Implementing High School ReformThrough School-Wide Action Research Teams: A Three Year Case Study

Abstract

This article relays the story of a high school that initiated reform using school wide action research teams as a vehicle to develop teacher leaders, teachers as change agents, and a collaborative reflective culture. The concept was introduced by the principal who mandated that all must participate. Each team worked on an issue that was considered important for the whole school. In the first two years teachers worked together to make meaning of the action research process. As they gained experience, they became more confident. In the third year the teams finished their individual projects. The story demonstrates both positive and negative aspects of such a venture. The teachers needed time to work through their uncertainty with the action research team process, and guidance and support from administration. Those interviewed saw the action research teams as a vehicle for teacher-driven professional development. While most of the teachers felt they had benefitted from their work on the teams, they also reported that the time-consuming nature of this work impacted negatively on them and on their colleagues. One issue which came up repeatedly was that of mandated collaboration.