Adventures in
Action Research
Workshop
Action research is a continuous improvement and organizational development methodology in which members of an organization apply the scientific method to persistent problems of practice to test solutions and design system improvements. It is rooted in the work of Kurt Lewin from the 1940s and was popularized in the education field by Richard Sagor in the early 2000s.
Many educators were introduced to action research within the context of graduate level teacher or leader preparation programs. This, unfortunately, has created a
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mindset of rigorous academic expectations and compliance-oriented box-checking in the minds of many. It is a mindset that breeds fear and hesitation.
My approach to action research is a little different. I think school improvement should be fun and rooted in processes that reflect the real-world messiness that leads to true and lasting growth. In my action research online program, your team will focus on testing actionable solutions to their problems in a casual and collaborative environment. I’m not worried about the location of each comma within a citation or the specific formatting of a table of results. My focus is on teaching a replicable process that leads to new information about your school or system.
When we intentionally remove the structures and barriers provided by the graduate school experience, your team can focus on the learning and applying new knowledge with immediate effect. This program runs for eight or ten weeks, depending on your schedule. Participants will take part in six, one-hour live virtual sessions where they will be walked through the action research process with time off in between to implement their projects. They will also participate in up to two one-on-one sessions with me about their project.
Participants will receive a copy of my book, Adventures in Action Research. We will use the book throughout the program so that it can be a rich reference source for later.
Resources
Your team will have access to a customized web portal for 90 days following the training. This portal will include tutorial videos and additional resources to extend their learning.
Web Portal
This workshop is delivered online over the course of eight to ten weeks. Participants log on at regular intervals for group chats and/or individual coaching sessions.
Duration
Participants will focus on a self-selected problem of practice. They will work alone or with small groups to study their problem, test an intervention, then share the outcomes with their peers.
Activities
This program is rooted in the most current research on action research use. You can view my references list here.
Guiding Research
To give your team enough time to practice and apply action research techniques in their own settings, this program is only available in an online format.
Available Formats