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The involvement in inquiry-based working of teachers of research-intensive versus practically oriented teacher education programmes
Abstract
This study investigated the involvement in inquiry-based working of graduates of research-intensive (academic) and practically oriented (regular) Dutch teacher education programmes. Differences between graduates from both types of programmes were assessed through a survey among 201 beginning teachers. Graduates of both programmes were involved in systematic reflection and in using research, however, they were less frequently conducting research. While academic teachers perceived themselves as more competent than regular teachers in inquiry-based working, there were few differences in their actual involvement in inquiry-based activities. Participation in a professional learning community appeared to stimulate the involvement of academic teachers in inquiry-based working.
... Inquiry-based working (IBW) IBW refers to structured reflection on their teaching practices through interactions with educational research for supporting student development (Baan et al., 2019;Luo et al., 2022). Theoretically, the idea of teacher involvement in IBW is based on Stenhouse's conception of teachers as researchers (Stenhouse, 1975), and Cochran-Smith's emphasis on the relevance of developing an inquiry as stance (Cochran-Smith and Lytle, 2009). ...
... These three activities can occur at both the (A) classroom-level and the (B) school-level (Baan et al., 2019). (A) Classroom-level IBW involves teachers engaging in reflective practices and applying research in their classroom. ...
... It implies variations in the extent of teacher involvement in different dimensions of IBW. This variation could related to many factors, such as teachers' motivation, self-efficacy, research experience, and perception of the schools' research culture (Baan et al., 2019(Baan et al., , 2020. Hence, the heterogeneity in different profiles of inquiry-based teachers was considered in formulating research questions for the present study. ...
Purpose
A supportive research culture in primary schools is crucial for motivating teachers to reflect and improve their practice based on research. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role of research culture on primary teachers’ involvement in inquiry-based working.
Design/methodology/approach
The explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach was used for the research purpose. First, a latent profile analysis was carried out building on data from 5,566 Chinese primary teachers to identify subgroups reflecting their involvement in inquiry-based working. Next, interviews were conducted with 24 teachers representing each profile. Responses across different profiles regarding school research culture and its role were analysed.
Findings
In the first quantitative phase. Three distinct profiles emerged: Profile 1, the “classroom reflector”; Profile 2, the “inquiring teacher” and Profile 3, the “active inquirer and school transformer”. In the second qualitative phase, the results underscore the pivotal role of research culture in fostering teachers’ involvement in inquiry-based working, emphasising aspects of vision, leadership and networks.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional design of this research may not fully capture the dynamic and enduring nature of the research culture and its impact on teachers’ practices.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this study contributes to the international discussion on understanding research culture and its role. Practically, this study provides some implications that centre on the three different aspects of research culture (vision, leadership and network) and their interconnections to promote the school to become an inquiry-oriented community. Methodologically, this study demonstrates the potential of combining a person-centred quantitative approach and a qualitative approach.
... Inquiry-based working refers to teacher engagement in research-related activities to make wellinformed decisions and adapt their teaching to developments in the school context (Cochran-Smith and Lytle 2009, Munthe and Rogne 2015, Baan et al. 2021. Baan et al. (2019), (2020), 2021) identified three typical activities for the operationalisation of teacher involvement in inquiry-based working in schools, including (1) systematic reflection, (2) using research, and (3) conducting research. These three forms of inquiry-based activities can be carried out at both the classroom-level and the school-level. ...
... These three forms of inquiry-based activities can be carried out at both the classroom-level and the school-level. The classroom-level describes teacher involvement in inquiry-based working focusing on their own classroom, whereas the school-level refers to the collaboration of teachers to address school-related problems (Baan et al. 2019). Previous work described theoretical and practical purposes of teacher involvement in inquiry-based work. ...
... Teacher involvement in inquiry-based working. A previously developed instrument to assess teacher self-reported inquiry-based working (Baan et al. 2019) was adopted for this study. The confirmatory factor analysis performed in this study (Baan et al. 2019) with a sample size of 201 showed an acceptable construct validity of the scale (χ2/df = 1.97, ...
This study was conducted to further explore the possible mechanism behind the finding that rural teachers are disadvantaged for participation in inquiry-based working compared to their urban counterparts. School organisation factors are the most obvious mediating variables since they can be easily connected with wider school regional features and with the behaviour of teachers. The contributions of two organisational factors, school research culture and school research infrastructure were studied. A multilevel structural equation model was developed based on data collected from 5566 Chinese teachers working in 114 primary schools. The results reveal the disparity in teacher-perceived school research culture and infrastructure between rural teachers and urban teachers. Perceived school research culture is positively related to teacher involvement in inquiry-based working, and mediates the rural-urban gap of teacher involvement in inquiry-based working at the between-level. The implications of these results and the theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions of this study are discussed.
... For example, a recent special issue of the European Journal of Teacher Education brought the themes together in order to consider their interconnections and the tensions among them (Menter & Flores, 2020). Regarding the relationship between research and practice, attention has been drawn to research-based teacher education, although it is still somewhat unclear what this means in different contexts and countries (Alvunger & Wahlström, 2018;Baan et al., 2019Baan et al., , 2020Puustinen et al., 2018;Steele, 2018). ...
... A close connection between research and practical actions in the school context is essential, and both parties should have something at stake in the collaboration (Olin & Ingerman, 2016). Student teachers' motivation for research-based activities can thus be enhanced by connecting their research projects to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019). The advantage of doing so lies in the possibility of trying things out in a secure and supported situation with limited responsibility (Ulvik & Riese, 2016). ...
... This perspective can be related to previous research on student teachers' challenges in connecting research-based activities gained in teacher education to teaching and classroom activities (Afdal & Spernes, 2018;Baan et al., 2020;Puustinen et al., 2018). However, studies have also shown that student teachers' motivation for research-based activities can be enhanced by connecting their research projects to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019;Ulvik & Riese, 2016). By giving them opportunities to do their research in practice, collaboration between teacher education and schools will develop (Dimmock, 2016), and, at the same time, their R&D competence will develop (Lillejord & Børte, 2017). ...
The aim of Norway’s reformed teacher education programme is to educate research-literate teachers who are able to integrate research-based knowledge into classroom experiences. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to gain deeper insight into
student teachers’ experiences of working on their research and development (R&D) assignments in order to obtain a better understanding of the process from their perspective. More specifically, their experiences of working on the R&D assignments
before, during and after the writing process were investigated through essays. Data were collected from 59 informants from two teacher education institutions, and 137 essays were analysed in line with a thematic analytical approach. The student teachers’
experiences of working on the R&D assignments were related to two themes: a positive and challenging process, and research and teacher relevance. In line with these themes,
the R&D assignments should be organised so as to provide enough support for student teachers alongside the appropriate tools for managing the research task. Furthermore, R&D assignments within teacher education can be seen as a route towards connecting
research and practice and further developing research-literate teachers.
... Hence, balancing research-based activities, including the master's thesis, in a way that promotes teachers' professional development, is challenging (Antonsen et al., 2020;Eklund et al., 2019;Ellis et al., 2019) and can be linked to the well-known dilemma of integrating theory and practice (Randi & Corno, 2007). Successful research-based activities must facilitate active and independent student participation and be connected to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019;Flores, 2018;Nikolov et al., 2020). ...
... Everton et al. (2000) have concluded that research evidence, in general, is valued when the results deal with activities in the classroom and particular aspects of learning and teaching. To enhance student teachers' motivation for research-based activities, their scientific theses could be connected to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019;Ulvik & Riese, 2016). Research in practice further supports teachers' development of an integrated view of theory and practice and enhances their ability to develop teacher practice systematically and reflectively (Lillejord & Børte, 2017). ...
... Therefore, we recognize that arts-based educational research has implications for teacher education with its practice-led logic. When doing arts-based educational research, students need to dare to deviate from what they have learned about conventional research and become active agents themselves in their research processes (Baan et al., 2019;Nikolov et al., 2020). This pushes the student-supervisor relationship towards collaborative (un)learning (cf. ...
Arts-based research has been proposed to be a new paradigm in teacher education, but research on supervising arts-based educational research in master’s theses in education remains scarce. Recently, researchers have begun re-thinking supervision with relational, more-than-human ontologies, acknowledging that it encompasses doings and relational becomings produced by a multiplicity of human and non-human bodies. However, little attention has been given to the becoming for both student and supervisor, and this research has been limited to doctoral supervision. Originating through a student–supervisor relationship, the study explored the entangled supervision/thesis writing processes to produce an understanding of arts-based educational master’s thesis supervision in teacher education. The analytical questions were: (1) What doings make a difference when supervising and writing an arts-based educational master’s thesis, and (2) what are their opportunities and challenges for teacher education? A diffractive analysis produced doings of thinking-together with/in theory and arts-based educational research practice, be(com)ing-teacher and be(com)ing-supervisor, and be(com)ing-with-the-thesis. The doings focused on the master’s thesis project but extended its boundaries. The doings drew on the past concerning previous experiences and knowledges, were fueled by present mutual interests, and affected future teaching practices. The study holds implications by providing valuable insights into ABER supervision in teacher education
... These studies can be grouped into four broad lines of research, according to their focus. Respectively, these categories look at 1) how (in-service or pre-service) teachers conceptualise research or inquiry, 1 and how this conceptualisation relates to teacher identity (Baan et al. 2019;Cain 2016;Puustinen et al. 2018;Stenberg et al. 2014;Van Der Linden et al. 2015), as well as investigating the relationship between inquiry and other components of teachers' identities (such as agency, ownership and sense-making) that are directly related to improving teaching practices (Hökkä, Eteläpelto, and Rasku-Puttonen 2012;Vähäsantanen 2015;Connolly et al. 2018;Wallen and Tormey 2019); ...
