Assessment is Essential, Chapter 1, part II: Action Research & Inquiry

ACTION RESEARCH & THE INQUIRY STANCE

Notes from Assessment is Essential, Chapter 1

--this section provides a framework for problem solving in your classroom that uses assessment as it's foundation (19)

Inquiry Stance
In contrast to a "caring stance" or a "best practices stance," an inquiry stance prepares teacher candidates to identify problems, collect relevant data, make judgements, and modify practices to bring about improvement in teaching and learning (19).

Inquiry Stance:An approach to dealing with challenges in the classroom that involves identifying problems, collecting relevant data, making judgements, and then modifying practices to improve teaching and learning.

In 1910, John Dewey, one of the founders of modern educational practices, described a similar process for dealing with problematic situations. He suggested designing a solution, observing and experimenting to test the solution, and then accepting or rejecting it.

If you want to read exactly what John Dewey said in How We Think (2010), I am including a link for the free e-book  here.

One key use of the inquiry stance and problem-solving process is analyzing and then improving student learning outcomes in each classroom...Assessment gives you information every step of the way on what your students know and are able to do and whether your instructional strategies are working (19).

Inquiry Stance and Action Research
The process of examining and improving our teaching practices and our outcomes using an inquiry stance is often termed action research.

Action Research: The process of examining and improving teaching practices and student outcomes using an inquiry stance.