Screams

by Janet Irvine

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Self-searching
The process of self-searching is the initial step in action research. It involves looking at your own practice. It involves delving into your own philosophy of how education should work. It involves analyzing where your teaching meets your own criteria for educational excellence and where your teaching falls short of your personal ideal. In short, there must be a period of self-analysis at the start of every action research journey. When our teaching seems to lack fire and effectiveness, we SCREAM as we give birth to self-discovery.

Collaboration
Action research dictates that one not work in isolation. The self-searching must be shared with critical friends who, in concert with you, create a climate for self-analysis, self-discovery, and self-improvement. The benefits gained through collaboration are enormous for there are always fellow teacherswho are not only willing but who enthusiatically embrace professional development on a personal level. The professional bonding that ultimately results from a critical friend relationship is invaluable to your professional growth and to your sense of shared committment. Together, as you recognize that you are not alone, you can SCREAM for joy.

Research
Research demands that you focus on a problem area and methodically go about trying to make changes that will improve that targeted area. The act of making change in your own practice and observing the results of that change is the essence of action research. What you discover may reinforce your gut feelings or it may initiate a totally new spiral of activity and beliefs. Whatever the outcome, your research will not allow you to remain static; it will propel you into further quests tobecome a better practitioner. As you try to do research in thehubbub of a normal teaching day, you may SCREAM with frustration as time constraints and general mayhem threaten to engulf your feeble attempts at establishing order to chaos and rational thinking to primal urges of survival.

Empowerment
Empowerment is a byproduct of action research. Because the teacher is in charge of the analysis of the problem, the designing of a solution, the application of the solution and the analysis of the results, there is a tangible feeling of being in control of your own actions. This is rare in education and it is a heady feeling. What it produces are teachers who know why they do certain things and why they discard others, teachers who are sure of their own judgments and willing to defend them, and tea chers who analyze change and use it to benefit their students. Other teachers, less empowered and with less self-motivation may SCREAM in horror at your strange and new-found confidence and convictions.

Action
Action research involves action. You must DO something tocorrect what you perceive as a less-than-perfect situation. This is a welcome change from the endless discussions of philosophy which mar the job of getting things done in education. Carrying out your plan of action provides candid glimpses into your own professional landscape and often points out further areas for professional growth. When real, meaningful change in our own practice seems to move at a snail's pace, we SCREAM for the opportun ity to act on our own convictions.

Meaning
Finding meaning in what you observe in action research is a challenge and, yet, it is the most important part of the cycle of change. Your observations tell you whether there has been positive change as a result of your actions. They also lead you to the next problem for which there is more action research needed. Meaning is what holds the process together; it is the glue that bonds your action to what you learn from your action. Without meaning, there is no point to the endeavour but, when you see meaning as a revelation about your own practice, you can SCREAM "Eureka!!"

Sharing
Sharing is the ultimate goal in action research for it allows others to engage in a level of thought different from their own. Just as action research without learning is fruitless, learning without sharing is sterile. If education is to progress and change and adapt to change, it is imperative that we share with one another our discoveries, our successes, our failures and our secrets. Collectively, we need to SCREAM with one voice so that we do not become a silent profession.