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Refining teaching practices through appreciative inquiry and deliberate practice: A case study at Bolton School

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Helen Bradford-Keegan, Foundation Head of Educational Research and Innovation, Bolton School Foundation, UK David Teasdale, Director of Learning Development, Bolton School Boys’ Division, UK How can we create opportunities for teachers to master evidence-based pedagogy in a busy term-time environment? This study focuses on the first stages of a process for the development of pedagogy that involves all staff in practitioner research and implementation. We wished to develop a model of ongoing, embedded professional development, closely tied to classroom practice (Kraft and Papay, 2014). Bolton School is an independent school foundation of five schools: two of these schools are Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5 (girls’ division (GD) and boys’ division(BD)) and three schools form the primary division. This article details our participation in a lab schools project run by the International Centre for Educational Enhancement at Bolton University. The ‘laboratory school‘ concept was o

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