Thoughts on Action Research

Action research, in my opinion, is a very good idea for the educational setting. Many times school districts and schools will use outside research and traditional forms of educational research when those "outside researchers" and the traditional forms may not fit best for their particular school setting. From the text Dana talks about the outside "experts" giving their take on a particular situation and what they feel would be the best fit or fix. Principals then act to ensure that the suggestions of the "outside" sources are being practiced. By using action research, it provides a sense of ownership to the administrators and teachers that are involved. My thoughts are, "who knows your students, parents, and teachers better?" Is it the collegiate researcher that devises a plan based on a blanket view of all schools and school districts? or might it be the teachers and administrators that are currently invested in the success of the school and its shareholders? Action research allows for teachers and administrators to seek out problems and issues in their own school and district and to be the ones that come up with the solution.