Doing Practitioner Research Differently


Book Description

Doing Practitioner Research Differently encourages those embarking on practitioner research to consider the validity of innovative methods and styles of reporting. The book looks at three methods of enquiry and reporting - visualisation, conversation and fictional writing. Using practitioners' own accounts and research reports as case studies, this book explores the reasons why some practitioners reject the traditional research methods. It looks at the challenges faced by these practitioners and the conditions in higher education that encourage or inhibit innovative practitioner research. The case studies used illustrate that there are modes of enquiry and reporting that can foster the development of professional thinking and practice.




Doing Practitioner Research


Book Description

Doing Practitioner Research focuses on helping practitioners conduct research in their own organisations, and attention is given to the best methods for doing this effectively and sensitively. The authors also attend to the theoretical, political and organisational context of doing research, as well as addressing the ethical and practical issues of undertaking research. The authors cover in detail the range of skills and techniques necessary to make a successful start to the process of becoming an effective practitioner researcher. This is an ideal text for growing number of practitioners working in health, education and social care who are undertaking research. Fox et al have provided the perfect introduction to why practitioners are in the unique position to conduct research that actually improves professional practice. This book will be essential reading for those professionals/practitioners engaged in research in their own organisation or undertaking a post-graduate qualification in Health, Social Care, or Education.




Practitioner Research for Teachers


Book Description

The authors show how being able to conduct and understand research is vital for the professional development of teachers.




Practitioner Research and Professional Development in Education


Book Description

Practical, accessible and up-to-date, this book draws directly on the work of teachers and other professional trainers concerned with programs for continuing professional development.




Developing Educational Leadership


Book Description

`The papers in the book make a very useful and stimulating contribution to the current debate about evidence-informed practice in relation to developing educational leadership′ - Journal of In-Service Education `This is a very worthwhile book with, unusually, something for different dispositions. Reading it is like attending a research conference; an activity restricted to a fortunate few. For those who have never attended one, put this on your bookshelf! I would recommend that it takes a prominent place on reading lists for masters courses in educational leadership′ - Mervyn Flecknoe, Leeds Metropolitan University Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice (EIPP) has emerged as an important concept. The availability and growing interest in evidence, alongside pressure for improved public services have made it a key component of the government′s modernization agenda. It is relevant to all parts of the public sector, to education, and specifically, to educational leadership. Successful educational leadership is regarded as an essential factor in raising educational standards. In this book, the editors have drawn together key figures in the field of EIPP to introduce its role in informing educational leadership, with the aim of improving learning and teaching. The EIPP approach is considered, both for structuring research studies and for the analysis of the data generated. Relevant examples are also provided to inform the current debate. This book is important reading for educational professionals, policy makers, practitioners and students.




You and Your Action Research Project


Book Description

This book gives practical guidance on doing an action research project. Written for practitioners across professions who are studying on award-bearing courses, this book is packed full of useful advice and takes the reader through the various stages of a project, including: Starting your action research project Monitoring and documenting the action Techniques for dealing with the data Making claims to knowledge and validating them Making your research public: creating your living theory. The book's practical approach will appeal to practitioners and will encourage them to try out new strategies for improving their work. It will also be essential reading for those resource managers in schools, colleges and higher education institutions who are responsible for providing courses and support. This second edition of a best-selling book, has been thoroughly updated and improved by a number of features, being more accessible, dealing with current debates in literature and demonstrating the power of action research for individual practices.




Writing and Doing Action Research


Book Description

In Writing and Doing Action Research, Jean McNiff provides a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the practical aspects of writing and doing action research. Written for practitioners involved in higher degree courses and professional development programmes, and students undertaking methods courses, this book includes guidance on how to: Carry out an action research project in your setting Present your findings in a dissertation, report or thesis Write up your research with an eye to informing policy Demonstrate the quality of your research and writing Be critical and write theoretically Write for journals and prepare thesis and book proposals The book contains excerpts taken from action research projects in a range of settings and presents exercises to help you develop successful written accounts of your research. Writing and Doing Action Research is an essential text for anyone working with action research, providing vital guidance on the preparation and production of texts, how this type of work is assessed and enabling you to get the best results from your research.




International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices


Book Description

The International Handbook on Self-study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices is of interest to teacher educators, teacher researchers and practitioner researchers. This volume: -offers an encyclopaedic review of the field of self-study; -examines in detail self-study in a range of teaching and teacher education contexts; -outlines a full understanding of the nature and development of self-study; -explores the development of a professional knowledge base for teaching through self-study; -purposefully represents self-study through research and practice; -illustrates examples of self-study in teaching and teacher education.




Developing Research in Teacher Education


Book Description

Good teacher education, informed by relevant research, is judged by policy makers and practitioners alike to be central to increasing the quality of schooling in many countries of the world. Yet, in the UK, research on teacher education is often acknowledged to be less well developed than other areas of educational research and to be over-determined by education policy. It has also been accused of a lack of rigour and of being atheoretical. A further challenge in developing good research in teacher education is that new teacher educators commonly face the challenge of moving into academic work without relevant research skills and the ready capacity to produce high quality research outputs. For these reasons, then, strengthening research in and on teacher education is high on educational agendas in the UK. This book examines the exact nature of these challenges in teacher education and the initiatives arising to address them in different settings across the four nations of the UK. The central theme of all the chapters is how to build ‘research capacity’ so that teacher education can contribute more strongly to the improvement of schooling, as well as becoming a high quality, research-informed enterprise in its own right. The insights will be valuable to teacher educators around the world. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Education and Teaching.




Doing and Writing Action Research


Book Description

Doing and Writing Action Research provides a clear, comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the practical aspects of carrying out action research. Written with practitioners involved in workplace-based professional development programmes, as well as those on research training courses, in mind, this book covers all the core issues, with guidance on how to: - present findings - produce a research report that can inform policy - demonstrate the quality of one's research - be critical and write theoretically The book contains many worked examples of action research projects, to help illustrate the guidance on producing successful written accounts. Doing and Writing Action Research is an essential text for anyone working with action research, providing vital guidance on how this type of work is assessed, enabling the reader to get the best results from their project work.