Collaborative action research, conducted by teams of practitioners, is a process that enables teachers: (1) to improve student learning, (2) to improve their own practice, (3) to contribute to the development of their own profession, and (4) to overcome the isolation commonly experienced by classroom teachers. By promoting collegial relationships among practitioners, collaborative action research fosters professionalism in teaching. The process of collaborative action research has five sequential steps: problem formulation, data collection, data analysis, reporting of results, and action planning. Three techniques that facilitate effective problem formulation are reflective interviewing, analytic discourse, and graphic representation. Categories of data sources available to action researchers include existing sources (e.g., student work, archival evidence), tools for capturing everyday life (e.g., journals, logs, videos, observation checklists), and tools for questioning (e.g., interviews, written surveys, tests). The data analysis process involves identifying themes in the data collected and, then, using a scientific codification process to "interrogate" the data. Results are reported to break teacher isolation, contribute to the knowledge base, gain a voice in quality control, and foster a school culture that promotes learning for all. Four basic strategies can be used to implement an action plan based on data from action research: simple presentation of the data, establishing a pilot program, establishing a competing pilot program, and using the research as educational specifications. (Contains 30 references.) (IAH)