“Research”. The title of the course loomed ominously on the course calendar. The title does not really do much to describe what the course was going to be about. I assumed that we would be studying some educational issue and looking into its many different sources of information. I had no idea what I was really going to be getting into with this new course.
Since so little could be gleaned from the title, the course had to begin with a description of what would be studied. While research is clearly a central theme of the course, a more descriptive title might be “Administrator Inquiry”. Described by Nancy Fichtman Dana, “administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns.” (Dana, 2009, p. 2) Dr. Elvis Arterbury explains further that administrator inquiry, or action research, “…involves adding something new to what is already known about your topic. Specifically, it means going beyond the current body of literature on a given topic, perhaps to answer a question as yet unexplored by those who have come before. (Arterbury, 2010, p. 2)
Now we have a framework for understanding. Action research is not simply a regurgitation of the literature regarding a topic. While a literature review is important, it is only the beginning of true inquiry. Action research must go further and explore new data or explore existing data in new ways. Furthermore, action research involves action. It is not enough just to study a topic. The data uncovered must support taking action.
Throughout this 5301 Research course, I have explored the concept of action research. I have considered the research in a new way. No longer is research the struggle of poring over books and journals in a library and compiling their information into a single document. Instead, research has become a means toward an end rather than the end product itself. I have been encouraged to consider practices at school and areas that can be improved or built upon. I have been encouraged to explore how to make those changes and how to measure the results. Most of all, my classmates and I have been encouraged to make our leadership data driven. Changes must be supported by data and evaluated.
Fortunately, action research can be a collaborative process. My classmates and I have been instructed to create an online blog as well as communicating through the class discussion board. This has proven to be an interesting way to share learning. It is exciting to post thoughts on the internet and allow other educators to post their comments. In addition, I hope that my comments have proven useful to others. Unlike the class discussion board, peers in other sections have been able to participate and comment on the blogs. This has brought in a whole new set of viewpoints that have been interesting to explore.
Finally, I have learned new ways to consider the action research of others and evaluate is applicability to my own situation. Dana recommends five quality indicators when examining action research: context, wondering and purpose, principal research design, principal-research learning (conclusions), and implications for practice. (Dana, 2009, pp. 179-184) This last bit was actually somewhat of a shock to me. This section of the Dana text explains using these indicators in one’s own research. However, and perhaps even more importantly, it explains how to assess the quality and transferability of research to one’s own situation. This is significant and a perspective I had not considered. We educators are bombarded with a wide variety of information about improving practices. Finally, there has been discussion of a systematic method of assessing the quality of that flood of information.
So, after a five-week course during the hottest part of a Central Texas summer, I am embarking on my action research study of performance based compensation plans. While this Texas
Arterbury, Elvis. Jenkins, Steven. (2010) EDLD 5301 week 1 lecture. Beaumont , TX : Lamar University
Dana, 