... They act as teachers, content experts, facilitators, mentors, researchers and innovators. Moreover, excellent teachers reflect on their practice as part of their daily routine in order to ensure that they continue to enhance their pedagogical skills and promote better teaching and learning practices (Baan et al. 2019). The researcher and innovator roles investigated by Ariffin, Bush, and Nordin (2018) are related to the concept of inquiryoriented teachers. ...
... This enables future teachers to position themselves as knowledge creators rather than knowledge recipients. The research-based approach prepares teachers to deal with the complex and changing circumstances of school life and lets them assume a more active role in their professional growth (Baan et al. 2019;Cochran-Smith and Lytle 2009;Taylor 2017;Toom et al. 2010). However, we know that adapting initial teacher programmes to a research-based approach is a complex process and one of the influential factors is precisely the voice of teacher educators (Afdal and Spernes 2018;Van Katwijk et al. 2019). ...
This qualitative study uses the dialogical self theory to explore teacher educators’ voices as they speak on the issue of teacher identity positioning, specifically when it comes to the position of teachers as inquirers. A content analysis of self-reports from 18 teacher educators yielded 3 primary teacher core I-positions. The results showed that the teacher educators viewed teachers more as mediators than as instructors or inquirers. Although all the participants acknowledged the relevance of the inquiry process in the teaching profession, they differed as to the value, purpose, and learning outcomes of adopting an inquiry position in the initial training of teachers.
... For example, teachers may consult relevant literature to obtain information about how to handle children with special needs in their classrooms. Some teachers also engage in these forms of inquiry-based working at the school level; for example, a teacher might conduct research concerning the effectiveness of a newly introduced teaching approach (Baan, Gaikhorst, and Volman 2018;Baan et al. 2019;Snoek et al. 2017). ...
... However, novice teachers who have graduated from academic programmes appear to mostly engage in reflection and using literature and less in conducting research. Moreover, these forms of inquiry-based working are mostly conducted within their own classrooms but some teachers, especially those with roles in professional learning communities, have been found to be involved in inquiry-based working at the school level (Baan et al. 2019;Baan, Gaikhorst, and Volman 2018;Goodnough 2011). However, most of the studies mentioned, only focus on involvement of teachers one year after graduation. ...
... It may be relevant to consider these conditions when attempting to understand teachers' development in inquiry-based working. With regard to personal conditions, teachers' involvement in inquiry-based working appears to be related to their expectations and motivation (Baan et al. 2019;Davis, Clayton, and Broome 2018). With regard to structural and cultural conditions, previous research has indicated that school culture, ideas about inquiry-based working held by members of a team, the role or formal position of a teacher, the school leader and the existence of a structure intended to support inquiry-based working (e.g., research groups) affect teachers' involvement in inquirybased working (Baan, Gaikhorst, and Volman 2018;Baan et al. 2019;Davis, Clayton, and Broome 2018;Deluca, Bolden, and Chan 2017;Willegems et al. 2017). ...
Research-intensive teacher education programmes aim to educate teachers to work in an inquiry-based manner, meaning that they should be able to use and conduct research to reflect on their teaching. Little is known, however, about how graduates of these programmes function and develop as teachers. In this study seven graduates of Dutch academic teacher education programmes were followed to investigate how their inquiry-based working developed during their first years of teaching. Interviews were conducted with these graduates and their school leaders over three subsequent years. Their involvement in inquiry-based working was found to shift from the classroom level to the school organisational level, with this shift being dependent on individual and organisational conditions. The results suggest ways to support teachers’ professional development in inquiry-based working.
... Teachers have a very central role in the successful implementation of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL). Teachers who are specially trained in the IBL method do not simply act as transmitters of knowledge, but rather as learning facilitators who guide students through the inquiry process (Amos et al., 2020;Aras, 2021;Baan et al., 2019). Teachers who are competent in IBL understand that the learning process should focus on student exploration rather than direct information delivery. ...
... The successful implementation of IBL depends on the teacher's ability to adapt the approach to the needs of the students. In an inquiry-based classroom, the teacher's role as a facilitator also includes providing space for students to make mistakes and learn from their experiences, encouraging reflective processes and helping students find answers to their own questions (Aras, 2021;Baan et al., 2019). Teachers trained in IBL are also better prepared to deal with unpredictable classroom dynamics, where learning often follows a path that is not entirely predictable. ...
Introduction
This study explores the impact of the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) model on enhancing social skills and academic performance among primary education students across various international settings. Amid the growing demand for 21st-century competencies, IBL offers a pedagogical approach that fosters both cognitive and interpersonal development.
Methods
A qualitative meta-analysis was conducted using the Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS), specifically NVivo 12 Plus. The study systematically reviewed and analyzed purposively selected literature on IBL implementation in countries such as Finland, Australia, Singapore, and the United States.
Results
The analysis indicates that IBL significantly enhances students’ social skills—particularly collaboration, communication, and empathy—while also promoting academic engagement and performance. Success in IBL implementation is closely associated with flexible curriculum policies, as observed in Finland and Australia. In contrast, more rigid, assessment-driven systems present barriers to effective adoption.
Discussion
The findings highlight the critical roles of curriculum flexibility, teacher facilitation, and digital integration in optimizing IBL practices. To maximize the benefits of IBL, the study recommends embedding IBL more fully into national curricula, providing targeted teacher training, and expanding access to digital learning tools. These steps are essential for equipping students with the critical thinking, autonomy, and interpersonal competencies required in the globalized 21st-century context.
... Recently, there have been studies on whether teachers use research knowledge in teaching, both in the context of teacher education and working life (Baan et al., 2019(Baan et al., , 2023. social persuasion and physiological arousal were found to be related to ECE teachers' self-efficacy along with mastery experiences. ...
... According to the results of Baan's research group, educational research knowledge does not necessarily translate into practical service. The teachers presented rather critical assessments of the availability of support from the school's organizational factors, time, availability of sources and, for example, the motivation of their team to conduct research (Baan et al., 2019). Jakhelln et al. (2021) studied teachers at the interface of teacher education and working life in Finland and Norway. ...
The aim of the study is to comprehensively analyze the interrelationships between teacher efficacy, the sources of self-efficacy, and implementation of early childhood education (ECE). The assumption is that according to socio-cognitive theory, source categories predict the self-efficacy of educational staff. According to a few previous research results, knowledge of theories and research in the field of education also contributes to a professional’s self-efficacy. In this study, 202 Finnish ECE teachers evaluated their self-efficacy and its sources (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiological arousal) as well as their pedagogical planning, implementation, and leadership. A path analysis was conducted to estimate the sources of self-efficacy and active and reactive use of educational research as predictors of teacher self-efficacy, and further, of self-efficacy as a predictor of teachers’ pedagogical planning, implementation, and leadership. The findings showed that mastery experiences, social persuasion, and physiological arousal were positively related to self-efficacy in pedagogical approaches, group management, and child engagement. Intentional use of educational theory and research was positively related to self-efficacy in pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, the quality of pedagogical planning, implementation, and leadership were predicted by high self-efficacy in pedagogical approaches, but implementation also by social persuasion and active use of theory and research.
... However, there are few studies assessing popular science in general (Baram-Tsabari & Lewenstein, 2013;Pelger & Nilsson, 2016; and science video in particular (Putortì et al., 2020). In research-based teacher education, where student teachers write scientific master's theses (Baan et al., 2019), there is a need to develop popular science communication. This connects to the well-known dilemma on theory, research and practice, which has been also recently discussed in the literature. ...
... Herein, the challenge lies in balancing teacher education's research-based activities in a way that promotes teachers' professional development (Antonsen et al., 2020;Eklund et al., 2019;Ellis et al., 2019). To make learning meaningful, research-based activities must facilitate active and independent student participation and be connected to education practices (Baan et al., 2019;Flores, 2018;Nikolov et al., 2020). However, connecting research with school development entails new perspectives and qualities for student teachers, teacher educators in universities and teachers in schools (Flores, 2018). ...
