Action Research

I am discovering that action research is the process through which educators collaboratively work with others in a common field of education, using the data gathered through real life experiences and research done in the current environment.  That may not be the exact, dictionary definition, but it is what I've come up with after just a few days in this course.
Action research is really all about identifying a problem and then proceeding to find a different, more effective way to approach a solution.  I gather that action research is designed to help educatiors personalize solutions to their individual concerns instead of having a cookie-cutter approach.  While other educators may have solved their similar problem in a manner that worked well for them, no two situations are ever the same.  Action research will allow teachers and administrators to see what has worked for others and mold it to their unique problem.   I also assume at this early stage of the course, that educators can use aspects of multiple prior successful solutions, picking and choosing those that will work best for them. 
It seems that action research is a common sense approach and takes education theory out of the ivory towers and into the trenches.  I like the idea that educational leaders are beginning to recognize that the people who are actually involved in  day to day educational jobs need to have input on what the problem is and a real ownership in finding the solution.