A culture of practitioner research: Growing teacher expertise

Kirsten Tinsley, Teaching and Learning Research Lead, Windsor Academy Trust, UK Developing a research-informed profession, in which teachers validate their decisions based on professional judgement combined with insights from academic studies, has been a long-term goal. As far back as the 1970s, Lawrence Stenhouse of BERA was promoting an active role for teachers in enquiry into their teaching practice, commenting that educational practice can be improved if teachers are actively engaged in the joint investigation of problems relating to students’ learning and in developing local solutions (Stenhouse, 1981). More recent and growing interest in evidence-informed practice (EIP) can be seen through initiatives such as the Teaching and Learning Research Programme 2000–2009, GTCE’s Research for Teachers resource bank, the ‘Extra Mile’ project, EEF projects and, of course, the evidence-informed practice focus of the Chartered College of Teaching. The Department for Education (D