Action planning is the action part of action research.
Action plans can be informal (e.g., brief statements about the implementation of a new practice or a plan to reflect or share what has been learned) or formal (e.g., a presentation outline or a complete research report).
There are five “typical” outcomes from action research: (a) developing a greater understanding of an educational situation, (b) discovering a new problem, (c) finding a program to be effective, (d) finding a program to need modification, or (e) finding a program to be ineffective.
Organization of your action planning can be accomplished through the use of a Steps to Action Chart.
Action planning can occur at the individual, team, school, or district level.
Practicing professional reflection is an important component of the action-planning phase.
Teacher-researchers should reflect on intended as well as unintended outcomes of the study for the purpose of planning future professional development.
Teacher-researchers should also reflect on the action research study itself, focusing primarily on the methodology employed.
