Action Research

      Action Research is a type of research used in some schools which allows teachers and principals to use their knowledge and expertise to help come up with solutions to problems inside their own schools instead of using 'outside research'. Based on the information I have read in the text Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichman Dana; action research differs from traditional educational research, which uses research done by outsiders who are not familiar to the classroom, relies on research from within the school. This allows both teachers and principals to play a part in the problems which are affecting their schools.

      Not all students are the same; cultures play a part in each student’s learning. Whereas, schools whose primary student population is African-American, Asian, or low-income versus high-income population are going to have different sets of problems. Therefore, the research used to solve those problems should not all be the same. Traditional Educational Research takes all students and learning styles throws them in a sack, and shakes it all up; then they pull research based on an expert from an outside source which outsiders feel will ‘best’ solve the ‘biggest’ problem they pulled from the sack. Not the most efficient way for Principals, teachers and administrators to resolve the issues in their individual schools.