The National Teacher Research Panel was set up about 15 years ago by CUREE supported by a group of national education agencies most of which no longer exist. It had three main goals:
- To ensure that all research in education takes account of the teacher perspective
- To ensure a higher profile for research and evidence informed practice in government, academic and practitioner communities
- To increase the number of teachers engaged in and with the full spectrum of research activity.
Over the several years of its existence, the Panel, supported by its expert advisers in CUREE, has helped and encouraged dozens of teachers and school leaders to do high quality but practical research. The Panel also helped them report their findings succinctly, in plain English and focused on relevance to other practitioners. This is one such example of that work.
Teacher engagement in and with research can be a highly rewarding form of professional development. There is also evidence of beneficial outcomes for students. We have decided to summarise one example of such work in this TLA research summary. Because teachers' engagement in/with research involves a dynamic mixture of empirical enquiry, experimenting with new approaches and is often supplemented by peer observation and support, the work is not usually undertaken or reported in forms that are traditional for research. This summary explores how four quite different consortia of schools, funded by the then Teacher Training Agency (TTA) now the Training Development Agency (TDA) and the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT) and working with LA and university partners, blended research and professional development to make a difference to teachers and learners. Each consortium of schools identified and developed a research and development focus relevant to its ownneeds: for example, thinking skills, mental mathematics, speaking and listening, and student disaffection. The consortium reports provide a detailed description of teacher engagement in and with research. The experiences of teachers, pupils and others involved in the initiative offer insights into key aspects of the processes. This summary highlights the benefits of this activity for the teachers, their schools and their pupils. We believe this work is particularly significant in a climate where (i) teachers' professional development is increasingly on the agenda as a lever for school improvement; (ii) educationists are acquiring a better understanding of the challenges - and opportunities - of 'evidence-informed practice'. We would love to hear from any teachers engaged in/with research themselves, whether as part of a higher degree or as part of a school improvement team approach - do tell us about your work.
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