Our+Research+Cycle

Our Research Project
Action research is a family of activities in curriculum development, professional learning, school improvement programmmes, and system planning and policy development. Our action research was oriented around curriculum development, professional learning and school improvement. All of these activities have in common the identification strategies of **planned** **action** which are implemented, and then systematically submitted to **observation**, **reflection** and **change**. Participants in the action being considered are integrally involved in all of these activities - our teachers and leaders.

The focus in action research is on a specific **problem** in a defined **context**. Our **problem** lay in the need to evaluate an educational program and at the same time strategically encourage leadership from the teachers that are responsible for that program. The **context** was oriented around the students who had been involved in the small sub-school created for Year 9 and operating from separate campus with a unique curriculum.

Four basic characterisitics underpin action research:
 * 1) It is  **situational** - diagnosing a problem as identified in the aforementioned context and attempting to solve it in that context;
 * 2) It is **collaborative**, with teams of teachers working together (Clare, Andrea, Lisa, Ainslie, Troy, and Steve);
 * 3) It is **participatory**, as team members take part directly in implementing the research; and
 * 4) It is **self-evaluative** - modifications are continuously evaluated within the ongoing situation to improve practice.

Action research involves teachers as generators of knowledge in a bottom-up approach to professional learning.

Teachers at St Mary's Campus of MacKillop College were involved in this action research project which planned to evaluate the program from a students retrospective persepective (i.e. the graduate year of 2008 who were part of the inaugral year for St Mary's in 2005). An evaluative tool such as a survey was sketched, trialled, adjusted then undertaken. The results were collated, presented, reflected on and then evaluated by the teachers involved with a view to inform future practice. This cycle would then repeat itself with each graduating year for at least 3-5 years as change and trends can be identified and responded to accordingly.