What I Have Learned (so far) About Action Research

As a newcomer to the concept of action research, I have learned many new things concerning the topic. However, what I like most in regard to what I have learned about action research is that it is an excellent alternative to the less attractive model of traditional research. For anyone who has spent countless hours in a university library, thumbing through tomes of antiquated data and findings, the more current and ongoing approach of action research should also be attractive to them as well. Hopefully that does not sound like I do not value old-fashioned research, for it certainly has its uses and effectiveness. If we do not learn from the past, we are dooming ourselves to repeat those same mistakes as well. No need to reinvent the wheel. However, as a prospective educational leader in a world and time of seemingly instant changes, one hardly has time to sit around and read all day. Nor are we provided the funds to hire someone to do so for us. In addition, I am looking to learn from more recent history. I want to learn from my own history and the choices that I (we) will have recently made at my own campus. By partnering this kind of introspection with a bit of traditional research (data, applicable scholarly articles, etc.), I can develop up-to-date insights and make ongoing decisions concerning my current practices. Action research can help me see that I need to change what I am currently doing, adopt something new, or even further develop or expand upon something that really does work. In addition to using this process as a form of self-diagnostic, action research also has many other benefits and educational applications: professional development, team building, problem solving and troubleshooting, establishing consensus, and others. This is what I like and have learned so far about action research and individual inquiry.