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As a teacher, I am a researcher. I research myself, and my methods, as well as the learners, and their output, in my room (not for public consumption but my own edification). Wow, that sounded clinical; and it is. Reflection is merely the vehicle that allows for understanding and improvement. I would call this an action research approach. In the chapter, Getting to Grips with Perspectives and Models in the book, Action Research in Education by Mary McAteer (2013) it was discussed how the method of action research is a cyclical entity that always loops back to the redefinition of the question, and moving into a new phase of the research. McAteer goes on to describe this in an educational setting by saying, “that action research has a very specific purpose, ‘enabling professionals to understand their practice better, and use that enhanced understanding in order to effect changes in practice’” (2013, Pg. 3).
At the end of the day we all want to improve. I do not believe that there is an educator in my building that believes they have it all figured out, and that nothing that needs to change in his/her practice. We are always doing research on our methods: in every lunch room discussion of a lesson, every talk in a department meeting, every interaction with students, and the environment of the school (one could call this a literature review, but I digress). We see faults in ourselves and our practices, not because we are self-deprecating, but we want to improve the learning of our students. It is futile to believe that we do not reflect, so why not give ourselves the credit that we are engaging in research.
Action research steps are as follows (McAteer, 2013, Pg 7):
- Plan: I make my lesson.
- Act: I do it in the classroom.
- Observe: be aware as to how the message is being received, understood and acted on.
- Reflect: think of how it went and then readapt for the next lesson.
And the cycle goes on.
I would argue that we are not doing that research for each lesson but in-lesson as well. We have all started with a planned activity and observed that it is not effective for a variety of reasons. We, as professionals, will then reflect and re-plan, on the fly, to take the class (researched and readers), and/or learners individually, where they need to go. That reflection and pre-planning may be for only a few students in the room as the rest are doing fine. Therefore, you start to realize that each class is a mini-research project and each individual is its own plan.
So if we go into the steps laid out above, we can see that the natural flow of learning, and being, is represented in action research. It is the process of life. For example, I make a plan as to how I am going to replace the radiator in my truck. I order the parts and act on replacing the parts. I observe how the process is going, while I am experiencing the unforeseen issues of hose connections and worn bolts. I reflect on the process once finished and make a better plan for the next time I have to replace a part in my truck (check hose connections and for stripped bolts). I have learned how to better do that action. Therefore, I will assert, that life, no matter the situation, is action research.
In short we are all researchers in our professions and personal practice. That is not clinical at all: That is real life.
Andrew Vogelsang