How to … establish a culture of teacher research and development

Lindsay Palmer and Nicky Theobald share how an enquiry culture was established within their Teaching School and its Alliance.

New outlook

Building on our school’s commitment to research and evidence-based practice we found ourselves naturally reflecting on the potential of research as a key driver and enabler for many aspects of the core work of the school. In order to deepen teacher understanding of research and development as a core strategy for school improvement, and thereby embed a culture of research, it has been necessary to establish new roles, processes and systems to secure capacity and capability for research activity.

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      string(3449) "McIntyre, D. (Eds.) Researching Teachers, Researching Schools, ResearchingNetworks. A Review of the literature, University of Cambridge ■ DfE (2015), National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers. ■ Nelson,Spence-Thomas and Taylor (2015): What makes great pedagogy and great professional development: final report. Teaching schools Researchand Development network national themes project 2012-14. Institute of Education. ■ OFSTED (2015), The Common Inspection Framework:Education Skills and Early Year.Alignment with school improvement prioritiesFurther consideration of manageability issues facingschool leaders has highlighted the importance ofaligning research foci with identified school andalliance-wide improvement priorities. A key solution toaddress this has been the establishment of a cross-phase,alliance-wide data and information sharing protocol.This protocol, signed by the alliance headteachers,enables the collation and collective analysis of pupilperformance data, Ofsted findings and ‘softer’ data,including consultation feedback from headteachers.This analysis informs both the planning of school toschool support and identifies priorities for joint practicedevelopment and teacher research. Such informationhas been critical in promoting alliance engagement inresearch activity, enabling schools to feel a tangiblealignment between individual school and wider allianceresearch and development priorities. In view of this, akey task for groups of schools/alliances is to considerhow sustainable capacity can be secured to ensure thecollation and timely analysis of information to informpriority setting for joint practice development andschool-based research.■■ Cohesive strategy for researchengagementReflection and evaluation of the necessary conditionsfor effective teacher research is an ongoing process.As recognised by Nelson, Spence-Thomas and Taylor(2015), trust is a critical prerequisite for collaborativeteacher research, enabling calculated risk-taking andexperimentation. Within such a supportive professionalculture, teachers are motivated and empowered topursue lines of enquiry relating to improvementpriorities and their own professional curiosities.At The Mead Primary School, we believe that supportinga professional culture of research is best be establishedthrough a cohesive strategy for research engagementunderpinned by key principles and elements as shown below.Above all, collaboration and partnership-working isshaping the nature and character of our research cultureas we seek to provide richer experiences and improvedoutcomes for children.■■ Professional learning task: Thecontribution of leadershipConsider the following questions withleaders across your group of schools/alliance to identify the next steps forstrengthening the leadership of research:■ How can the National Standards ofExcellence for Headteachers (2015) beused to raise the profile of research as a keysystem leadership responsibility?■ How can peer to peer support andchallenge strategies (e.g. HeadteacherChallenge Trio/ Quads) provide a vehiclefor raising the status of research as a corestrategy for school improvement?■ How can governor and trusteeparticipation in and understanding ofschool-based research be widened?"
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Professional Development

How to … establish a culture of teacher research and development

12 Sep 2016

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Leadership

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      string(5923) "This can take the form of teacher research coordinators operating across and between schools and universities (McLaughlin & Black-Hawkins, 2006), or the role of “the ‘blended professionals’ who work across institutional boundaries (HEA, 2012). Such partnerships are not always smooth sailing because of the cultural differences between schools and universities.). However, much of the literature on successful research partnerships points to a common set of conditions which include “the importance of shared leadership, shared goals, development of social and intellectual skills needed for collaborative work, and adequate time” (Arhar et al, 2013). Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is how to foster and ultilise the potential of collaboration between schools. The educational landscape has changed dramatically to that which would have been unrecognisable at the turn of the century:  “The pattern of education in England is shifting. Schools that once were islands are becoming connected. Indeed, it is increasingly rare to find outstanding schools that do not have a web of links with other schools. Competition remains, but now co-exists with collaboration and the creation of formal alliances through federations and chains” (Matthews et al, 2011). Such an environment has been uniquely termed coopetition (Muijs and Rumyantseva, 2014). Many other countries will find this a familiar picture. Within this collaborative environment the imperative is to draw upon the expertise that resides within the self-improving school system, “to learn from each other, within and between schools, to tap into the professional expertise that lies latent in the system, and to learn from what works!” (Handscomb, 2012).  However, this is no easy task because the sharing of knowledge to bring about genuine “transfer” of practice from one setting to another has always been difficult and highly problematic (Hargreaves, 1998). It is here that professional development grounded in enquiry can make a significant contribution. For this to happen there needs to be a shift in perspective in both policy and practice which sees enquiry not just as a desirable add on but as a fundamental part of the how we develop educational professionals. When considering schools as ecosystems we need to envisage the forces of collaboration, enquiry and professional learning in dynamic interplay within an intimate relationship:  “For teacher development…to occur commitment to certain kinds of collaboration is centrally important. However, collaboration without reflection and enquiry is little more than working collegially. For collaboration to influence personal growth and development it has to be premised upon enquiry and sharing” (Harris, 2002).  There is much to do to explore what this would look like in practice within collaborative research settings and a range of initiatives have begun to do this (Brown, 2017; Stoll, 2015b). It will entail asking searching questions about not only what effective research engagement across an alliance looks like but also what does being part of an alliance bring to enhance the capacity of a school to be research engaged.  NOTES1. https://www.bera.ac.uk/project/close-to-practice-research-projectReferencesArhar, J., Niesz, T., Brossman, J., Koebly, S., O’Brien, K., Loe, D., and Black, F. (2013). Creating a Third Space in the context of a university-school partnership: supporting teacher action research and the research preparation of doctoral students. Educational Action Research, 21:2, 218-236. ■ Barber, M., and Mourshed, M. (2007). How the world’s best- performing school systems come out on top. New York: McKinsey & Company. ■ Biesta, G. (2007). Why What Works Won’t Work: Evidence Based Practice and the Democratic Deficit in Educational Research. Educational Theory 57(1): 1-22. ■ Bronfenbrenner, U. (1992). Ecological systems theory. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ■ Brown, C .(2017). How to establish Research Learning Communities. Professional Development Today Volume 19, Issue 2. ■ Brown, C. (2015). Leading the use of research and evidence in schools. London: IOE press ■ Dimmock, C. (2014). Conceptualising the research–practice–professional development nexus: mobilising schools as ‘research-engaged’professional learning communities. Professional Development in Education.1-18. ■ Durrant, J. (2014). Children See Differently from Us’– a fresh perspective on school improvement. Professional Development Today Volume 16, Issue2. ■ Dyson, A. (2001). Building research capacity. Sub-group Report chaired by Alan Dyson.  National Education Research Forum. ■ Frost, D. (2000). Teacher-led school improvement. London: Routledge ■ Furlong, J. (2014). Research and the Teaching Profession: building capacity for a self-improving education system. Final report of the BERA-RSA Inquiry into the role of research in the teaching profession, BERA. ■ Godfrey, D. (2017). What is the proposed role of research evidence in England’s ‘self-improving’ school system? Oxford Review of Education, 43:4, 433-446 ■ Godfrey, D. (2016a). Leadership of schools as research-led organisations in the English educational environment Cultivating a research-engaged school culture. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 44(2): 301-321. ■ Godfrey, D. (2016b). Exploring Cultures of Research Engagement at Eight English Secondary Schools. PhD Thesis. Institute of Education. University College"
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Professional Development

