When it comes to judging the progress of the nation's education system the media tends to focus on rankings provided by international educational surveys such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). More detailed comparative studies, on the other hand, go further in contrasting the processes and contexts in which learning takes place. These studies can be informative for teachers wanting to explore effective teaching and learning strategies.

CPD is high on the school improvement agenda. It's also a vital ingredient in the development of teachers' careers and an important aspect of school leadership. Our TLA research summary in February 2004 explored the evidence from a systematic review about effective professional development for teachers - at the time national interest in CPD was growing fast.

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 month we feature the work of another influential educational thinker - Rosalind Driver (1941-1997).Rosalind Driver is widely acknowledged, by teachers and other educational practitioners in England and abroad, for her contribution to our understanding of how children's ideas about science influence their learning. She began with the perspective that children construct their own ideas about the behaviour of the natural world, as a result of their observations of things happening and the ways that people talk about them.

According to recent studies dyslexia is a major cause of literacy problems; at current estimates as many as 1 in 20 children are believed to be affected to a significant extent. There may be others for whom the effects are less significant. In schools, almost all teachers will have some dyslexic learners in their classes. The Disability Discrimination Act requires all teachers to adopt strategies to meet the needs of these children.In light of this an immediate question is: what help should non-specialist teachers give dyslexic students?

For this TLA research summary we selected, appraised and summarised a study that sets out to describe characteristics of successful multi-ethnic schools. The strategies mainly highlight whole-school policies, but the authors have presented their study in an accessible and case-based way, which many teachers will find relevant to their daily practice. Blair, M. and J. Bourne (with C. Coffin, A. Creese and C. Kenner). Making the Difference: Teaching and Learning Strategies in Successful Multi-Ethnic Schools. The Open University: 1998.

We think many practitioners will have a keen interest in research that has investigated different strategies for supporting children with EBD in mainstream primary classrooms, so in this TLA research summary, we have summarised the findings of a systematic review of research, which was designed to uncover and synthesise all the studies on this topic (published between 1970 and 2000).The review is:Evans, J., A. Harden, J. Thomas and P. Benefield. Support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream primary classrooms: a review of the effectiveness of interventions.

Concerns about pupils' achievements in literacy in England are not new. This is particularly the case with writing, especially where boys are concerned (Bearne & Warrington, 2003; Kingdon & Cassen, 2007). Raising boys' literacy standards, especially their writing skills, has been a key part of English educational policy for some time.The authors of the research selected for this TLA research summary remind us that writing well is more than just an educational issue; it is a necessity if young people are to participate fully in social and economic life.

What impact does inclusion have on pupils' achievement - both those with diagnosed special needs and those without - and how could schools manage inclusion so that they reduce any possible negative impact that inclusion might have? The study we have chosen for this TLA research summary sheds some light on these key issues.The study is: Dyson A., P. Farrell, G. Hutcheson and F. Polat. Inclusion and pupil achievement.

Students' views on their learning can have much to tell us about effective teaching. For this TLA research summary we selected and summarised a richly detailed, three-year study of the teaching of mathematics, which takes account of the students' own perceptions of their learning experiences.The study examines in considerable depth approaches to mathematics in two English secondary schools that were using markedly different approaches to the teaching of mathematics. It was conducted in England between 1992 and 1995 and was first published in 1997.