PROFESSOR TANYA OVENDEN-HOPE, PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION AND DEAN OF PLACE AND SOCIAL PURPOSE, PLYMOUTH MARJON UNIVERSITY; BERA COUNCIL MEMBER AND BERA SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP CONVENOR, UK Evidence-based and evidence-informed teaching have become increasingly important aspects of educational practice and policy in the UK, with a growing emphasis on teachers as researchers and schools as research collaborators. […]
MARK LESWELL, RESEARCH LEAD, SWALE ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Introduction As the education system in England strives to become more evidence-informed, the role of research engagement in schools has become increasingly important. However, despite growing interest and efforts to include research in decision-making processes, the effectiveness of research use and the evaluation of evidence bases remain questionable. […]
JOANNE GLEESON, MARK RICKINSON, LUCAS WALSH AND BLAKE CUTLER, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, MONASH UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA Introduction Internationally, educators and education systems are becoming increasingly aware that using research can improve their work (e.g. OECD, 2022). Previous studies provide powerful reasons for educators to use research, showing links to better teaching skills and improved and more equitable […]
STEPHANIE MARSHALL-WHITLEY, TRURO AND PENWITH COLLEGE, UK; MSC STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, UK Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS) validates teachers’ expertise in further education (FE) settings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and accreditation is available to those working in various institutions, including adult education centres and private training providers (ETF, 2020). As […]
Emily Giubertoni, Bishop Challoner Training School Alliance SCITT The aim: To develop an evidence-engaged and informed culture In this case study, we will see how one school puts the components of distributed leadership into practice and how, in doing so, it builds a sense of equity and community among the staff body around the use […]
CHRISTIAN BOKHOVE AND ROSALYN HYDE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, UK As educators, we have noticed that there is sometimes an uncritical adoption of evidence since what some have called an ‘evidence-informed revolution’. A case in point can be found in the work of Barak Rosenshine, which has been extremely influential in schools, especially in the context […]
LISA EDMENSON, GEOGRAPHY TEACHER, DOWDALES SCHOOL, UK EMMA AUBREY, HEADTEACHER, DOWDALES SCHOOL, UK The appraisal process is one in which educational establishments participate across the country and has been a legal requirement for schools across England since 2012 (DfE, 2012). The appraisal process is a means of monitoring teacher performance and supporting individuals with their continued […]
JO STAWMAN, Head of School, Quest Primary School, UK GEMMA PARKER, Director of School Improvement, The Collegiate Trust, UK Using research evidence is integral to school improvement and good teaching (EEF, 2024). There are multiple sources of research evidence, and in the UK, the 1960s and 1970s saw an emergence of the teacher as researcher, […]
MARGARET (MEG) LEE AND MIKE MARKOE, FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, USA The challenge of becoming evidence-informed Moving a school to become more informed by evidence about how learning happens and how that evidence is best applied is a huge undertaking, which requires a commitment of time, dedication to focused professional growth and collective will to […]
MOHAMED IBRAHIM, SECONDARY SENDCO, HARRIS FEDERATION, UK Introduction The concept of a ‘hidden’ pastoral curriculum has long been advocated as a solution to the growing national concerns about student misbehaviour. Numerous behaviour experts suggest a curriculum that explicitly teaches positive behaviours rather than merely sanctioning those who fall short. While various models have illustrated effective pastoral […]
KATRINA BLUNT, RESEARCH LEAD, AYLESBURY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, UK Introduction Throughout six years of conducting research at Aylesbury Grammar School – from small-scale classroom studies to whole-school projects – we have investigated how research can be applied to our context. By undertaking research projects, our staff have sought to test published research to solve an issue, challenge […]
EMILY PREECE, CORE HELLO, CORE EDUCATION TRUST, UK With approximately 20 per cent of the student body in England learning English as an additional language (Statista, 2023) and ‘learners from all parts of the world… speaking over 360 languages between them and representing every combination of educational, economic and geographical trajectories’ (Sharples, 2021, p. 11), schools […]
GRAHAM CHISNELL FCCT, EDUCATION CONSULTANT AND AUTHOR, UK Developing a culture of research in school empowers staff at every level to influence practice and play an active role in the strategic development of the organisation. Research can enhance the climate of a school in four ways. Relationships strengthen, the learning environment is enhanced, the quality of […]
KATE SIDA-NICHOLLS, GROUP DIRECTOR OF TEACHER DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND RESEARCH, EASTERN EDUCATION GROUP, UK Teachers in further education (FE) have to embrace the role of being dual professionals because, in addition to mastering pedagogy, they also need to keep up their industry knowledge and expertise throughout their teaching careers. Teachers in FE enter teaching with […]
ANDREW B JONES, THE REACH FREE SCHOOL, UK; THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction The evolving landscape of educational ‘best practice’ emphasises evidence-informed practice (EIP), particularly in its scientific form, for enhancing teaching and learning outcomes (Perry et al., 2021). However, balancing EIP with teacher agency presents challenges. Proponents of EIP argue that teaching should align with […]
Luke Donnelly, Head of Year at Pinner High School and BERA Teacher Network Co-Lead, UK Learning networks and why they are important for teacher researchers Learning networks are essential collaborative spaces where professionals connect to share insights, solve problems, and innovate. These networks exist both online and offline, providing a flexible and borderless environment for […]
ALEX MORGAN AND EMMAJANE MILTON, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, UK LISA MULLANE, MARK WALKER AND WIL HOWLETT, ALBANY ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK Introduction This article aims to communicate experiences of using enquiry to support meaningful professional learning in a primary school in Wales, the culture that this supported and perceptions of its ongoing legacy. Three […]
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 […]
PAUL HANSON, ASSISTANT VICE PRINCIPAL/STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND HEAD OF PIONEER COMMUNITY, HOMEWOOD SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE, UK CLAIRE TYSON, TEACHER RESEARCHER, HOMEWOOD SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE, UK The context for this reflection is a large teaching team in a non-selective secondary school in Kent. In 2019, Ofsted judged that the quality of education required improvement, […]
