improvement, as opposed to proving a scientific point (Landrum, 2014).

This is common in schools when district administrators are seeking data in order to determine academic achievement for funding.

Why are people so resistant to change?  I believe it’s because they don’t know what the change is bringing; they’re scared of the unknown.  In the case of educational change, I can easily render this problem by providing examples of proposed outcomes.  The concept of daily collaborative writing reinforced with technology is well supported by literature review.  Additionally, parents, colleagues and administrators will be less apprehensive when they are provided with the opportunity to be involved, have adequate information and can draw connections with external sources and real world experiences (Mills, 2014).

Unfortunately, like many teacher researchers, I find the lack of time to be one of my biggest challenges (both in the classroom and in life).  In order for educational action change to be effective I must continue to be in the reflective mindset.    I truly believe in the power of reflective thinking; and in the case of the classroom - reflective teaching.  I see a strong correlation between reflective teaching and action planning and research.  Reflective teaching means looking at what you are doing in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and how it works.  Reflective teaching can often times lead to changes and improvements in our teaching.  Action research is the gathering of information within our classroom or school with the goal of gaining insight, developing reflective practices, effecting positive changes and/or improving student outcomes.  Both action research and reflective teaching enable teachers to improve their practices, while at the same time gaining knowledge and understanding of the practice itself.

Here’s to positive action planning and educational change!

References

Landrum, R. E.  (2013).  Research design for educators: Real-world connections and applications. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Mills, G. E.  (2014).  Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.