Evidence‐based practice and teacher action‐research: a reflection on the nature and direction of ‘change’

Abstract

This study was conceived as an opportunity to reflect on the place of action-research in the contested landscape of educational change in the UK where increasing emphasis has been put on the use of evidence to drive reform. In the context of a government-sponsored project in Scotland, this study looked at the impact of a scholarship initiative supporting classroom teachers to undertake action-research projects on a topic of their own choice with the assistance of a mentor. Data collected from interviews with teachers and analysis of teacher action-research reports pointed to a multi-faceted concept of practice unfolding from individual inquiry and dialogical conversations with colleagues and university mentors. The study argues for further analysis of the use of action-research as a means to develop teachers' knowledge and to recover the value of collective and creative engagements in education to guide reform.

Enhancing Research Competences in Healthcare Higher Education

“…e overall results are much parallel to previous studies on capacity building projects using educational programmes and hands-on team working approach to achieve the aimed new competences (4,14,19). e framework of long-term hands-on training programmes providing adequate guidance, engagement, support and communication between different actors is effective in developing new competences (25,26).…”

“…Science education should not only provide broad content knowledge base but also develop analytical thinking skills, offer understanding of the scientific research process, inspire curiosity, and be accessible to a diverse range of young researchers. (2,14,15,21).…”

“…(8, 11, 16, 17, 20. ) Within healthcare, the concepts of research (RBP) or evidence-based practice − (EBP) have been developed to supply best evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to guide health care decisions and practices (14,17,18). Best evidence includes empirical evidence from randomised controlled trials or descriptive and qualitative research findings.…”

'Students don't always tell teachers the truth very often, do they?' Reflections on the implications when teachers and students collaborate to investigate teaching practice

“…Acknowledgingthebottom-upapproachadvocatedbyStenhouse,andwithitsrootsinthe morerecentliteratureaboutthelearningorganizationandprofessionallearningcommunities (Bolamet al,2005;Hargreaves,2007;Stollet al,2006:229;StollandSeashoreLouis,2007;Wenger, 1998),theself-improvingschoolisportrayedasaplacewhereteacherssetoutto'overcomethe shortcomingsassociatedwithepisodic,decontextualisedprofessionaldevelopmentconductedin isolationfrompractice' (Webster-Wright,2009,citedinWatson,2014.Theseshortcomings aresaidtobeovercomewhentheschoolisresearch-engaged (MacGilchrist,et al,1997;Sharpet al,2005;Wilkins,2011),oraplacewhereteacherslearnto'shareandcriticallyinterrogatetheir practiceinanon-going,relective,collaborative,inclusive,learning-orientated,growth-promoting way' (Bolamet al, 2005, citedinWatson,2014Colucci-Gray,et al,2013).Acknowledgingthis, thereportoftheBERA-RSAInquiryintotheRoleofResearchinTeacherEducationmakesthe casefor'thedevelopment,acrosstheUK,ofself-improvingeducationsystemsinwhichteachers areresearchliterateandhaveopportunitiesforengagementinresearchandenquiry' (BERA-RSA,2014).…”

“…Laurence Stenhouse (1983) is credited with promotingtheideaoftheteacherasresearcher. RelectingtheviewsofFreire(1996;and Illich(1995),Stenhouse'sprimeconcernwastheemancipation,orliberation,ofstudents,teachers, andeducationalestablishmentsfromknowledgeandpracticesprescribedbyothers.Heargued thattheyallshouldbeempoweredtocriticallyexamineprescribedknowledgeandpractices,and todiscover,andown,formsofknowledgeandwaysofworkingforthemselves.Morerecently, otherwritershavecarriedforwardtheargumentforthedemocratizingofresearchprocessesin schools(forexample, Colucci-Gray,et al,2013;FrostandDurrant,2003;Wilkins,2011).…”