MTDS Glossary
Action Research
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“a quest for knowledge about how to improve”
- Ferrance, 2000, p. 2 When teachers engage in action research, they begin by asking themselves questions about their practice and impact on students,. They imagine their ideal state or vision for themselves and their students. It is a self-reflective inquiry into their work with the goal of changing and improving their practice.
Teachers gather information within the context of their environment in order to identify an area of improvement or change they would like to make. They plan for the implementation of new strategies and methods of measuring their progress and observe themselves throughout the implementation, reflecting on progress and gathering evidence to support findings. The teacher then reflects on the process and makes revisions for the future. The process repeats over and over through cycles of self-assessment and adjustments to practice based on new understanding gained from the action research process. The process includes planning, taking action, observing, reflective, and then planning again. |
*Image Credit: McNiff & Whitehead, 2006
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