Previous research shows that there is a challenge in balancing research-oriented activities, including the master’s thesis, in a way that promotes teachers’ professional development. This study aims to investigate student teachers’ experiences of communicating their master’s theses as popular science to schools and school communities. Data (logbooks, videos and text submissions) were collected from Finnish student teachers (n = 38) during a campus-based course from 2019 to 2020. The results show that most students had difficulty shifting from a science to a popular science approach and found this experience of genre shift during dissemination as challenging.
... Second, that the knowledge and skills that student-teachers developed in their previous experiences have faded out. Third, in line with the findings of the study by Baan et al. (2019), differences in previous knowledge resulted in only few differences regarding actual involvement with inquiry-based activities. ...
... While on the first sight this seems to be unexpected, in a study on teachers' engagement with inquiry-based working Baan et al. (2019) concluded that knowledge and skills in an inquiry only minimally influenced teachers' actual involvement in inquiry-based activities as other factors might come into play. ...
The expansion of globalized capitalism accompanied by rapid technological advancements have had profound impact on the educational landscape and vastly increased the challenges that teachers address nowadays. While there is no simple antidote to the complex problems that our world faces, teachers who engage with inquiry can alleviate the practical problems of daily teaching and reach their goals, improve students’ learning, and establish possibilities for professional development within their working context. However, despite the inherent potentiality of inquiry for teacher professional growth, the literature on the identity of the teacher-inquirer and related concepts is scarce.
This thesis aims to contribute to the literature regarding the teacher-inquirer identity on several fronts. On a theoretical level, the thesis aims to define the concept of the teacher-inquirer, elaborate a theoretical model of the inquiry skills practiced by teachers when they are conducting an inquiry, and identify other components related to the teacher-inquirer identity. On a practical level, the thesis aims to construct two self-report quantitative questionnaires to measure teachers’ inquiry skills and other related components when teachers are engaged in an inquiry in two different settings, examine relationships between the inquiry skills and other components, and categorise clusters of teachers in terms of their inquiry skills.
The thesis recognizes the problems regarding the definition of the teacher identity and begins by reviewing the concept of identity and its characteristics before providing a definition of the teacher identity. Next, it analyses six teacher identity types, explicates how the characteristics of teacher identities are manifested, and examines how the three Modes of Existence can be utilized as a lens to analyse teacher professional identities. Then, based on these foundational concepts as well as on literature on action research and research on social sciences, it constructs a definition of the teacher-inquirer identity, identifies five different phases or skills of inquiry (searching and focusing, understanding and exploring, designing and implementing, evaluating and reflecting, writing and presenting), and discusses how agency, sense-making, ownership, and emotions affect teacher identities.
The research study is situated within the critical realism paradigm. Two online questionnaires were constructed for collecting data from two different populations: in-service teachers who conduct inquiry in light of an educational innovation and student-teachers who conduct a thesis as part of their studies in an online postgraduate course. The two questionnaires gathered 111 and 154 responses respectively.
The statistical analysis revealed that there was considerable overlap between the theoretically identified skills and how participants perceived them in practice. Furthermore, in both studies, teachers reported that they practiced their inquiry skills at least to some extent and several connections among the investigated components emerged. Three different inquirer identity profiles have been identified based on the extent to which teachers and student-teachers practiced their inquiry skills. In general, the three profiles can be ordered from high to low. Lastly, it was found that several components, including sense-making, ownership, agency, and emotions, have an impact on the development of the teacher-inquirer identity in both studies.
The results are considered within the limitations of survey research and several suggestions for future research are made. Finally, a series of implications for practice are set forth that can be beneficial for a wide audience; from teachers and school leaders to educational policy designers and scholars.
... As their final capstone activity (9-15 ECTS), they undertake preservice teacher inquiry projects that are directly connected to their own practices, for example, design research or action research. Most of these inquiries are small in scale and involve qualitative design, limited quantitative data, and use of practice-based literature, such as handbooks and professional literature (Baan et al., 2019). With regard to described teaching activities and assessments, all institutes focus on research skills (i.e., Quadrant IV, research-oriented), despite citing the development of an inquiry habit of mind (Quadrants I + II, research-tutored and research-based) as their main purpose (Van Katwijk, Jansen, & Van Veen, 2019). ...
... Moreover, both preservice teachers and teacher educators truly believe that they are developing inquiry competence. These findings suggest that the implementation of preservice teacher inquiry provides valuable training for newly qualified teachers, leading them to have an inquiry stance and conduct inquiry-based work (e.g., Baan et al., 2019;. ...
This study aims to gain insight into the perceived purpose and value of preservice teacher inquiry in Dutch primary teacher education by teacher educators and preservice teachers at the undergraduate level; it also assesses the implementation of teaching and learning activities, and learning outcomes associated with teacher inquiry. In the Netherlands, inquiry competence in primary teacher education develops over a 4-year period, resulting in students’ completion of capstone projects using practitioner inquiry. The authors combine a survey with focus groups of teacher educators and preservice teachers from eight institutes. They find differences between preservice teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of inquiry competence and teacher educators’ visions and perceptions of such implementation. All participants, students and educators, believe inquiry to be valuable and perceive learning outcomes of inquiry to be enriching, yet about half of the preservice teachers do not to expect to undertake inquiry in their future teaching jobs.
... 2018.) Opettajankoulutuksen tutkimusperustaisuus ja näkemykset tutkimusperustaisesta opettajasta vaihtelevat maittain (Baan, Gaikhorst, Noordende & Volman 2019;Brew & Saunders 2020;Munthe & Rogne 2015). Eurooppalaisia maita yhdistää Bolognan prosessin sekä EU:n komission ja OECD:n kaltaisten tahojen pyrkimys edistää opettajankoulutuksen tutkimusperustaisuutta (Afdal & Spernes 2018; Commission of the European Communities 2007; Darling-Hammond 2017;OECD 2006). ...
Tarkastelemme artikkelissamme suomalaisten luokanopettajien näkemyksiä tutkimusperustaisuuden merkityksestä ja toteutumismahdollisuuksista heidän työssään. Käytäntöarkkitehtuuriteoriaan tukeutuen tutkimme tutkimusperustaisuuskäytäntöä suhteessa muihin opetustyötä määritteleviin käytäntöihin. Haastattelemamme opettajat arvostivat pääsääntöisesti opettajankoulutuksessa saamaansa akateemista ja tutkimusperustaista koulutusta, vaikka sitä myös kritisoitiin. Pääosin positiivinen suhtautuminen tutkimukseen ja opettajankoulutuksen tarjoama tutkimuksellinen asenne ei kuitenkaan siirry osaksi opetustyön käytäntöä. Opettajankoulutuskäytännön edustama tutkimusperustaisuus koettiin siten kaukaiseksi ja erilliseksi koulussa tapahtuvasta opetuskäytännöstä. Tutkimusperustaisuuden toteuttamismahdollisuuksia estivät myös puutteelliseksi koetut tutkimustaidot, opetustyön hektisyys ja opetushallinnon myöntämät vähäiset resurssit. Omaa työtään pohtiva ja kehittävä tutkimusperustainen opettaja on ollut suomalaisen opettajankoulutuksen tavoite ja on haastattelemiemme opettajienkin mielestä perusteltu ja yleisesti kannatettava ideaali, mutta se on tutkimuksemme mukaan opetustyön käytännössä vaikeasti toteutettavissa. Opettajankoulutuksen ja opettajan työoloja määrittelevän opetustoimen olisi näin ollen syytä edistää opettajan mahdollisuuksia toteuttaa tutkimusperustaisuutta.
... A related recommendation involves conducting research. There is evidence that teacher inquiry continues beyond preservice teacher education into novice and professional life (Baan et al., 2019;Baan & Volman, 2021). Special attention should be paid to social justice. ...
Scholars underscore the need to study core features and outcomes of preservice teacher (PST) inquiry. This qualitative study identifies facilitation as a key feature, and a social justice inquiry stance as an important outcome. The author analyzed PST inquiry reports from a graduate-level course, noting that fewer than half of the reports were focused on social justice and, despite a weak program emphasis, PSTs were adopting this inquiry stance. Analysis of student feedback surveys and instructor notes revealed that providing clear and structured processes, consistent written feedback, and frequent meetings with facilitator and peers were effective facilitation strategies. Additional strategies include teaching research skills prior to the teacher inquiry semester, building more collaboration opportunities, and a program-wide focus on social justice. The author asserts that these strategies could ease reported PST challenges and provides recommendations for developing and sustaining social justice-focused PST inquiry in small liberal arts teacher education programs.
... First, research can contribute to teacher's professional development and school improvement (Coburn & Penuel, 2016;Dobber et al., 2012). Second, doing research through inquiry-based work is a way to bridge the gap between theory/research and practice (Baan et al., 2019;Morrissette, 2013). Third, research can help teachers to find solutions to particular problems, it can provide them with up-to-date sources of information, and it can help determine priorities when introducing educational changes (Austin, 2016). ...
