At the heart of Action Research is the idea that learning is deeply personal and that formulating new insights into one's practice involves engaging in purposeful inquiry before, during, and after the learning journey. By involving the practitioner in the research cycle, he/she is authentically engaged in the improvement of teaching and learning.
Action Research involves a cycle of planning, action, monitoring, and reflection. A variety of methods can be used to collect data to research or refine theories of practice and therefore, improve teaching and learning. Action Research can be approached individually, or collaboratively with groups of educators involved in the cycle. Through collaboration, school improvement can become both personal and yet serve as a vehicle for creating true communities of learners. Through this process schools can build both the personal and interpersonal capacity of educators as they work together to explore issues and improve practice.
Collecting both qualitative and quantitative data is important to the process. What data is collected; how data is collected; and the triangulation of data is essential to the reliability of the outcome. First attempts at collaborative Action Research often lead to improved professional discourse as the monitoring of practice becomes the focus among the group. This focus becomes professional development that is both job-embedded and results-oriented.
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