The purpose for this study was to examine the process that one school staff used to solve a problem. This case study involved Albert Harris Elementary School in Martinsville, Virginia. This school serves all of the students in grades four through six throughout the city of Martinsville. A school improvement team was formed to implement the action research process. This problem-solving process was studied to determine the staff's perception of this procedure and whether it is an effective vehicle for bringing about change in the school.

This is a qualitative research study that examines one school's problem-solving process. Data were collected from the participants through reflective journal entries and field notes maintained by the researcher. Members of the school improvement team represented all grade levels and departments within the school. They were introduced to the process through inservice training and received training to strengthen their group processing skills.

Identifying the problem was phase one of the action research process. Morale was the problem that the staff selected to address. Collecting data on morale and burnout was phase two of the action research process. School improvement team members shared the information that was discovered during bi-weekly meetings. Team members reached a consensus on interventions to implement. These strategies were put into place and evaluated.

There were several themes that emerged as data were analyzed. They included: empowering teachers, interacting with others, narrowing and focusing on one specific problem, involving the staff in the problem-solving process, gaining insight from a variety of sources, branching out into other areas, seeing immediate changes, taking too much time, and understanding that some things are beyond the control of the school improvement team. Data collected from all sources indicated action research is an effective process to use in solving problems and bringing about change in the school. One negative side effect identified in this study, was that using a small team to implement the action research process can create a feeling of isolation for those who do not serve on the team if they are not fully informed of the discussions of the group.