What is Action Research?

Action Research vs. Traditional Education Research:

I have learned that action research differs from traditional research in that is actively seeks to change something immediately while seeking data and research to prove what is best for a campus.  It is a way for administrators to inquire about issues on campus, actively work to see if change is needed, and implement change quicker than we have done in the past. Traditionally education research has been reactive in that it simply collects data to understand what is happening after it is obvious that something is not working.  Change does not necessarily go hand in hand with traditional education research because it is simply data driven. 

Implementing Action Research on My Campus:

I am considering using action research on my campus to assist my principal in looking into the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities on our campus.   Our school district is strongly pushing towards effective and active use of PLCs on every campus, but teachers seem to be struggling with how to implement this into their planning.  Many teachers are confusing PLC time with common planning time, and I want to conduct research to find out what teachers know about PLCs, how teachers feel about PLCs, and how effective PLCs can improve student progress.  If I am able to effectively research this process, I will be able to help reduce stress on both teachers and administrators.  This could also greatly improve teacher assessments so that our school creates the most beneficial assessments for student learning.