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      string(4313) "researchLeadershipsupport forschool-basedresearchStaff commitment to school-basedresearchHighAA climatecharacterised bycommandDA climatecharacterised byindividualismBA climatecharacterised bycollaborationCA climatecharacterised byindifferenceLowSummer 2005Partnership or parallelism? Modelling university support for teacher researchin schools ■■■■■28……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………plausible mechanism forimprovement within their schoolsneed to ensure appropriate supportfor teachers with already heavyworkloads. Teachers cannot becommanded to become successfulresearchers.It is incumbent upon schoolleaders to know what they want. Dothey want:■ local-problem-solving?■ culture change within their organisation?■ staff professional development?■ a systematic growing of a knowledge base thatcan empower teachers and allow them to addressthe creation of their own best practices and newinsights?School leaders need to be sufficiently skilled todifferentiate between school-based research projectsleading to empowerment and projects which arenarrowly focused and short-term. Focus on sharedpurposes within the school represents an importantsecond step (see Figure 2)     to teacher research. It isat this second stage that engagement with an HEIcould begin to be profitable as an informed dialogueand a shared understanding can emerge.The promise of professional learning has beenput forward as a reason to shift teachers’ school-based enquiries towards participation in anetworked learning community. In 2002 theNational College for School Leadership (NCSL)launched the ‘Networked Learning Communities’programme in order to facilitatelearning, identif ication ofsolutions to common problemsand the dissemination of goodpractices (see NCSL, 2002). Thereis a growing body of evidencewhich suggests that such networkscan lead to learning with and fromother teachers. Focus on thepotential benefits of networking and enhancingcommunication with others represents animportant third step (see Figure 2)     in teacherresearch. This third stage can be much enhancedthrough engagement with an HEI, given that HEImembers do not adopt overly strong decision-making roles and pursue parallel rather thanpartnership interests.■■■ A model for success? – a case studywith an 11-16 school in WorcestershireBishop Perowne Church of England High Schoolis an 11-16 performing arts college inWorcestershire. Julie Farr had been actingheadteacher since September 2003 and took upher post as substantive headteacher of the schoolin September 2004. She identified school-basedresearch as a potentially valuable mechanism inforging curriculum innovation, the engagementof staff and raising standards and attainment forpupils. She did not wish to engage with HEIs inthe first instance and preferred to develop areasoned three step model intended to yielddesired outcomes. The reasoning within theschool was as follows:Step 1: Establish in-house collaborationRealising that staff trust and collaboration areessential features of a professional learning culture,the headteacher drew upon a member of staff witha strong personal interest in thinking skills andemotional intelligence. The member of staff hadalready successfully integrated these approacheswithin his professional practice at another school.Voluntary lunchtime seminar sessions for staffFigure 2:A three step model of establishing school-based researchStep 1: Establish in-house collaborationWhat is required within the school?Is there a role for HEIs?Step 2: Establish shared purposes within the schoolWhat is required within the school?What is the role for HEIs?Step 3: Enhance communication with othersWhat is required within the school?What is the continuing role for HEIs?“Teachers willcertainly generatetheir own tacitknowledge ofteaching as theirexperience within theprofession grows ”ResearchSummer"
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        [1]=>
        string(7) "culture"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "teacher"
        [3]=>
        string(8) "research"
        [4]=>
        string(11) "development"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(33) "Professional Development"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(false)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(11) "development"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Professional Development

Partnership or parallelism Modelling university support for

1 Jan 2005