Action Research

Action research is an effective problem solving model that promotes inquiry and creative thinking.  It is a method that is used regularly in the educational setting, but most people do not know the technical term associated with this practice.  Action research basically means that someone finds an issue that they would like to explore further.  They ask a key question about the issue and then research the possible answers to the question.  For example, a group of teachers and myself are in the process of developing a Positive Behavior Support plan for our campus.  This will be a new initiative.  We will determine which times of day the students seem to misbehave more frequently and in which areas of the campus this occurs.  We will also explore the use of incentives as a way of positively encouraging appropriate behavior on campus and on the buses.  We will use the data from our research to determine the best course of action to prevent these behavior issues and encourage appropriate behavior.  The information we collect will enable us to create an effective school wide Positive Behavior Support system.  In this way, action research is a very effective tool for determining problems and finding solutions to those problems.