How can you align your action research goals with your professional development plan?

1 Define your focus area

The first step in aligning your action research goals with your professional development plan is to define your focus area. What is the problem or issue that you want to investigate in your classroom or school? What are the questions that you want to answer or the hypotheses that you want to test? Your focus area should be based on your own interests, needs, and contexts, as well as on the existing literature and evidence in your field. You should also consider how your focus area relates to your professional standards, goals, and evaluation criteria, and how it can help you enhance your skills, knowledge, and competencies.

2 Design your research method

The next step is to design your research method, or the way that you will collect, analyze, and interpret data to answer your research questions or test your hypotheses. Your research method should be appropriate for your focus area, feasible for your resources and time, and ethical for your participants and settings. You should also think about how your research method can help you achieve your professional development goals, such as developing your critical thinking, creativity, or collaboration skills, or learning new tools, techniques, or theories.

3 Implement your research plan

The third step is to implement your research plan, or the actions that you will take to carry out your research method and collect your data. Your research plan should be flexible, iterative, and responsive to the realities and changes in your classroom or school. You should also reflect on how your research plan can help you improve your practice, such as by trying new strategies, interventions, or approaches, or by engaging with your students, colleagues, or stakeholders in different ways.

4 Analyze and interpret your data

The fourth step is to analyze and interpret your data, or the process of making sense of your findings and drawing conclusions from them. Your analysis and interpretation should be rigorous, transparent, and trustworthy, and should address your research questions or hypotheses. You should also consider how your analysis and interpretation can help you grow as a researcher, such as by using various methods, frameworks, or perspectives, or by identifying gaps, limitations, or implications for further research.

5 Share and disseminate your results

The final step is to share and disseminate your results, or the ways that you will communicate and present your findings and conclusions to others. Your sharing and dissemination should be clear, concise, and engaging, and should target the appropriate audiences, formats, and channels. You should also think about how your sharing and dissemination can help you advance your career, such as by building your network, reputation, or portfolio, or by contributing to the professional community or the public good.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?