Steve Murray, Trust Lead for Data Insights and Research, Trust in Learning Academies (TiLA), Bristol, UK Practitioner effectiveness has long been recognised as a key driver of student achievement (Slater et al., 2012) and thus necessitates impactful continued professional development (CPD). Teaching assistants (TAs) often experience an inconsistent quality of CPD and lack co-planning time […]
RICHARD HARVEY-SWANSTON, SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK KERRI BURNS, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ADVISOR, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK TIFF COLE, FACULTY LEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Introduction Teacher professional development (PD) is a critical factor influencing student outcomes (Cordingly, 2015) and teacher retention (EEF, 2023). While research has extensively explored the characteristics of […]
CLAIRE HARLEY, ORCHARD MEAD ACADEMY, UK; UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UK Introduction Action research is a broad term for a group of research processes that can be used as teacher CPD (continuing professional development). Engaging with action research projects in school is a way in which to develop teachers’ reflective practices and has very few cost implications. […]
LINDSEY FAGAN, DEPUTY LEAD, GREAT NORTH MATHS HUB, UK; ASSOCIATE LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE, UK KIRSTIN MULHOLLAND, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA, UK Introduction Engaging with research evidence holds great potential for improving educational outcomes and provision; however, considering how this can be translated and applied in classroom practice can be challenging (OECD, 2022; EEF, 2024). This […]
Roxanne Gumbs, School Improvement Advisor and Teaching and Learning Lead, Schools Alliance for Excellence, UK Effective professional development (PD) is fundamental in developing the quality of teaching and learning and thus student outcomes. Fletcher-Wood and Zuccolo’s review for the Educational Policy Institute (2020) demonstrated that a meta-analysis of professional development interventions suggested an overall effect […]
NATHAN BARKER, TEACHER OF MATHEMATICS, HAUTLIEU SCHOOL, JERSEY JO SKELTON, SENIOR LECTURER IN PRIMARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION AND SCHOOL LIAISON, OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY, UK Where can a classroom teacher start to interact with educational research? In my own classroom and across the mathematics department, there was a trend in students being unable to use mathematical language correctly […]
Jack Bryne Stothard, University of Derby, UK Introduction Previous literature (van Katwijk et al., 2023) has shown that research is an essential way to ‘future-proof’ teacher education, ensuring that pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop the skills needed to adapt to the ever-changing conditions and demands of educating. While many qualified teachers may be interested in research, […]
Kirstin Mulholland, Senior Associate for School Engagement and Evidence Use, Education Endowment Foundation, UK Harry Madgwick, Research and Policy Manager, Education Endowment Foundation, UK In education, we have access to an ever-increasing quantity of research (Francis, 2023). Yet simply accessing research evidence is not enough to ensure that it impacts upon outcomes (Nelson et al., […]
DR MUHAMMAD NAEEM, ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN PROFESSOR TANYA OVENDEN-HOPE, DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION, PLYMOUTH MARJON UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction Evidence to inform best practice in schools and at systems level should be sought from a variety of sources. This article offers findings from parents to contextualise issues that impact on culturally sensitive schooling, and […]
URSULA CRICKMAY, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, UK SARAH CHILDS, PENRYN COLLEGE, UK KERRY CHAPPELL, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, UK Introduction Creativity has frequently been identified as a core skill that is necessary for the workforce and future citizenship, given the context of ongoing uncertainty and change across interconnected social, political, environmental, technological and economic […]
This article has been published as part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, kindly funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust. JENNA CRITTENDEN, CURRICULUM DESIGN LEAD, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING, UK As acknowledged in the research review on play, play is complex and has no agreed definition. This could be in part due to […]
ELIZABETH HIDSON, RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND, UK KATE DUFFY, RESEARCH LEAD FOR INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND, UK KEVIN HOLLAND, CEO, GLOBAL SPIRITED CIC, UK HEATHER MARCH, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, AIM HIGH ACADEMY TRUST, UK JANINE RUSHWORTH, BARNES INFANT ACADEMY, UK JAYNE BARTLE, HEADTEACHER, COXHOE PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK HOLLIE WATKINS, KEY STAGE 2 TEACHER, COXHOE […]
CLAIRE BADGER, SARA HARNETT, CALLUM HYDE, MONICA MARTINS AND ANGELA PAGE, THE GODOLPHIN AND LATYMER SCHOOL, UK One of the challenges of using evidence in education is gathering good feedback so that the impact of changes made to classroom practice can be effectively evaluated. One source of feedback is student voice; engaging students in discussions of […]
ROBERT CAUDWELL, CO-FOUNDER, PENROSE EDUCATION, UK Introduction A theory is a system of concepts that explain and/or describe the object of study in a given area of research or study. Perry and Morris, 2023, p. 22 Often, those engaged in the application or translation of educational theory into practice emphasise the importance of establishing the […]
DR KAREN BOARDMAN, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF EARLY YEARS EDUCATION, EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY, UK SILVIA CONT, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF EARLY YEARS EDUCATION, EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY, UK CHRIS DAVEY, HEADTEACHER, BLESSED SACRAMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK Introduction: The issues of maintaining research integrity and addressing ethical educational research dilemmas Concerns surrounding the ethics and integrity of research with […]
JULIA FLUTTER, PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATE RESEARCHER, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK At the Learning and Teaching Conference 2023 at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Gert Biesta raised a few eyebrows in his keynote address, challenging the audience with an important question: How much research does teaching need? Was Biesta was more likely to argue […]
MICHAEL TAYLOR, PROFESSIONAL TUTOR, LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY, UK This article continues the conversation from previous research (Taylor, 2023), arguing for the need for reciprocity when working with schools and teachers. While the need to minimise harm from research is commonly advocated, this work argues that potential costs to schools in terms of time and resources […]
THERESE ANDREWS, THOMAS’S LONDON DAY SCHOOLS, UK Abstract This paper explores the ethics of teachers and leaders researching their own workplaces and practice. Much has been written about bridging the gap between research and practice, particularly in England since the Department for Education commissioned a 2014 study to assess progress towards an evidence-informed teaching system (Coldwell […]
DR CHRIS BAKER, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAD, THE CABOT LEARNING FEDERATION, UK Using research in schools to improve levels of understanding and drive better decision-making should be a goal for us all, but it is not without its challenges. For many of us, engaging with research can be a daunting and uncomfortable experience, as we wrestle with […]
Scott Buckler and Harriett Moore, Holy Trinity School, UK Introduction For anyone involved in educational research, there will be characteristic traits throughout the process. Such traits include the excitement of making a start, making wrong turns, encountering obstacles and the thrill of uncovering something new. Indeed, research is a transformative process, irrespective of whether a […]
