Teaching is a craft. It's both an art and a science, which is why great teachers always experiment and make tons of mistakes. But how do you know what's actually working? Well, one option is action research. Here you can identify a question, test out a strategy, gather data, and determine if it works. The end result is something dynamic, innovative, and tied directly to your classroom. Action research dissolves the barrier between the participants and the researchers. In other words, the teacher actively participates in the situation while also conducting the research. There are many action research frameworks but they generally follow a similar process. You start out in Phase One: Planning for Research. Here you begin with inquiry, where you define a specific research question. It needs to be something that can actually be tested. Next, you conduct a literature review to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Finally, you move into the design process where you determine your data methods. Consider ethical issues. Get the required permissions. Create deadlines and set up the systems. Next you move into the action phase. This is where you engage in multiple cycles of experimentation and data collection. Your data collection might include qualitative data (like observations artifacts and interviews) or quantitative data (like rubric scores surveys or achievement data). After this, you move to analysis. You'll often start by organizing the data with charts or graphs and looking for specific trends. You might also discuss it with peers, free write in a journal, or create a cluster map before eventually writing out your results. Finally, you have your conclusion. This is where you share your research with the world and reflect on your own practice. This will ultimately lead to newer questions and the cycle will continue as you refine your craft as a better, more creative, teacher.