Action Research as a Sustained Professional Development Process (Self-reflection)

As I begin to reflect on this topic, I remember when my lecturer, Kerry, asked me a reflective question: what is the most difficult thing to do or learn during my attendance to her lectures?. To answer this question, I have to reconsider very deeply my previous journey and question my self again and again. After a while, I have to admit that formulating a topic for research would be the hardest thing to do.

Undergoing this experience has led me to think over why it is so difficult for me formulate even a single research question which is the very common and simple one. I try to find answers through listening to myself and scrutinizing what lies behind this difficulty, and finally I come to the following underlying reason.

It is a fact that certain communities particularly those in my country including me still consider research as a very formal activity which fully relies of the traditional belief about research. There is a common sense that research is only appropriate for those who are able to strictly control over it and possess special ability and knowledge of research and sophisticated statistical computations. Research is assumed to be so methodological and procedural activities that demand extremely systematic phases, strong efforts and commitments. As a result, many people including me are feel reluctant and pessimistic to conduct such scientific research even the very simple one.

To change such paradigm, in fact, is not easy. It requires both personal and public awareness that research should be considered as an alternative way of doing reflection rather than something merely scientific and methodological. Research in particular an action research should be viewed as a process of reflection which aims to develop and improve any activities, performances, and conditions. As such, research actually can be carried out by any individuals from various backgrounds of profession and disciplines and either for individual or communal purposes.

As a teacher working with students which are unique, changeable, and unpredictable, an action research should be an indispensable part of my teaching practice development. It helps me to be more critical to my own capability and also to the learning environment where I am teaching including my teaching strategies, teaching constraints, students feeling and understanding and other related issues. Furthermore, the findings of an action research may open various possibilities for further teaching actions and illuminate viable problems which may emerge in future and have never been considered.

As a learner, research especially an action research enables me to be more personally critical not only to the information and knowledge being learned but also to viable factors contribute to either my learning success or failure. It trains me to have more systematic and coherent thinking which is important for my current learning. An action research also builds and fosters my understanding of certain issues and calls me to more appreciate depth thinking and thoughtfulness in facing and responding any problems.