Forthcoming book for SAGE:
Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice:
A Guide for Teachers
(working
title was: Classroom-based
Research and Evidence-based Practice:
A Teacher’s Guide)
`This is an exceptionally strong book.
I learnt much of value from it, yet the text is accessible to PGCE students.
It is packed with interesting and valid arguments and shows a great understanding
both of classrooms and of educational research'
Prof. Michael Reiss, Institute of Education, University of London
Keith S. Taber
Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
This is a book about teaching and learning, primarily intended for teachers
who are also learners.
In writing the book, I am setting out to support teachers (and those
preparing for teaching) in developing their skills in critically evaluating
research reports, and in planning and carrying-out their own small-scale
school (or college) based research. I am assuming, in particular, that
many readers will be getting their first taste of classroom enquiry – usually
(but not always) in terms of the projects undertaken on University courses.
The book will be particularly useful to
- those undertaking PGCE courses,
- those setting out on higher degrees (MEd, MA or MPhil) involving
classroom research, and
- classroom teachers who have identified enquiry into teaching
and learning as a focus of their individual or departmental development plans.
Indicative contents:-
Foreword ii
Section 1: Learning about educational research
vi
1: The professional teacher and educational research
1
The weak model of teacher professionalism 2
The strong model of teacher professionalism 3
So, do teachers need to be educational researchers?
4
Support for the teacher-as-researcher in initial teacher education
5
‘Mastering’ the PGCE 6
A note on getting maximum benefit from this book: 8
2: What is this thing called educational research?
12
What does educational research find? 12
What kind of things does research tell us about student thinking?
13
What kind of things does research tell us about learning?
15
What kind of things does research tell us about teaching?
16
What kind of things does research tells us about teacher thinking?
20
Finding and evaluating studies 22
3: How do educational researchers think about their research?
23
Research paradigms 24
ERP1 – finding the laws explaining educational reality
28
ERP2 – constructing understandings of education 32
Paradigmatic differences between researchers 36
Complementary research approaches? 44
The research process 46
Developing a conceptual framework for research 48
4: What strategies do educational researchers use?
53
What is Methodology? 53
Sampling in educational research 54
Experiments and quasi-experiments 57
Case study 65
Action research 74
Section 2: Learning from educational research
79
5: Teachers evaluating research quality 80
Three metaphors for thinking about research writing
80
Different types of research require different types of evaluation
80
Judging whether educational research claims are justified
81
Has the research been conducted ethically? 97
6: Teachers evaluating research relevance 99
Transfer of knowledge - does it apply here? 99
Findings, generalisations and mechanisms 102
Section 3: Learning through educational research 105
7: Teachers planning research 106
The focus 106
Forming research questions 107
From questions to research plans 110
Some problems with testing hypotheses 111
Defining terms 112
Exploratory research 113
The research plan 114
The ethics of educational research 116
The teacher-researcher’s dilemma 124
8: Teachers collecting evidence through research
126
Documentary evidence 127
Teaching diaries 128
Tests 129
Learner productions 130
Questionnaires 133
Classroom observation 135
Feedback from mentors/colleagues 137
Interviewing 138
Probes 140
9: Teachers interrogating the evidence from classroom studies
143
Analysing data 143
‘Mixed methods’? 147
10: Teachers making the case through reporting research
150
Should all research be reported? 150
Audiences for teacher research 153
Writing-up research: making your case 159
A model for writing-up 161
Difficulties with the model structure for a research report
167
Bibliography 170
Index
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