Report

Practitioner Use of Research Review - Full Technical Report

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REPORT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONER USE OF RESEARCH REVIEW: Practitioner engagement in and/or with research

This is a technical report of a systematic research review that focuses on how practitioners engage in and/or with research to inform and develop their practice. The overall question for the review is: What are the links between practitioner engagement in and/or with research and learner (student/patient/client) outcomes? Given the broad nature of this question, the review group developed a number of sub questions to help scaffold the analysis of the studies included in the review. The answers to our sub questions have in turn helped us to flesh out and illustrate the answers to our overall review question. Our sub questions are:

1. What are the obstacles to practitioner engagement in and/or with research?

2. What forms of support are required to help practitioners overcome such obstacles?

3. What is the range of approaches to practitioner engagement with research findings?

4. What is the range of approaches to practitioner engagement in research?

Leadership for Closing the Gap

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Responding to the national emphasis placed on improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners and  reflecting the priorities of many school leaders, the National College (then NCSL) launched in 2008/09 an initiative on leadership for closing the gap. The original aims of the initiative were to:

improve participants’ leadership for closing the gap by increasing their capacity to act and their confidence and deepening their understanding of successful practice; demonstrate effective approaches to improving leadership for closing the gap; and share the outcomes with a wider audience.

TDA Evaluation of CPD Providers on the National CPD Database - Reports

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These report provides a snapshot of the range of current CPD provision in England, where it stands in relation to the evidence base on effective CPD, and how much it costs. Their contents will help you as a as a school gain an insight into the current market, and base your decisions when selecting CPD on an understanding of what is available more widely.

The research project was commissioned by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) n England and carried out by the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE).

GTC Research for Teachers (RfT) Review of Websites

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GTC required a review of websites, portals or electronic resources that offer access to research on teaching and learning, designed primarily for a teacher audience (examples include the Teacher Training Resource Bank, the Research Informed Practice Site, the Evidence in Education Portal, Practical Research for Education), to inform the way in which Research for Teachers can continue to differentiate itself and add value. This report sets out the results of the review.

TDA Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) Programme Reports

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The TDA developed a programme for a  Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) to meet the then government’s stated ambitions in the Children’s Plan (2007) and Being the best for our children (2008) to raise teaching to a masters level profession. The starting point for this paper is the MTL requirement (set out in the policy documents) for work based professional learning to be supported by school based coaching. The Masters' programme was piloted in specific regions of England for one year before being abandoned by the new Coalition Government in 2011.

Nevertheless, the examination of the underpinning evidence set out in this report is of more enduring relevance to teacher initial and continuing professional learning.

 

The report Professional Learning and the Role of the Coach in the new Masters in Teaching and Learning Masters in Teaching and Learning (LTL); Technical Report  and a Summary of the full report are both downloadable from here

 

TDA Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) Reports - Year 3

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It is clear that the partnership models and operations have developed over the three years of the project. In particular, schools have become more knowledgeable consumers of professional development. Partnerships also tend to be more equal and schools are making a more substantial contribution (for example in the design of new modules in response to a specified need) than appeared to be the case at the start of the project. HEIs appear to have developed processes and systems which enable them to be more responsive in terms of both content and delivery.

There were indications from three providers that they were positively encouraging schools to develop their contribution as an equal partner, rather than a purchaser of what the provider had to offer. On this evidence, there may be more scope for providers to review the actions they take to help schools build their muscles to define their own CPD needs and exploit the partnership for solutions and specialist resources.

TDA Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) Reports - Year 2

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In 1998 the Teaching and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) led the Award-bearing In-Service Education and Training (INSET) scheme for the (then) Department for Education and Skills (DfES). A joint review by TDA and the DfES published in 2003 highlighted areas for development, including:

  • improving the responsiveness of courses to local needs;
  • increasing the accessibility and flexibility of courses; and
  • increasing participation amongst teachers and monitoring the impact of courses.

 

In response to these recommendations, and building on the strengths of the existing award-bearing INSET scheme, the TDA developed a new programme of award bearing postgraduate courses known as the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) programme. The TDA PPD programme provides funding to support teachers’ learning and development at postgraduate level (M level). Allocations of the first round of funding for PPD courses were made in February 2005, for the academic year 2005/06.