What I have learned about action research

When I first started to hear about action research I was wondering if it was going to be just like regular traditional research, but I was totally wrong.  I have learned that action research is just like it sounds of taking action.  Traditional research is just looking through books and articles.  Action research is so much more and more involving for everyone.  I remember always sitting there and listening to the same old boring information that I could have read from a book, but now I can actually see that action research is going to allow me to actually due the research for myself.  Action research allows the stakeholders to take ownership of the research and make a plan off of what they have learned rather than what a book is telling them to do.  When action research is used everyone is involved and feels like they are part of the research and the outcome.  Traditional research left everyone out of the big picture and action research puts everyone in the middle of the big picture.  All in all I have learned that action research is the way to go in order to insure that you are improving your school by what it needs and not what someone else thinks it needs.