Common Action Research Topics in School Settings

• Staff development
An example of an action research project that deals with staff development would be to include peer teaching in with the required development that teachers partake in. By allowing veteran teachers to pass on their knowledge to newer teachers, everyone involved is furthering their career. It is said that you learn the most when you are able to teach. Therefore, veteran teachers would be able to perfect their craft, while new teachers are able to learn from their peers.
• Curriculum development
An action research project for curriculum development could involve "engaging instruction by utilizing the setting rather than using the traditional textbook" (Dana, 2009, p. 36). For example, Park Forest Elementary designed a curriculum that had the class visit the same site different times throughout the school year, and the curriculum was grade appropriate. Some activities involved collecting data, making observations, and journaling. This is an important area for schools to focus on, because in order for instruction to be meaningful, the curriculum has to be aligned and engaging.
• Individual teacher(s)
An action research project geared toward motivating and mentoring individual teachers is important. It is essential that principals hire and place new teachers, but it is almost more important to determine "what types of support helps my new teachers succeed?" (Dana, 2009, 40). With the rate of new teachers still teaching after five years at about half, it is important for the principal to mentor and assign a veteran teacher to help a novice teacher learn the ways of the school and profession. With such a high turn-over, it would be beneficial to not only help out a new teacher, but let a veteran teacher feed off of the new teacher's energy and ideas.
• Individual student(s)
Reading is one of the most important skills to learn in primary school. One principal at Anderson Elementary School wondered "what happens to struggling readers in our school after they leave intervention programs?" (Dana, 2009, p. 42). This action research project is extremely important to look into, because it is beneficial to follow students after they exit programs, to make sure they are still succeeding. When insight into why some students struggle, they the solutions that work can be implemented into the curriculum to aid future generations in succeeding. At Whitcomb, where I work, we have researched the need for individualized opportunity for intervention time that is set aside each day school wide. Last year we started Camp Whitney, a thirty minute a day time where students are pulled by all the support staff and the 911, or the students with the greatest needs, stay with their teacher for intervention. This program helped to improve scores and gave one-on-one attention to students who need it most.
• School culture/community
When a principal understands the school culture, then they can help to shape it into the culture that they prefer. In my classroom we do a morning meeting every day. One principal saw "the powerful ways Morning Meetings worked in individual classrooms", so she wanted to see if holding a school wide meeting would create a caring environment (Dana, 2009, p. 47). This is a powerful concept that could change a students' outlook on school, making it an important area to inquire about.
• Leadership
In order for a school to run smoothly, there needs to be a leader who has last call on decisions. There also need to be teachers who are willing to step up and become leaders in their grade level or curriculum. One action research project that would be beneficial for schools is how to promote teacher leadership in a school. All of the responsibilities cannot fall on one or two people. It is up to teachers to take on a leadership role, to become expert in their area, and pass on their knowledge to their fellow teachers. Without this important aspect of a school, a lot would not be accomplished.
• Management
The principal is not only the leader of the school, but the manager as well. An action research project dealing with management is important for the school to run smoothly. An example of an action research project would be determining if altering the school's daily schedule is a good idea. P.K. Yonge changed their current block schedule to go from 50 minute periods to a 100 minute classes. (Dana, 2009, p. 57). This is a good project to investigate, because student success is so important. If teachers like having more uninterrupted time with their students, then that is the model the school should have.
• School performance
Students' performance in school is one of the greatest pressures for teachers and principals. Determining "what actions faculty can take to improve reading achievement of the lowest quartile students" is a great example of a school performance action research project (Dana, 2009, p.59). This is important to research, because if the lowest quartile of students are not improving, then something needs to be changed. It is these students who determine the grade of the school, and it is important to make sure every child is capable of surviving in the real world.
• Social justice or equity issues
There are many issues involving race, class, gender, and ability that need to be explored. An example of an action research project on social justice or equity issues could be studying Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding Poverty and determining if it helps the faculty work toward breaking the cycle of poverty" (Dana, 2009, p. 63). Being economically disadvantaged is often what is sounds like: a disadvantage. These students need extra support, resources, and caring individuals to help them succeed. This is important, because all children deserve equal opportunity. Children cannot help that they are lacking money, their gender, or their race. In a perfect setting, these things would not cause children to be looked at differently.
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

How Educators May Use Blogs

Blogging has started to become an integral part of the classroom in the past few years. Educators may use blogs in the classroom to allow students to write in a journal format and then have their peers comment on those entries. Blogs may be used to document day-to-day observations for a science fair project, for analysis after a chapter in a novel, or to answer questions from a textbook. Blogs are a great medium that allow not only the teacher, but other students to view the thoughts of another student. Instant feedback has become a way of life, and students will benefit from the feedback. They can then reflect on other's comments and change their work if necessary. Students are accustomed to using technology, and using blogs is a great way to engage students in their learning. Once learning how to write in mastered in lower grades, it is important for typing to be taught in school. By getting students interested in blogging, they will not only be thinking about their assignment, they will be learning valuable technology skills that will aid them in their future endeavors. Overall, blogs are a free and easy system that educators should incorporate into their weekly assignments.

Benefits of Action Research

It is only week one, but I am already learning a lot of valuable information about action research and its benefits. Action research is about asking questions and actively searching for insight through the analyzation of data to aid in making more informed decisions. The administrator is focused on learning about and improving the educational process from within, instead of trying to control from the outside. This type of research will be used in my classroom through the analysis of teacher and student learning styles. I have always wondered if the teacher's preffered style of learning is the method that they use to teach. If this is true, then there is a percentage of students in the classroom that learn in a different manner, who are not being given the same opportunity to learn as their peers. I want to discover is this is a problem in the classroom, and a cause of some students' poor grades. If I can figure out the dynamics of a typical classroom, then teaching strategies that reach all students need to be researched and used in the classroom. Inquiry based teaching needs to include collaboration with other teachers, and this action research would allow me to have meaningful conversation with other teachers, and determine if they are having some of the same struggles that I am having. If a problem can be fixed, it makes sense to share it with others. Action research allows for this type of collaboration through posing questions and taking action.