We explored whether training through and about research on effective writing practices would enable teachers to use these practices fully in their classrooms. To do this, we followed seven teachers who had participated in research on the teaching of writing. They had between 6 and 15 years of experience. Five of them teach at primary level and two at secondary level. They were trained in a program involving effective practices. They adapted the practices for their class with the referent researcher, implemented them in the classroom, and participated in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data. This work took place over a year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at least 1 year after this experience, to find out the effects of this training-research program. In the end, it appears that the participants in training and research had a desire to change their practices as a result of this experience. All of the seven teachers interviewed felt that they implemented rewrites, feedback, and scaffolding and were attentive to students’ relationship to writing. In addition, six of the seven teachers added peer evaluation and eliciting student metacognition. However, they specified that these practices were the most complex for them to implement, especially the metacognitive prompts.
... For the design of the research-training module, we were inspired by three guiding theoretical principles: inquiry-based working, professional learning activities, and role diversity. First, one way to bridge the gap between theory/research and practice, is to engage student teachers in research through inquiry-based working (Baan et al., 2019). Teachers are increasingly expected to be able to use and conduct research to evaluate and improve their own teaching practices (Zeichner, 2003). ...
In crisis situations, during armed conflicts or after natural disasters, education systems often fail to provide access to the quality of education that is arguably crucial for conflict stabilisation, peacemaking, and development, particularly in countries recovering from war. Challenges to educational provision in (post-)crisis situations and the demands of curriculum change are well discussed and thoroughly documented in the literature. However, the critical role of teachers is often discussed in general terms but not well understood. Furthermore, little is known about the challenges with initial teacher education in post-crisis contexts, or about the quality of teaching in such contexts.
This study aims to identify the challenges with providing quality teaching and teacher education in crisis situations by studying the case of Mosul University in Iraq. Focusing on developments after the demise of the Islamic State, the study looks at expert interviews as a means of exploring the perspectives of teacher educators at different faculties of Mosul University. It also analyses the teacher education curriculum and its development and implementation. Our findings provide an insight into teacher education structures in Iraq and the broader challenges presented by crisis contexts. A core challenge appears to be the centralised curriculum, which focuses on subject specific knowledge rather than other types of knowledge that are of key importance for prospective teachers in areas affected by conflict. Finally, the article provides suggestions for improving the teacher education curriculum at Mosul University and for addressing the challenges presented by crisis contexts.
... First, one way to bridge the gap between theory/research and practice, is to engage student teachers in research through inquirybased working (Baan et al., 2019). Teachers are increasingly expected to be able to use and conduct research to evaluate and improve their own teaching practices (Zeichner, 2003). ...
Numerous studies have shown how pre-service teachers struggle with a research-practice or theory-practice gap: they find it difficult to implement insights from educational theory within their real-world classroom practices. As a result, student teachers rapidly return to deeply and often traditional rooted beliefs and attitudes. Teacher education institutes, therefore, are challenged to prepare student teachers for seeing the value of educational theory and research for teachers' classroom practices. In this chapter, we focus on bridging the theory-to-practice gap within initial teacher training, by educating student teachers about research through research. More specifically, we evaluated the implementation of a research-training module in the final year of teacher training. This module was characterized as a collaborative research partnership (between student teachers, in-service teachers, teacher educators, and researchers) and focused on developing and evaluating teaching scenarios. Data collection combined focus groups (N=23 primary school student teachers) with the analysis of student teachers' teaching portfolios. The study findings illustrate how participation in a collaborative research project contributed to student teachers' research conceptions and reflexivity skills. Moreover, collaborative research partnerships enabled to bridge the world of practitioners and researchers, leading them to work together on questions that both consider as being relevant. Our study contributes to the reflection on how to strengthen the quality of teaching and teacher training, by showing how collaborative research can be seen as a valuable professional learning activity. Keywords Theory-practice gap-Initial teacher education-Primary education-Research participation-Collaborative research-Qualitative research Colognesi, S., & März, V. (2023). Educating about and through research. The role of research in pre-service teachers' classroom
... As such, the teachers enjoying research mindsets purported that there is always a room for them to address pedagogical concerns in research, highlight emerging critical classroom incidents, and turn into life-long learners. As Baan et al. (2019) acknowledged, teachers doing research perceive themselves to be more competent. Research perception is an empowering tool for teachers that mediate their research engagement by consistently reminding them of "butterfly effect" or making a huge difference by doing small-scale classroom research. ...
... First, one way to bridge the gap between theory/research and practice, is to engage student teachers in research through inquirybased working (Baan et al., 2019). Teachers are increasingly expected to be able to use and conduct research to evaluate and improve their own teaching practices (Zeichner, 2003). ...
Numerous studies have shown how pre-service teachers struggle with a research-practice or theory-practice gap: they find it difficult to implement insights from educational theory within their real-world classroom practices. As a result, student teachers rapidly return to deeply and often traditional rooted beliefs and attitudes. Teacher education institutes, therefore, are challenged to prepare student teachers for seeing the value of educational theory and research for teachers' classroom practices. In this chapter, we focus on bridging the theory-to-practice gap within initial teacher training, by educating student teachers about research through research. More specifically, we evaluated the implementation of a research-training module in the final year of teacher training. This module was characterized as a collaborative research partnership (between student teachers, in-service teachers, teacher educators, and researchers) and focused on developing and evaluating teaching scenarios. Data collection combined focus groups (N=23 primary school student teachers) with the analysis of student teachers' teaching portfolios. The study findings illustrate how participation in a collaborative research project contributed to student teachers' research conceptions and reflexivity skills. Moreover, collaborative research partnerships enabled to bridge the world of practitioners and researchers, leading them to work together on questions that both consider as being relevant. Our study contributes to the reflection on how to strengthen the quality of teaching and teacher training, by showing how collaborative research can be seen as a valuable professional learning activity.
... As one of the five major shifts in 100 years of engineering education, a shift to emphasising hands-on teaching has occurred compared with traditional emphasis on analytical engineering science [7]. Engineering education emphasises on practical applications, and many teaching methods oriented to practical applications appear, such as the design-based teaching method [8,9], the problem-based teaching method [10], the research-based teaching method [11], the practical systembased teaching method [12][13][14], the project-based teaching method [15][16][17][18] etc. ...
In order to deepen the understanding of power electronics circuits, in this study, a teaching method of adding simple small applications of circuits on the basis of basic verification experiments is proposed. Teachers teach basic principles and applications of circuits, and students conduct basic verification experiments of circuits in the laboratory. Simple application experiments are added after the verification experiments. The full‐bridge DC‐DC converter circuit is taken as an example to carry out practical teaching. After completing the function of the full‐bridge DC‐DC converter circuit, a load of DC motor is used. The full‐bridge DC‐DC converter circuit is used to control the speed of the DC motor so as to realise the simple application of the full‐bridge DC‐DC converter circuit with a motor speed control function. By comparing the experimental realisation rate, the correct rate of thinking questions and the in‐depth understanding of the application theory of two experimental classes, namely the class with simple applications and the class without simple applications, it is shown that the students with simple application experiments improved the correct rate of thinking questions and deepened their understanding of the applications. Compared with the situation in which most students in the class that did not conduct the application experiment did not know the application principle in detail, most students in the class that conducted the application experiment had a deep understanding of the applications. Through the questionnaire survey of students, it is observed that the method proposed in this study could deepen the understanding of circuits and the students had a simple and preliminary understanding of the applications of power electronics technology. It improved students' interest in the course and their practicing ability. The proposed teaching method had a good effect.
... While inquiry is local, research aims to publish and reach a global audience (BERA, 2014). Regarding the relationship between research and practice, it is still somewhat unclear what it means in different contexts (Alvunger & Wahlström, 2018;Baan et al., 2019;2020;Puustinen et al., 2018). The research field also provides a set of typologies aimed at distinguishing different variations of the scientifically designed approaches. ...
This paper investigates teacher educators’ perceptions of scientifically designed teacher education in Finland and Norway and asks the following research questions: How do teacher educators in Finland and Norway perceive scientifically designed teacher education? How do they perceive teacher education regarding the research-led, research-tutored, research-based, and research-oriented dimensions? The study is comparative and uses a quantitative methodological approach based on a questionnaire survey administered to teacher educators in three departments of teacher education, two in Norway and one in Finland. The findings indicate overall positive and quite similar perceptions between the two countries. Despite the similarities, there were differences, particularly in the dimension concerning teacher-focused activities and in the research-tutored dimension. Furthermore, teacher educators’ perceptions were more varied among the Norwegian teacher educators, compared to the Finnish respondents.
... In addition to developing pre-service teachers' research skills, teacher educators can directly influence perceptions of and attitudes towards practitioner research (e.g., Aspfors and Eklund 2017;Baan, Gaikhorst, and Volman 2019b;Maaranen and Krokfors 2008;Munthe and Rogne, 2015;Van Der Linden et al. 2015). The main aim of teacher education is to educate future-proof teachers with an inquiry stance (Cochran-Smith and Lytle 2009; Dana and Yendol-Hoppey 2019), who can work in inquiry-based contexts and use literature or conduct practitioner research or inquiry to reflect on their own practices or those of their school organisation (Baan et al. 2019a). Inquiry-based working teachers show an inquiry habit of mind and contribute to a culture of inquiry at the school and classroom levels (Uiterwijk-Luijk et al. 2019). ...
