Description of what I have learned about Action Research. How I might be able to use it.

Action based research is helpful for school and professional improvement through reflection and data and the constant reexamine of self which leads to a change or betterment in a school setting through best practices. It is important that a problem is identified, measured over time while collecting the data, analyze and interpret the data, take an action on the data, examine the results and consider a next step through reflection. An leader may focus on the following: Teaching and learning, capacity building, community building and policy and management.
It is also used for new leaders who are in internships to accumulate data on leadership skills and pertinent data so informed decisions are made. These leadership skills are learned and refined through training and experience over a long period of time in a field based setting.
As a leader, I would imagine using action research to not only develop leadership skills but to also make informed decisions. I would identify a problem at school, collect data, analyze and examine, take a course of action to fix the problem. After a period of time, I would then check the results and decide my next steps through reflection.