What is Action Research or Administrative Inquiry?

        Administrative inquiry or action research can be simply defined as systematically examining and reflecting on data to plan change. But the inquiry and resulting plan are so much more complex. The process starts with the administrator reflecting and identifying an area of needed improvement. They then begin reading literature that pertains to the area of need and collect relevant data. Through this process the administrator learns new methods and new ideas are generated.

      At this point, the administrator creates a plan of action to address the area of needed improvement. Then they define the guidelines and methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the improvement plan. The administrator must implement the plan and continue to monitor the changes that occur, revisiting the progress regularly by using the evaluation methods. They must continue to make changes based on the evaluations and the areas of needed improvement.

      This preventative approach has been utilized since early twentieth century and is still implemented today in professional preparation programs. Benefits of conducting action research include personal growth in areas identified through self-assessment and reflection. Due to the time invested in assessment and reflection, the individual or group has a greater buy-in to the activity, making the possibility of improvement greater. Another benefit of action research includes greater campus improvement when done in teams or PLCs. The impact is greater due to the fact that they address the needs of a larger group of students and there is a larger group of staff to benefit the inquiry.