How can professional learning in the context of teacher research support school improvement through the analysis of work scrutiny impacting on the raising of standards in school?

Abstract

This research paper aims to analyse the effect of work scrutiny though the use of practitioner enquiry. Moreover, it also discusses the case for teacher research and enquiry and also explains the benefits of research involvement for proficient learning.

Table of Contents

Abstract1

Introduction3

Discussion4

Teachers as Enquirers4

Is Research Critical to School Success?7

Promotion of Research and Enquiry8

Development of Staff through Enquiry12

Impact on Students13

Future challenges14

Conclusions16

End Notes17

How can professional learning in the context of teacher research support school improvement through the analysis of work scrutiny impacting on the raising of standards in school?

Introduction

Research engagement persuades the practitioners to enquire, explore and expand their practice, making a considerable contribution to develop learning and teaching. In nurturing the culture of a school where teachers inspect and evaluate their own practice, the research activity can be a significant and fundamental element of progressing professional growth. In the 21st century, the spotlight has now shifted on how the school upholds and assess itself and builds up a tradition of self inspection. This has many implications. It has brought about concentrating on procedures within the school, and drawing researchers' attention much more towards internal features of schools, to classrooms and departments as the focus for what sets apart victory and failure. Whilst there are facts that prove that schools are turning out to be more proficient, self critical and confident in evaluation, however, they still have a propensity to remain entrenched in a scrutiny model, that is as an occurrence instead of a continuous procedure, more inspection than research, more scrutinize of protocol than unrestricted inquiry.

Discussion

Teachers as Enquirers

The environment of school centred professional progress and school self assessment provides the circumstances in which teacher research and enquiry can thrive and make a considerable contribution. Nonetheless, involvement of teachers in research is at best irregular, with numerous; perchance even a majority, lasting to be certain of its worth. A number of teachers who frequently mirror on their practice are not mindful of formally involving in activity that is considered research and few teachers do carry out detailed research projects.

However, for majority of teachers, the idea of being a researcher is unsupportive and may be repelling. A further practical term, which signifies the skills that are components of good teaching, is actually the teacher as enquirer that is eager to mirror upon and evaluate his/her own practice. These teachers do good utilization of research and facts to stimulate innovative ways of viewing, trying out latest ideas, and then methodically weighing up the impact of any consequent change in practice.

In an argument within the community of British educational research, there has been a lot of questioning regarding whether the enquiry that is school based add ups as research and whether it has worth. For long teachers have been engaged in scrutinizing their practice so as to make additional improvements, however when this sort of activity could be portrayed as 'research'? ...