In this chapter, the author describes the history of educational action research in Sri Lanka. Because of the different levels of institutional support and different approaches taken, he presents the history of action research within institutional strands rather than in a strict chronological order. The different initiatives and projects described have varied based on institutional-driven school-based practitioner research and university-student-required action research. There also have been differences in the themes of the action research within the strands presented. The author calls for a re-introduction of a narrative tone and personal-professional reflection as an integral component of the action research activity. Strengthening action research culture in Sri Lanka will facilitate the grassroots base for educational policy formulation.