action research: According to the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, "Action research is inquiry or research in the context of focused efforts to improve the quality of an organization and its performance. It typically is designed and conducted by practitioners who analyse the data to improve their own practice. Action research can be done by individuals or by teams of colleagues. The team approach is called collaborative inquiry ." meaning of action research: Action research is a research initiated to solve an immediate problem led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a “community of practice” to improve the way they solve problems. A brief history of action research Ø The term action research was coined by the social psychologist Kurt Lewin in the United States in about 1944 in connection with research which aimed to promote social action through democ...