Action research improves math instruction

I read an article that appeared in March 2011 Journal of Teaching Children Mathematics. This article appeared in the "from the classroom" section and briefly discussed the benefits that action research can have on instruction. Three teachers enrolled in a program at a university and found out that action research was a requirement for one of their classes. They noted that action research can be valuable for teachers as it allows them to "take charge" of their learning and examine ideas and best practices that help lead to achievement within their very classrooms. I tend to agree with many of the comments in this article. Action research can keep teachers current and address specific classroom or student needs. It guided me in a direction that I more than likely would not have discovered. To me, it was beneficial just like the authors mentioned.
It is important to investigate various topics (review of literature) or issues in order improve one's own instruction in the classroom. Reviewing what research shows us may discourage a teacher from trying a method that has been found to be ineffective. In other words, it may save someone from trying something that has not been shown to improve achievement. The article goes on to review what three teachers did within their classrooms to help with math instruction. The three projects are listed below.

• subtraction error patterns
• multiplication facts and flashcards
• physical activity and math learning

The authors pointed out that they would encourage all of their colleagues to take part in the action research process. This would be a way to stay current in education and continue to find new and effective ways of helping students learn.
I stumbled upon this article last year when looking in this journal but thought it was a great one to reread and reassure myself of my experiences with action research. We spent countless hours reviewing literature on our topics or issues.We became better informed and knowledgeable about out issues. I felt that it was beneficial in that in helped me establish a direction and idea in where I needed to go to help students improve with addition fluency. I did not know how things would turn out but I definitely have experienced success with helping students improve their abilities to recall math facts. Was it the most efficient method? Probably not. But I know that my students enjoyed it, and more importantly showed significant gains from pretest to posttest.
What are your thoughts on the action research process? Do you think that educators should make it a part of professional development opportunities?

March 2011 - click here to view online edition of Teaching Children Mathematics

March 2011, Volume 17, Issue 7, Page 398