Internationally, the attention to pre-service teacher research and inquiry in teacher education is growing. In the Netherlands, pre-service teacher research has been a compulsory component of primary teacher education for a decade. The assumption is that such research can help ‘future-proof’ teachers. This study examines the relationships among the quality of inquiry, the quality of teaching and pre-service teachers’ perception of this research. Scores for assessments of graduating pre-service teachers (N=650) and a survey (n=236) were used as measurements. The findings indicate positive perceptions of practitioner research and a positive correlation between the quality of inquiry and quality of teaching. Using these data, the study identifies four profiles of pre-service teachers, differentiated by their perceived learning outcomes.
... Unlike other research studies that adopt a variable-oriented approach, this research has made it possible to open the door to different ways of conducting qualitative research to answer alternative research questions. For example, while a variable-oriented approach is ideal for studying differences among groups of teachers involved in inquiry-based work using quantitative methodological techniques (Baan et al. 2019), a person-oriented approach using qualitative methodological techniques would allow us to identify differences among individual teachers by comparing their configuration of the inquirer identity I-positions or by describing how teacher-inquirer identity may change over the course of a pedagogical innovation and identify the main factors that influence these changes. ...
Over the last 30 years, a substantial number of publications have attempted to conceptualise the ways in which teachers carry out inquiries in order to affect changes in educational practice. A number of different psychological models have been applied to the study of teachers’ activities as inquirers, including models focusing on teachers’ professional development, socio-constructivist models of teacher thinking and teacher learning models. The aim of this article is to provide a more comprehensive, in-depth conceptualisation of teacher inquiry by using the central concepts of dialogical self theory and by establishing a closer relationship between teacher identity and individual teacher inquiry. We begin by defining the notions of teacher inquiry and teacher identity and then go on to describe dialogical self theory and how this approach can be applied to the description of the teacher-inquirer identity. We conclude this position paper with a detailed example in the form of a single case study illustrating how teachers’ identity as inquirers can be analysed, and we offer some reflexions about potential future research in this new area of study.
Inleidend artikel op het themanummer Onderzoekend vermogen. Onderzoekend vermogen is een term die vanaf 2009 binnen het hbo in gebruik is en sindsdien ook gebruikt wordt in de lerarenopleidingen en het mbo. Wat ‘onderzoekend vermogen’ precies inhoudt, wordt daarbij zelden helder gedefinieerd. Er is een enkele empirische studie die geprobeerd heeft hier meer duidelijkheid te bieden, maar tot op de dag van vandaag worden meerdere termen naast en door elkaar gebruikt waarbij niet duidelijk is of deze termen voor gebruikers dezelfde betekenis hebben of verschillende fenomenen aanduiden. Dat geeft een conceptuele verwarring die er bijvoorbeeld voor zorgt dat (leraren)opleidingen veel problemen ervaren als het gaat om het ‘hoe’ van de ontwikkeling van deze competentie bij een (aankomend) professional. Dit introducerende artikel op het themanummer van Tijdschrift voor Onderwijspraktijkstudies over het onderzoekend vermogen van onderwijsprofessionals probeert te laten zien hoe onderzoekend vermogen de satéprikker kan zijn die van de losse boterhammen ‘theorie’ en ‘praktijk’ een sandwich ‘professionele ontwikkeling’ kan maken. In dit artikel wordt eerst ingegaan op de verwarring rondom onderzoekend vermogen en een nieuwe definitie gepresenteerd die op basis van een systematische conceptanalyse tot stand gekomen is. Daarna wordt geschetst hoe die nieuwe definitie kan helpen om onderzoekend vermogen beter te ontwikkelen bij (aankomende) professionals en tegelijk een hulpmiddel kan zijn in mbo- en hbo-opleidingen om het leren binnen het opleidingsinstituut sterker te verbinden aan leren in de beroepspraktijk.
The context of this study were research and development projects in Dutch secondary education, particularly funded by government to combine practice‐based research with school development goals for inquiry‐based culture. Aiming at better understanding of the strategic role that school leaders play in embedding inquiry‐based practices in schools, the research question of this study was to explore to what extent and how do school leaders use the opportunity of participating in funded research and development projects for encouraging and integrating inquiry‐based practices in their schools? Differences concerning the integration of inquiry‐based working in the school as professional learning community were examined, distinguishing between school leaders’ strategies of capacity building. Twenty‐eight school leaders of Dutch secondary schools, involved in nineteen projects, were interviewed retrospectively. Analyses showed the majority of the school leaders to be convinced that inquiry‐based working is important for their schools’ development as a professional community. Their strategies for achieving school level project significance differed in school leaders’ successive attention on personal or interpersonal capacity building with regard to inquiry‐based practices. Moreover, while some school leaders were actively involved with capacity building right from the start of the research and development projects projects, almost two‐third of the school leaders developed interest in inquiry‐based practices during the projects and started to enact in the final year of the project. In discussing the results, it is proposed that the interaction of strategy and context needs further study, for instance to inform peer learning among school leaders that are novice and experienced in inquiry‐based practices as a means to develop the school as a professional learning community.
This study investigated differences between the inquiring attitudes of student teachers who followed an academic programme and student teachers who followed a professional programme in teacher education. Differences between students were assessed through a survey among 260 students and interviews with nine students. Differences between the curricula of both programmes were explored through a curriculum analysis. In particular, academic students appeared to have a more inquiring attitude than professional students. They had a more critical attitude towards classroom situations and a higher motivation to use and perform research. Teacher research was integrated in the curricula of both academic and professional programmes. However, the academic programme addressed a larger variety of forms of research and the focus on research was more consistent throughout the programme than in the professional programme.
In the Netherlands, academically oriented programmes for primary teacher education have recently been established. The aim of this study is to provide insight in the extent to which graduates from these academically oriented programmes are involved in different forms of inquiry-based working and which factors promote or hinder this involvement. Interviews with 10 academically educated teachers and their school leaders and observations of team meetings were used for this exploratory study. Three forms of inquiry-based working could be distinguished; systematic reflection, using research and conducting research. For most teachers, systematic reflection was part of their daily practice and most teachers made use of research; only a minority was involved in conducting research. Factors like ownership and the role of the teacher in the team were related to teachers’ involvement in inquiry-based working. Teachers with a formal research function in inquiry-based working in their schools appeared to be more involved in inquiry-based working, especially in conducting research.
The present study identifies ways of how meaning-oriented learning is enhanced in academic primary teacher education, a new route to the teaching profession in the Netherlands. Meaning-oriented learners are generally described in the literature as being capable to regulate their own learning, to understand a topic thoroughly, to form their own opinion about it and to draw their own conclusions. Semi-structured interviews were held with both student teachers (n = 32) and educators (n = 18) who participated in this new route. Interviewees perceived common ways of enhancing meaning-oriented learning, such as encouraging students to structure, relate and critically process knowledge. Other ways are related to the development of students’ professional identity as an academic primary teacher in general, for example, through students’ reflection on the development of such an identity and their sharing of knowledge, not only with peers and educators, but also externally in publications, on a conference or on the Web. The present study indicates that the newly developed route to the teaching profession successfully contains elements that provoke meaning-oriented learning. The results of this study are useful for the (further) development of teacher education contexts in which the enhancement of meaning-oriented learning by student teachers is an important aim.
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This project investigated the effects of novice teachers’ responses to an action research project conducting during the student-teaching semester. This study drew on a framework that considered the participants’ process of research, practice of teaching, and identity as a researcher and utilized a qualitative, multiple case-study approach with an initial survey phase followed by interviews and document analysis of completed action research projects. Findings showed that the participants’ pre-existing identities as researchers informed their process of conducting the action research, which then had a positive impact on teaching practice if the overall research experience was positive.
A recurrent discussion in the field of education is how to build linkages between educational research and school practice. Cross-professional collaboration between researchers and school practitioners can contribute to the interplay between practice-based research and school development. The aim of our study is to obtain a better understanding of how a productive interplay between practice-based research and school development is established in the context of 19 research and development (R&D) projects in secondary education. Data from semi-structured interviews with school practitioners and researchers involved in the projects, observations of project meetings and document analysis were used. A productive interplay, in which practice-based research informed school development, was found in two-thirds of the R&D projects. Important conditions in these projects include closing the feedback loop from research to school practice, and making clear agreements on communication and on division of roles and tasks.
