In the spirit of educational reform efforts, this digest examines the concept of teacher-as-researcher, a concept rooted in action research. Action research is designed, conducted, and implemented by teachers themselves to improve teaching in the classroom. The research is often a collaborative activity promoting reflective teaching, critical inquiry, self-evaluation, and professional dialogue, thereby creating a more professional culture in schools. Action research has been employed for various purposes including school-based curriculum development, system planning, and policy development. The current school restructuring movement has site-based, shared decision-making at its core; therefore, it is necessary for teachers to be much more deliberate in documenting and evaluating their efforts, attending more carefully to methods, perceptions, understandings, and the whole approach to the teaching process. Action research provides teachers with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skill in research methods and applications and to become more aware of options and possibilities for change forcing the re-evaluation of current theories and influencing what is known about teaching, learning, and schooling. (Contains 16 references.) (LL)