Action Research: Promise for Special Education

Action Research: Promise for Special Education

As I read this article I began to realize that I have done my own action research in the past without realizing it. My experience as a basketball coach closely mirrors the action research framework. I have learned from respected experts in the coaching field, I have studied new innovations in coaching and strategy, we analyze how our team is performing, we question what can be done to get better results or help struggling players and we implement new plans for changing and evolving circumstances and game plans. The basic idea and concepts of action research makes sense to me.

I can particularly see how the action research mindset can benefit students and teachers in special education classrooms. In my experience leading small group and whole class activities in self contained classrooms the cycle/model of “Plan-Implement-Reflect” was a process that helped me to have successful lessons and activities. When there were breakdowns or complete failures during these activities, reflecting with co workers was very helpful to identify some of the reasons why.

The article suggests that teachers are the agents and source of educational reform and not the objects of reform. I found this to be a powerful statement and agree whole heartedly. Using your classroom as a sort of laboratory to create, implement, test and evaluate new ideas and ways of teaching is a fascinating idea. It is also a very daunting idea. When I consider all of the duties and demands of a special education I become overwhelmed at times. The concept of teachers as action researchers only adds to my feelings of a looming and massive workload. However when I reflect on what I do, even now as an IA, I realize that I am a consumer of educational knowledge and I am attempting to put that knowledge into practice. Using evidence based strategies to better myself as a teacher and in turn improve the education of my students is an exciting idea. Developing some of those strategies on my own will be a challenging and rewarding process.