Exploring the Benefits of a Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) Initiative to Develop a Research Community and Enhance Student Engagement

Abstract

This study examined a collaborative inquiry process, facilitated by university faculty in an elementary school, intended to develop a research community, foster knowledge mobilization, and enhance student engagement. The Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) initiative consisted of five school-based sessions that included videos, discussions, and the completion of a research action plan. Data collection and analysis involved sessions’ transcripts, feedback from participants, documents such as brainstorming charts, and student artifacts. Findings indicate that the collaborative inquiry process with enablers of time, flexibility, and support from university faculty increased educators’ research acumen and student engagement in classrooms. The CITE initiative is an effective example of applied education research and knowledge mobilization with the inclusion of faculty and technological support, innovative resources, and the co-construction of new understandings.

The contribution of teachers of research-intensive teacher education programmes to a culture of inquiry in primary schools

“…Various studies emphasise the importance of a culture of inquiry for school development (Snow-Gerono 2004, Given et al 2009, Katz and Dack 2013, Cantalini-Williams et al 2015, Godfrey 2016, Brown and Zhang 2017, Brown and Greany 2017, DeLuca et al 2017, Godfrey and Brown 2019. Teacher research in such a culture can, for instance, encourage active and joint teacher learning and lead to an increase in student achievement (Sharp 2007, Godfrey 2016.…”

“…Collaboration and communication in relation to research are described in the literature as important in a culture of inquiry; collaboration then relates to collectively conducting research and reflecting on it (Snow-Gerono 2004, Given et al 2009, DeLuca et al 2017. Communication plays an important role in this collaboration (Cantalini-Williams et al 2015, Cochran-Smith and Lytle 1999, Snow-Gerono 2004.…”

“…Leadership aimed at inquiry-based working is a factor of huge importance in creating a culture of inquiry (Godfrey 2016, Godfrey and Brown 2018, Godfrey and Greany 2017. On the one hand it concerns formal and informal leaders acting as role models (Given et al 2009, Cantalini-Williams et al 2015, Uiterwijk-Luijk and Volman 2017 and on the other creating team involvement in inquiry-based learning. This can be achieved by sharing responsibility (distributed leadership) (Given et al 2009, Godfrey andBrown 2018) and, for example, collectively determining research themes which fit in with policy and developments in the school (Cantalini-Williams et al 2015;Godfrey and Brown 2018).…”

“…Teachers are therefore expected to continue their professionalisation and keep improving the quality of education (Cordingley 2008, Zwart et al 2015, Meijer et al 2016, Darling-Hammond 2017. Practice-oriented research is a way of analysing one's own educational practice and of adapting it as necessary; it contributes to teachers' professionalisation (Ellis and Castle 2010, Cantalini-Williams et al 2015, Zwart et al 2015, Meijer et al 2016, DeLuca et al 2017.…”

“…Teacher education therefore pays increasingly more attention to practice-oriented research (Cantalini-Williams et al 2015, Maaranen and Krokfors 2008, Niemi and Nevgi 2014. University programmes for primary school teachers have only existed in the Netherlands since 2008.…”