Quality Indicators

As a project this week, I have looked through the Quality Indicators given in the Leading With Passion and Knowledge text by Nancy Dana. The quality indicators will be instrumental in helping guide me through my research. They will help me utilize data, and develop myself as a seasoned action researcher.

Quality Indicator 1

Context of Study The context of study is and indicator that gives the overall background of the research. The who’s and what’s are answered in this, and information is given about the school, students, teachers, district, etc. It is often a key component in helping a principal-researcher get started with their inquiry. The context of study will help me in designing my study, and allowing others to understand and collaborate with me in my research. It will also help me in looking at others’ research to analyze whether or not their inquiry is applicable to my campus.

Quality Indicator 2

Wondering(s) and Purpose The wondering and purpose are the backbone to any action research plan. They explain the basis of the original question. Any wondering will have research and data to confirm its appropriateness. Both the wondering and the purpose will be clearly stated and have an open-ended framework from which the action research can be formed. I will use this quality indicator to disclose the needed action on my campus. It will aid my action research by connecting personal knowledge to other research and literature that is applicable to my study. Also, this indicator will allow for inward focus on my personal practices, and utilize my passion for the topic.

Quality Indicator 3

Principal Research Design (Data Collection and Analysis) This quality indicator is instrumental in designing any action research plan worth its weight. Data collection is the key to creating a plan that stands up to hard facts. A good educational leader will use data from many sources, such as scholarly journals, notes, surveys, literature, testing results, interviews, etc. After inception of the inquiry, the researcher is able to create a timeline for data collection, as well as analysis. Data collection will be crucial to my action research plan. It will, in effect, offer immediate results of the success of the planned implementation. This quality indicator will guide me in considering the quality and quantity of sources to utilize, as well as the relation of the sources to my inquiry. It will also provide a timeline.

Quality Indicator 4

Principal-Researcher Learning The effective principal-researcher will provide thoughts and reflections on the action research process. They will offer statements of what has been learned, along with data to that backs up their claims. Also, the research findings will be supplemented with readings and other resources that relate to what has been learned from the process. The principal-researcher will also have a personal reflection statement. The learning process will do many things for my personal action research plan. They will display my findings well for others through multiple strategies, and aid me in selecting the data I will use in making my claims. This indicator will help me in supporting every statement of learning with data. It will also show my reflections to be in line with my own administrative experience.

Quality Indicator 5

Implications for Practice The implications for practice indicators show how the action researcher will pursue future wonderings, and how their research leads them to new questions. It offers details of changes made due to the research, and how they understandably flow from one to another. This indicator will guide me in making changes to my research plan. It will help me figure the changes I may need to make, and how to implement them efficiently. Finally, it will aid me in leading to new wonderings I may have as a result of my research.