This class has been a great way for me to rethink how research is done and how to create an effective research project. In the past I have done many research projects, primarily for classes and school projects, but none of them have been an action research project, not that I even knew what that was until this class. In past projects I have used research papers to simply restate items that have already been made. After taking this class I realize my mistakes and how to create a more affective, and original papers. I have, in the past, had a tendency to simply “rehash” material and realize now that that is a lazy and pretty ineffective way to create an original research paper. I do not believe that action research is the only way to create a research paper, but I do believe for the career path that I am pursuing at the moment, that most of my research projects will, or at least should be, action research based.
Administrative inquire or “The process of a principal engaging is systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry.” (Dana, p.2, 2009) is a great example of one of the things that I have been able to bring from this class. This reflective way of creating research project and research in general made me look at research projects in a different light. As I stated, I have only really done research projects for classes and not for personal gain or insight, so the idea of using a research project for our own personal journey and gain is a new way for me to look at future projects. No longer will I look at topics and think, “How can I translate this project into a successful classroom project”, but “How can I professionally and personally benefit from this project as well as others around me.” This turnaround of thinking about research is something that I feel will have an effect on me professionally and personally for a long time to come.
Another area that I found very interesting and have not thought about before that was brought up in our class and the Dana text was how we could share the information from our action research projects. Since I work in IT I try to take pride in being abreast in technology, but in some ways I feel very “old school”, especially in presenting research work. I am not really sure why this is, I read and use blogs and digital media almost exclusively, and become annoyed if I cannot get digital copies of items, but it never occurred to me to post findings of my personal research projects online for others to use, question, build off of, or critique. This kind of collaborative work is the way of the future, it allows individuals and groups from around the world to work, collaborate, and brainstorm, it is time that I join in the collaboration.
The final item that I took from this class is the different though processes involved in gathering information and influencing groups with an action research project such as the Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method, and Nominal Group Technique (Harris, 2010). Each are areas in which I feel I can use in the future to either gain approval, Force Field, or determine areas that need to be researched or addressed, Delphi or Nominal Group. While I have not needed any of these techniques professionally in the past I feel that I will be in many situations in the future that I will be able to utilize these techniques.
I was not sure what to think of a class that was simply focused on research, but I have been pleasantly surprised, having learned a great deal from the class that I will be able to use for not only the remainder of by professional career, but beyond.
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading With Passion And Knowledge The Principal As Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
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