Inquiry-based working by teachers includes working with an inquiry habit of mind, being data literate, contributing to a culture of inquiry at the school level, and creating a culture of inquiry at the classroom level. Inquiry-based working has been found to contribute to educational improvements and the professionalisation of teachers. This study investigates the relationship between psychological factors – attitude, experienced social pressure, self-efficacy and collective efficacy – and inquiry-based working by teachers. Questionnaire data were collected from a representative sample of 249 Dutch teachers. The results show a significant relationship between self-efficacy and all aspects of inquiry-based working. In addition, collective efficacy, attitude and experienced social pressure are all related to aspects of inquiry-based working. School leaders and teacher educators who aim to stimulate inquiry-based working should not only focus on increasing teachers’ inquiry skills, but also on psychological factors related to inquiry-based working.
Having a well-founded insight into the characteristics of teachers inquiry-based attitude (IA) supports operationalising IA as a learning goal in teacher education (TE). The aim of this study is to refine the notion of IA from an ill-defined global concept into something with reliable and valid characteristics. To do so, data were gathered on three different occasions amongst three different cohorts of teachers who participated in a master's programme at a Dutch university for applied sciences. This process of exploration and reconceptualisation was performed in collaboration with teacher educators. The results indicate that, statistically, IA has an internal reflective dimension and an external knowledge-sourcing dimension. Both dimensions can also statistically be differentiated from the personality traits openness to ideas, openness to change and epistemic curiosity. The implications of these findings for TE, plus recommendations for future research, are addressed.
Teacher research has become an important aspect of the teaching profession. However, in both national and international literature, it is unclear how teacher research is characterized and how this type of research differs from other types of educational research or good teaching. This literature review aimed at providing insight in the characteristics and benefits of teacher research in the context of primary and secondary education, taking into account the various goals of practitioner research. Regularly used educational research databases were systematically searched for articles on teacher research published between 2009 and 2012. Based on an analysis of 160 articles, four most common types of teacher research are discussed: Action research, Lesson-study, Self-study and Design-based research. In addition, examples of these practices are provided. Also, conditions are discussed for rendering teacher research more effectively. The results show that primary and secondary teachers conduct research mainly to improve their own individual practice or to develop as a professional in a more general sense. Explicit contributions to a knowledge base of teaching still seem rare. This so called 'scholarship of teaching and learning' could, however, be a promising solution with respect to the proverbial 'gap' between educational research and practice.
In this paper, we analyse the five steps of the evidence-based practice (EBP) model and argue that this model has serious
limitations, both theoretical and practical. We argue that the relationship between evidence and practice cannot be that of
supplying a basis, at least not if that notion is understood in any strict logical or methodological sense. Other factors
have to be taken account of in addition to evidence and their relation to the evidence has to be explained. Following others,
we advocate a more comprehensive view of practice as informed by evidence and theory. Evidence-informed practice (EIP) should
be understood as excluding non-scientific prejudices and superstitions, but also as leaving ample room for clinical experience
as well as the constructive and imaginative judgements of practitioners and clients who are in constant interaction and dialogue
with one another. Under the EIP model, there is no need for the five-steps procedure of the EBP model, but only that practitioners
will become knowledgeable of a wide rang of sources—empirical studies, case studies and clinical insights—and use them in
creative ways throughout the intervention process.
Purpose
An increasing number of schools and districts across the US are requiring teachers to collaborate for the purpose of data‐driven decision making. Research suggests that both data use and teacher collaboration are important ingredients in the school improvement process. Existing studies also reveal the complexities of teacher collaboration and the importance of context in shaping teachers’ collaborative work, especially with data. Yet, the intersection of teacher collaboration and data use has been understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine the affordances and constraints that exist in the context of established teacher collaboration time for the purposes of data‐driven decision making.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws upon qualitative case study data gathered in six schools that structured teacher time for collaboration on data use.
Findings
An analysis of the data revealed that a variety of leadership activities and organizational conditions shaped teachers’ collaborative work with data. These included leadership focused on thoughtful use of data and the framing of data‐driven decision making in terms of collective responsibility; the establishment of norms for teacher collaboration; the implementation of data discussion protocols; and teacher groupings and subject matter subcultures.
Originality/value
Knowing how and when a leadership activity or organizational condition becomes either an affordance or a constraint to teacher collaboration around data use has important implications for leadership and educational change. The findings of this study also help to lay the groundwork for future research regarding teacher collaboration around data use.
The aim of this study is to investigate the experiences of student teachers participating in an introductory course, designed to stimulate the development of a positive attitude towards research and to stimulate the development of research knowledge and skills by second-year student teachers of an institute of primary teacher education. A questionnaire (N = 81) was used to measure the students’ attitude and perceptions of the development of their attitude towards research, their perceived development of research knowledge and skills and what parts of the introductory course they perceived to be responsible for these developments. According to the students’ perceptions, the introductory course contributed to the development of both a positive attitude towards research and research knowledge and skills. The students indicated that examples from practice, authentic learning tasks and working in pairs or groups contributed most to the development of their attitude, knowledge and skills.
This paper describes a process in which early childhood professionals, who were novice researchers, engaged in their own research projects in collaboration with academics through a practitioner inquiry group. The aim of the project was to introduce the concepts and practices of practitioner enquiry, and learn about, plan and implement a self-initiated change project in consultation with academics. The paper details how a group of teachers succeeded in sustaining a community of practice that promoted teacher professionalism and change. Research has previously called for a shift in professional habitus and raised concerns about the value of teacher learning groups, the dispositions of teachers to call on academic research, and by implication, the desire to work actively with academics. Here we draw upon empirical data to raise the hope that the enablement and dissemination of collaborative change-focused research projects, while challenging, may provide viable avenues for successful teacher change.
In this article, we discuss the latest renewal of interest in the U.S. in teacher research and other forms of practitioner inquiry, a movement that is now a little more than a decade old. We argue that part of what makes the current wave of interest a movement and not just the latest educational fad is that teacher research stems from several different, but in some ways compatible, intellectual traditions and educational projects. We identify five major trends that characterize the current U.S. movement: (a) the prominence of teacher research in teacher education, professional development, and school reform; (b) the development of conceptual frameworks and theories of teacher research; (c) the dissemination of teacher research beyond the local level; (d) the emergence of critique of teacher research and the teacher research movement; and (e) the transformative potential of teacher research on some aspects of university culture. Based on our own teacher research experiences and understandings of teacher research, we conclude with thoughts about the future of the movement in the face of the standards movement and other current reforms that create an educational climate quite different from that of a decade ago.
This article reviews selected research related to the professional development impact of school-based teacher research programs for P-12 educators in the USA. Following the presentation of a framework that describes the dimensions of variation in P-12 teacher research in the USA, the article examines the results of several studies of school-based teacher research programs and identifies several conditions under which school-based teacher research becomes a transformative professional development activity for teachers.
The aim of this study is to better understand the role of researchers and school leaders in supporting school improvement
through data feedback in the context of more responsive forms of accountability in the Netherlands. A process evaluation was
conducted concerning the first three years of a collaborative project of a multi-management group of 18 primary schools and
a group of researchers. The results show that implementing a system of data feedback starting from a shared vision on the
need to learn from data, fostered processes in the school of learning from data for school improvement. The results also show
a growing inquiry habit of mind amongst school principals, whereas the researchers learned how to take their role in the collaboration
by providing conditions that enhance school improvement from data feedback. The results indicate that the collaborative process
can be characterised by several learning functions and thus contribute to a better understanding of how the conditions for
data feedback and school improvement can be enhanced.
The idea that professional practices such as education should be based upon or at least be informed by evidence continues
to capture the imagination of many politicians, policy makers, practitioners and researchers. There is growing evidence of
the influence of this line of thought. At the same time there is a growing body of work that has raised fundamental questions
about the feasibility of the idea of evidence-based or evidence-informed practice. In this paper I make a further contribution
to this discussion through an analysis of a number of assumptions that inform the discussion. I focus on the epistemological,
ontological and praxeological dimensions of the discussion and in each domain identify a deficit. In the epistemological domain
there is a knowledge deficit, in the ontological domain an effectiveness or efficacy deficit and in the practice domain an
application deficit. Taken together these deficits not only raise some important questions about the very idea of evidence-based
practice but also highlight the role of normativity, power and values. Against this background I outline the case for the
idea of value-based education as an alternative for evidence-based education. As I am generally concerned about the expectations
policy makers hold about what evidence can and should achieve in professional practices such as education, my contribution
is primarily meant to provide educators and other professionals with arguments that can help them to resist unwarranted expectations
about the role of evidence in their practices and even more so of unwarranted interventions in their practices.
KeywordsEvidence-based education-Evidence-based practice-Evidence-informed practice-What works-Epistemology-Ontology-Praxeology-Values-Value-based education-Power-Normativity
American Educational Research Association (AERA) standards stipulate that researchers show evidence of the internal structure of instruments. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is one structural equation modeling procedure designed to assess construct validity of assessments that has broad applicability for counselors interested in instrument development. Five steps in conducting CFA are provided, along with an illustrated example. © 2017 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC).
