Transforming Practice: An exploration of factors influencing the potential of research to impact on the development of students’ practice in the classroom

Relevance to the theme: Knowing about teaching This research project provides insights into ‘Knowing about Teaching’ as it explores students’ perceptions of the factors influencing the potential impact of both published research and opportunities to engage in their own research on the development of their own classroom practice.

RESEARCH METHODS

Overview: Phase 1: in-depth semi-interviews with five undergraduate Primary ITE students to explore their perceptions of factors which impacted on the development of their teaching in the classroom. Phase 2a: analysis of the interview data by a research team consisting of one undergraduate student and three postgraduate PGCE students and exploration of themes in a focus group discussion. Phase 2b: further analysis of the interview data by an undergraduate student with a focus on making links to published work Phase 3: further research into themes which emerged from Phase 2 through interviews to explore emergent themes

Data analysis Student focus group to identify emergent themes related to their own practical experience Individual students carried out: a)initial analysis to identify emergent themes b)In-depth analysis focussing on sub-themes within the research theme and linking to published research Patchwork approach – online forum of colleagues from Science Team

Patchwork Themes: Motivation / inspiration for engaging in research Conceptions of identity Model of transformative learning (Illeris, 2014) Research as an enabler of transformation of practice Barriers to engaging in research

Student Researcher Themes Factors motivating engagement in research: Personal interests ‘informing research’ Personal interests impacting on motivation Areas of identified weakness Barriers: Time constraints inhibiting research / limited access to research Research informing problem solving / informing teaching practice Lack of opportunities to engage with research in schools Impact of engagement with evidence from research on beliefs (published research vs own research) Impact of research on practice (published research and own research)

Possible additional themes: Importance of opportunities to be involved in discourse communities to discuss research Impact of tutor research Tutor role in enabling engagement with research e.g. tutor questioning, presenting conflicting research views

THEMES FROM LITERATURE

Concept of ‘research informed clinical practice’ For beginning teachers working within an established community of practice, with access to the practical wisdom of experts, ‘clinical practice’ allows them to engage in a process of enquiry: seeking to interpret and make sense of the specific needs of particular students, to formulate and implement particular pedagogical actions and to evaluate the outcomes. (Burn and Mutton, 2013: 3)

Research in the Finnish education system Teachers are equipped with the skills necessary to conduct their own research They are trained how to evaluate the findings of the research of others so that they can implement research findings in response to their interpretation of the needs of learners A view of teaching as ‘a process of practical problem solving’ (Burn and Mutton, 2013: 6)

Problem solving in practical contexts Engagement with Research

Collaborative engagement From a review of literature by Cordingley (2013) the following themes were identified as significant in effective CPDL: - shared risk-taking -professional learning-focused dialogue Teachers engaging in and with research do not just draw on support, but can become part a community of support. In this context the opportunity for talk is critical – talking with, being heard, and engaging with others’ perspectives. (Leat, Lofthouse and Reid, 2013: 5)

Other interesting themes: The importance of taking as a starting point for teacher learning their aspirations for their pupils’ learning (Cordingley, 2013) The significance of beliefs about teaching and learning: Recent findings also suggest that educational beliefs of preservice teachers play a pivotal role in their acquisition and interpretation of knowledge and subsequent teaching behavior and that unexplored entering beliefs may be responsible for the perpetuation of antiquated and ineffectual teaching practices. (Pajares, 1992: 328)

Some key findings from this project: Engagement in the analysis of findings from published research was identified as a key factor through which the students’ beliefs about how children learn were challenged and developed. In practice barriers existed in relation to the potential to try out ideas gained from reading research articles, such as the class teachers’ concerns about the potential impact of ‘new’ approaches on children’s attainment. Opportunity to engage in their own research was considered to be a powerful vehicle of change in relation to aspects practice for some of the students. Engagement with research was a means of informing problem solving in relation to learners’ needs

Very few opportunities arose to become involved in discourse communities in school-based contexts which centred on discussion ideas from research. Formal and informal discourse communities within the University were considered to provide an important forum in which to share and challenge ideas about research and to identify useful findings from published research that could be used to inform practice. Students raised concerns over their capacity to continue to engage effectively with published research and to carry out research in their classrooms once they were no longer part of the University community. Interest in the research area and perceived personal developmental needs were motivators to engaging with research.

DISCUSSION AND NEXT STEPS

References and further reading: Leeman, Y. and Wardekker, W. (2014) Teacher Research and the Aims of Education, Teachers and Teaching, 20 (1),pp 45–58. BERA/RSA (2014) Research and the Teaching Profession: Building the capacity for a self-improving education system. Final Report of the BERA-RSA Inquiry into the Role of Research in Teacher Education. London: BERA. Burn, K. and Mutton, T. (2014) Review of ‘Research-Informed Clinical Practice’ in Initial Teacher Education, The BERA-RSA Inquiry. London: BERA. Leat, D., Lofthouse, R. and Reid, A. (2013) Teachers’ Views: Perspectives on Research Engagement, Research and Teacher Education. The BERA-RSA Inquiry. London: BERA. Pajares, M.F. (1992) Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct, Review of Educational Research, 62 (3), pp