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When looking at action research and the stages and steps that embody it, we can draw comparisons to not only traditional research functionality, but also skills and tactics that, as educators, we utilize daily, maybe just in different ways. As educators, we are always or should always be looking at what is working and what isn’t as it pertains to the educational environment we create and the learners it’s created for. In many ways, that is the essence of what action research encompasses for educators. “Action research is just the process of making improvements and then looking at what happens once you make those improvements to ensure that you are creating the best learning environment for your students.”(Thompson, 2023, 00:53). As professional educators, reflection is a major aspect of our continued professional development. When we reflect, we can take a step back and get a full outlook of what our objectives are, what’s happening, and what changes might or need to be made. Being able to reflect allows us to hold ourselves to a professional standard and maintain accountability for the responsibility we have to our development and the educational well-being of our learners. Because of these variables, action research provides educators with a great opportunity to not only reflect, but to engineer beneficial professional development skills that are backed up by actual research and not just on how the educators think or feel. “Action research allows educators to identify issues as they pertain to them as professional educators, and then provides a system to investigate those issues and come up with successful solutions”. (Mertler, 2023, 02:02) As a military instructor, another way I utilize reflection towards professional development is peer and subordinate feedback. Getting reflections from others’ perspectives ensures that your desired results encompass the needs of all and not just a few.

References

Mertler, C. (2023). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators. Video Resources | Online Resources. https://edge.sagepub.com/mertler6e1/student-resources/chapter-1/video-resources

Thompson, K. (2023). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators. Video Resources | Online Resources. https://edge.sagepub.com/mertler6e1/student-resources/chapter-1/video-resources