Collaborative Inquiry (CI) engages teachers to jointly inquire into a shared problem of practice. The majority of CI research presents qualitative case studies of individual collaborative inquires; few studies directly examine teachers' responses to CI through a large-scale study across an entire system of education. To examine teachers' perspectives on the impact and functionality of CI as professional learning, we surveyed 292 elementary teachers across 15 school districts and conducted 6 focus groups with teachers who had been involved in CI. We report the factors that enhance and inhibit teacher experiences of CI and significant outcomes from a teacher perspective.
When teaching is considered as a collaborative activity, the aim of research projects in schools needs to exceed the individual and personal levels and aim to contribute to research-informed reflection of a team of teachers. Within this multiple case study, we adapted the graduation research project within a primary teacher education programme, trying to bridge the personal level (where student-teachers show their individual competence) and the collaborative level (where the graduation research project aims to inspire practice of several teachers within a school). In this redesign of the graduation research project, the concepts of boundary activity, ownership, meaningfulness and dialogue were helpful. However, our study shows that connecting graduation research projects with school development is not just a matter of redesigning a part of the curriculum, but that it requires new perspectives and new qualities of student-teachers, research supervisors from the university and actors within the school.
A systematic literature review (N = 14) was performed with a focus on the influence of collaborative teacher research on the professional development of pre-service teachers (PTs). A thematic overview of reported outcomes is presented. Collaborative teacher research has proven itself to be a promising practice for improving PTs' knowledge and attitudes regarding collaboration, reflection, inquiry, and student-centred teaching. Shared inquiry in less hierarchical partnerships between pre-service and in-service teachers, and other multiple actors, advances PT's learning more than one-to-one relationships between a mentor and a PT.
Our self-study has two main purposes: (1) to understand the value of self-study for credential program graduates to confront in transformative ways the pedagogical challenges of urban schools, and (2) to add to an exploration of self-study for non-teacher educators and strengthen our preparation of candidates to enact such inquiry. To answer these questions, we orchestrated a dialogic exchange with three Master's students who used self-study to research and improve their teaching in urban elementary schools. We analyzed their papers both to see how consistent they were with the characteristics of self-study and to determine the nature of lessons learned in relation to our social justice goals. In addition, in the following year we gathered and analyzed information about their post-study reactions to self-study and its continuing influence. In their self-studies all three examined assumptions guiding their teaching by analyzing pertinent data and functioning as critical friends for each other; their work was consistent with self-study requirements. Written reflections and interviews all mentioned the transformative influence of self-study on their thinking and practice. We also discovered that we should strengthen our guidance with regard to the specifics of self-study methodology, as in the need to look for disconfirming evidence. Although their commitment to the process was maintained, we need to explore whether and how self-study might be engaged more informally. Overall, we found that self-study invites teachers to question discriminatory categories with empirical evidence and empowers them to redefine their profession and question regressive policies.
Teacher professional development has been identified as essential to educational reform. Moreover, research suggests the power of inquiry communities in spurring teacher professional learning and shifts in classroom practice. However, not enough is known about what conditions within a community of inquiry might be necessary to inspire, support, sustain, and coordinate educators’ investment in systems-level change. To fill this gap, this article reports findings from the last year of a longitudinal case study of a school district seeking to advance adolescent literacy in subject-area classrooms. We extended from prior findings to investigate whether and how educators’ self-perceptions of efficacy and agency could be related to their engagement in a district-level, inquiry-based initiative. Participants were 43 teachers and school- and district-based leaders. Multiple forms of evidence (i.e., interviews, artifacts, field-notes) were collected and coordinated within a case study design. Findings suggested that the vast majority of participants experienced increases in efficacy that could be associated with their engagement in collaborative inquiry, which in turn had potential to fuel on-going change efforts. At the same time, leaders’ careful attention to preserving teachers’ agency appeared to support their sustained investment in continuous cycles of goal-directed practice improvement. Implications are discussed for structuring professional development within systemic improvement initiatives.
Professional Development Schools (PDS) have been established to realise supportive and stimulating environments for practice-based research activities for both teachers and student teachers. The questions investigated in this study concerned the perceptions of experienced teachers and student teachers with respect to different aspects of practice-based research in PDS and non-PDS settings and to what degree these perceptions differed. For this purpose, the Questionnaire on Teacher Research was developed. Respondents (N = 102) were asked for their perceptions of the research environment, their research motives, the research process and perceived (learning) outcomes. The questionnaire appeared to be a valid, reliable and sensitive instrument.
This article presents an in-depth case study of a complex community of inquiry. In this community, teachers worked collaboratively to build from situated assessments of students' learning through reading to refine and monitor practices designed to enhance student learning in their subject-area classrooms. In this report, we present evidence to address three questions: (1) What did inquiry look like within this community?; (2) How was collaboration implicated in teachers' inquiry?; and (3) How was engagement in inquiry related to meaningful shifts in teachers' practice and learning? This research contributes by uncovering important links between teacher inquiry, collaboration, and educational change.
This study focused on teacher perceptions of the long‐term impacts of engaging in collaborative action research on professional identity and practice. This qualitative, phenomenological study focused on understanding the lived experiences of 10 teachers before, during, and after engaging in action research. Each teacher was interviewed before engaging in action research, after one year of engaging in action research, and two to four years after completing an action research project. Outcomes revealed that several aspects of teacher identity and classroom practice were changed. In addition, the impact of teacher engagement in action research on the broader educational context is discussed.
There is much current debate about the purpose and usefulness of educational research and the perceived communication gap between teaching professionals and academic researchers. UK government intervention into initial teacher education has in recent decades contributed to this divide by favouring school-based training. The most common route into teaching in England remains, however, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education, provided by higher education institutions and therefore required to comply with the higher education qualifications framework. The majority of initial teacher education in England therefore lies at the cusp of these two worlds, pulled in apparently opposing directions. The ‘teacher-as-researcher’ movement is widely seen as a bridge spanning these tensions, though there is discussion about the quality of practitioner research as well as about the appropriateness of a rigorous academic approach for investigating practice. This article offers examples of the use of small-scale research projects as a valid means of ‘discovery learning’ in pre-service teacher education. It argues that induction into research techniques as a means of exploring practical challenges can lead to knowledge production and ownership.
This editorial article briefly examines the importance of data-based decision making. It discusses the definition as well as rationale for data-based decision making, its purposes, the use of data at different levels of the educational system, and possible promoting and hindering factors of effective data use. It also examines the effects of data use, intended effects (e.g., increased student achievement), as well as unintended consequences (e.g., cheating with tests). We end with suggestions for new research priorities.
Action research has been recognized as a necessary part of teacher preparation programs. It is assumed that with sufficient training in action research methodology, teachers will continue as action researchers to improve the quality of instruction in their classrooms. Expecting this benefit and outcome, a college in the Middle East requires students to complete one total semester of action research in the final year of their Bachelor of Education program, with students’ research conducted in schools during their assigned teaching practice. To examine whether graduates from the program continue to practice action research once they become teachers, telephone interviews were conducted. The findings were less than convincing that action research was later being utilized or applied by teachers, leading to recommendations for improvement.
Researching can be viewed as a way of analysing issues of schooling by linking theoretical knowledge with perceptions of educational reality already during teacher education. Not only does practicing teaching provide a context for analysing instruction, learning, school culture, diversity, or any other issue related to schooling, also researching these issues provides future teachers opportunity to view schooling as complex and problematic. This case study surveyed and interviewed a group of recently graduated teachers who had worked as teachers during their education. The interest was on their experiences of M.A. thesis research as well as the integration of theory and practice during the education. The respondents had experienced researching as useful as well as meaningful, although they also had development ideas concerning it.
Much of the discussion of research‐informed practice in education has centred on two perspectives: the rational–linear and interactive perspectives on research use. This paper examines two initiatives aimed at delivering research‐informed practice in schools that appear to represent these two perspectives, Peer‐Assisted Learning Strategies and the School‐Based Research Consortia Initiative. This examination reveals that both initiatives contain rational–linear and interactive elements. It also highlights other features of the initiatives not captured by the rational–linear and interactive perspectives. The paper argues that in order to capture the cross‐cutting and multifaceted nature of initiatives on the ground, it is helpful to overlay the rational–linear and interactive perspectives with three models of research use developed in social care field: the research‐based practitioner model, the embedded research model and the organisational excellence model. The resulting matrix provides a framework for considering whether, when and how these different approaches to increasing research use might be combined.
This article explores issues raised in knowledge transformation processes through three separate, but related lenses. It starts with a discussion of the relationship between knowledge transformation and research outputs. In so doing, it encompasses both direct research outputs, that is research reports and papers in journals, and indirect outputs, such as practitioner research summaries and web and paper based resources specifically designed to engage teachers with research. The paper then moves on to explore the implications of transforming research knowledge in relation to the environment in which such knowledge is to be used. In particular, the paper focuses on the learning processes involved in the progression from reading research texts to putting them to work in classrooms. It also considers the contribution that evidence about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can make to our understanding of the process of transforming knowledge into practice. Finally, the paper concludes with a case study of the specialist skills involved in brokering and mediating this process. The article proposes that the transformation of knowledge from research into classroom practice involves a mix of complex processes, some of which need specialist mediation and dedicated resource. It proposes, too, that reflecting on knowledge transformation as CPD and learning helps to elucidate some of the steps on the way.
