Sustaining teacher engagement in practitioner research

Abstract

This study of nine Primary School teachers of Religious Education (RE) analyses the benefits of their engagement in practitioner research (PR) and shows how that engagement can be sustained. We demonstrate the importance of enhancing the social dimension of learning through forming a community-of-practice (CoP) that enables participants to gain confidence and engage in democratic dialogue. The CoP in our project was sustained because teachers built trust with each other, were willing to talk openly about their practices and, through their common commitment to RE, contributed to the knowledge base of teaching. We conclude that engaging teachers in PR can create positive changes for schools because knowledge, interrogated by critical reflection, will be rooted in teachers' professional understanding of the processes of teaching and learning. Further, that communities-of-practice, as social learning environments, assist in sustaining teachers' engagement in PR by creating opportunities for teachers' collaborative critical reflection on their taken-for-granted professional practices.

Exploring factors impeding English language instructors from research engagement at tertiary level in Türkiye

“…Even the instructors who claim that they do research say that it is really hard work and they do not have time and energy left for it. Salter and Tett (2022) clarify what lack of time means for practitioners: making choices about priorities; setting aside time to explore research and (re)conceptualising their professional identities to incorporate research. The results are also consistent with Kyaw's (2021) findings in Myanmar higher education settings.…”

A critical reflection on the Commission on Religious Education’s proposed National Entitlement to Religion and Worldviews in England and Wales

“…This was achieved by enabling participating teachers to become well-informed about the National Entitlement; by giving them ample opportunity to reflect deeply on their responses to it over time both as individuals and as a group; and by facilitating their agency by respecting them as RE experts whose opinions counted. Teacher agency was cultivated through the collegiality of the community of practice and by empowering teachers to recognise that their expertise in RE has value beyond their own classrooms (2021a; Salter & Tett, 2021a, 2021b.…”

Penerapan Aspek-Aspek Behavioristik (Burhus Frederic Skinner) dalam Pembelajaran Hafalan Nazam ‘Aqidatul ‘Awwam pada Santri MTs Salafiyah

“…Hal ini terjadi karena pengetahuan menjadi dasar utama dalam hal menyesuaikan diri dengan perkembangan, pendidikan dan lingkungan profesional yang dimiliki oleh sesorang. Pengetahuan ini masuk kedalam proses kognitif yang meliputi bagaimana cara anak berpikir, mengembangkan pemahaman tentang dunia sebagai apa yang mereka pelajari untuk memecahkan masalah (Salter & Tett, 2022). Sektor kognitif ini meliputi halhal yang berkaitan dengan hasil dari proses berpikir yakni, ingatan, nalar dan pemikiran.…”