Recent developments in early childhood teacher education have seen the inclusion of curricula designed to serve the concept of continuous professional renewal through educating undergraduates in the interpretation, execution, and use of research. The challenge for educators is to “demystify” research and teach in ways that are professionally meaningful as well as intellectually acceptable. In this study, we follow three groups of early childhood students as they engage in a one-semester research subject. Focus groups and individual interviews showed considerable shifts in student attitudes about the value of research and in their development toward becoming active researchers who see research as a tool for answering questions in education.
In this study, the authors report on their research into the inquiry component of a newly conceptualized pre-service teacher education program. In a series of focus group discussions conducted over a 3-year period, 17 teacher candidates talked about their understanding of, and their experiences with inquiry. They were able to identify benefits such as inquiry's potential to improve classroom practice, support teacher development, and contribute to the learning of the larger educational community. They also identified several challenges of engaging in inquiry, such as the changing nature of the teacher's role, the open-ended nature of the process, and the way in which a commitment to inquiry can disrupt the status quo in schools. The authors conclude with some recommendations and questions that teacher educators need to consider if they expect their teacher candidates to adopt an inquiry stance towards their teaching.
Purpose
Teacher research (inquiry) has been characterized as practice improvement, professional development and action research, among numerous names and descriptions. The purpose of this paper is to support the case that teacher research is also a form of quality improvement known as continuous process improvement (CPI).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper outlines the underlying characteristics, processes and sub‐processes employed by teacher researchers. Next, the same approach is applied to the underlying characteristics, processes and sub‐processes of CPI. Lastly, an analysis is performed to identify parallels between teacher research methodology and the methodology employed in CPI to support the case that teacher research is a form of CPI.
Findings
It is believed that a defensible analytical case has been built that where teacher research is conducted, the teacher's practice and the education of the students is undergoing CPI.
Practical implications
Schools and school administrators searching for techniques to improve the learning that takes place in their school should strongly consider and support teacher research as an effective means of quality improvement.
Originality/value
The paper presents a different perspective and view of teacher research in the context of CPI, which was once considered the domain of businesses and corporations.
This study focuses on the perceptions of student-teachers towards their engagement in small-scale research projects undertaken whilst on a one-year postgraduate initial teacher education programme. We present an institutional response to national and international policy agendas regarding the place of research within initial teacher education at master’s level, focusing on the role of practitioner enquiry in facilitating a critical engagement with practice. The paper concludes that practitioner enquiry offers a potentially powerful and illuminating way of exploring emerging professional identity and asserting agency in beginning teachers.
The purpose of this research is to seek the connection between professional development and an MA thesis research project, which is conducted as part of initial teacher education in Finland. This article examines the experiences of teachers with work experience, but without an official qualification, who recently completed their MA thesis. The theoretical framework is composed of professional development and a practitioner research approach. The study approaches the topic from a pragmatic viewpoint and it is realized as a qualitative interview study of 23 recently or nearly graduated teachers in Finland. The results indicate that MA thesis research may be viewed as practitioner research, when it is conducted on one's own work with the aim of developing the work, learning from the work, changing, or sharing information. The teachers were able to distinguish areas of professional development such as adjusting teaching, interaction skills, self‐confidence, and criticalness, and many teachers saw an analogy between researching and teachers' work.
Finnish teacher education has been higher academic education since 1979. Thus, all primary school teachers graduate as Masters and they conduct an MA thesis. For this research 23 teachers were interviewed in order to determine their conceptions of reflection, teacher research and their future research intentions. These teacher students worked besides studying and they used their own work as a foundation for their MA thesis research. The teachers who participated in this research reflected both personally and collectively. According to the teachers, teacher research has benefits for the teacher, and for the pupils, the parents, the working community, as well as the wider society. As teacher students learn to engage in researching teaching, they are able to think about teaching analytically.
The aim of this review is to provide a critical analysis of language teacher research engagement. The term ‘research engagement’ here covers both engagement in teacher research (i.e. by doing it) as well as engagement with research (i.e. by reading and using it). Research engagement is commonly recommended to language teachers as a potentially productive form of professional development and a source of improved professional practice; empirical accounts of teachers’ practices and experiences in doing teacher research and reading research, and of the benefits that accrue to them from such activities are, however, limited and diffuse. This review examines the available evidence on research engagement in language teaching and discusses this in relation to the educational literature more broadly. The analysis presented here highlights both the benefits and the challenges that are associated with teacher research engagement, and sheds light on why teacher research remains largely a minority activity in the field of language teaching. It also illustrates the complex relationship between research knowledge and what teachers do, and considers the implications of this relationship for the contribution that reading research can make to teachers’ professional activities. The paper concludes by outlining a number of conditions which facilitate teachers’ attempts to engage both in and with research. An awareness of these conditions is fundamental to the success of initiatives which aim to promote language teacher research engagement.
This article examines the adequacy of the “rules of thumb” conventional cutoff criteria and several new alternatives for various fit indexes used to evaluate model fit in practice. Using a 2‐index presentation strategy, which includes using the maximum likelihood (ML)‐based standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR) and supplementing it with either Tucker‐Lewis Index (TLI), Bollen's (1989) Fit Index (BL89), Relative Noncentrality Index (RNI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Gamma Hat, McDonald's Centrality Index (Mc), or root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA), various combinations of cutoff values from selected ranges of cutoff criteria for the ML‐based SRMR and a given supplemental fit index were used to calculate rejection rates for various types of true‐population and misspecified models; that is, models with misspecified factor covariance(s) and models with misspecified factor loading(s). The results suggest that, for the ML method, a cutoff value close to .95 for TLI, BL89, CFI, RNI, and Gamma Hat; a cutoff value close to .90 for Mc; a cutoff value close to .08 for SRMR; and a cutoff value close to .06 for RMSEA are needed before we can conclude that there is a relatively good fit between the hypothesized model and the observed data. Furthermore, the 2‐index presentation strategy is required to reject reasonable proportions of various types of true‐population and misspecified models. Finally, using the proposed cutoff criteria, the ML‐based TLI, Mc, and RMSEA tend to overreject true‐population models at small sample size and thus are less preferable when sample size is small.
Analysis of Ordinal Categorical Data Alan Agresti Statistical Science Now has its first coordinated manual of methods for analyzing ordered categorical data. This book discusses specialized models that, unlike standard methods underlying nominal categorical data, efficiently use the information on ordering. It begins with an introduction to basic descriptive and inferential methods for categorical data, and then gives thorough coverage of the most current developments, such as loglinear and logit models for ordinal data. Special emphasis is placed on interpretation and application of methods and contains an integrated comparison of the available strategies for analyzing ordinal data. This is a case study work with illuminating examples taken from across the wide spectrum of ordinal categorical applications. 1984 (0 471-89055-3) 287 pp. Regression Diagnostics Identifying Influential Data and Sources of Collinearity David A. Belsley, Edwin Kuh and Roy E. Welsch This book provides the practicing statistician and econometrician with new tools for assessing the quality and reliability of regression estimates. Diagnostic techniques are developed that aid in the systematic location of data points that are either unusual or inordinately influential; measure the presence and intensity of collinear relations among the regression data and help to identify the variables involved in each; and pinpoint the estimated coefficients that are potentially most adversely affected. The primary emphasis of these contributions is on diagnostics, but suggestions for remedial action are given and illustrated. 1980 (0 471-05856-4) 292 pp. Applied Regression Analysis Second Edition Norman Draper and Harry Smith Featuring a significant expansion of material reflecting recent advances, here is a complete and up-to-date introduction to the fundamentals of regression analysis, focusing on understanding the latest concepts and applications of these methods. The authors thoroughly explore the fitting and checking of both linear and nonlinear regression models, using small or large data sets and pocket or high-speed computing equipment. Features added to this Second Edition include the practical implications of linear regression; the Durbin-Watson test for serial correlation; families of transformations; inverse, ridge, latent root and robust regression; and nonlinear growth models. Includes many new exercises and worked examples.
Full text available at http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6934/
Beginning teachers are confronted with many issues as they begin their teaching careers, issues, such as classroom management, individual differences, behaviour problems, dealing with parents, and so on. Many beginning teachers take professional development seminars in an attempt to deal with these and other issues. Professional development seminars, however, may not address the specific issues faced by beginning teachers but rather focus on approaches that are more global. In this paper, we argue that the best approach to professional development is through a collaborative action research model. By extending the partnerships established between student teachers, mentor teachers and university supervisors during student teaching into the beginning teachers' career, many of the everyday problems can be confronted within a supportive network. Several recommendations are offered for beginning and maintaining productive CAR relationships.
Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for the next generation
- M Cochran-Smith
- S L Lytle
Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (2009). Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for
the next generation. New York, NY: Teachers College.