NACE Associate Dr Jonathan Doherty reflects on what we mean by teacher enquiry, its benefits, and how to do it well – drawing on the experience of the NACE R&D Hubs.

Colleagues at this stage in the year will be fully into the cycle of NACE Research and Development Hub meetings and working to finalise their enquiry projects for this year. It is a privilege to be part of the R&D Hub based at Copthorne Primary School in Bradford. The meetings are a rich exchange of ideas for teacher-led projects under the umbrella theme of exploring how curriculum design can arise from a focus on cognitively challenging learning experiences and an understanding of the pedagogical models and practices which facilitate this. The discussions and planned research are fine examples of teacher enquiry in action, which prompted me to write this blog post.

What do we mean by teacher enquiry?

A variety of terms exist for this work – classroom enquiry, action research, practitioner research – and it has a long history in educational research. Researchers Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Susan Lytle (2009, p.123-4) described teacher enquiry as, “neither a top-down nor a bottom-up theory of action, but an organic and democratic one that positions practitioners’ knowledge, practitioners and their interactions with students and other stakeholders at the centre of educational transformation’’. 

It is associated with small-scale investigations carried out by teachers in their own classrooms and schools. They don’t just observe it, they do it! Underpinning this and recognised is that teachers’ engagement with enquiry will provide answers to questions that they want answers to, and in turn will generate new knowledge.  

What are the benefits of teacher enquiry?

As is in evidence from the NACE R&D Hub meetings, the characteristics of this type of research are that it is undertaken by individual teachers or groups of teachers, it is conducted in schools with the purpose of improving classroom practice, and it leads to shared and greater learning. Teacher enquiry recognises that teachers are uniquely positioned to provide the insider’s view of how teachers and learners co-construct knowledge. Teacher enquiry in the form of short, focused projects is “authentic” because it is close to everyday classroom work; it is “ethical” because of how the enquiries are conducted with regard to confidentiality and anonymity; and it gives “voice” to represent and amplify this important work undertaken by teachers. In our Hub meetings at Copthorne, it is obvious to see the extensive thought processes that have gone into formulating the research questions for the different projects.

What does it look like in practice?

Research of this type has a definite shape to it, although each project in our R&D Hub is slightly different. Many models exist to illustrate teacher enquiry, but they are all based upon similar principles of planning, taking action and evaluation (Coghlan, 2019). 

Stage 1: conceptualisation

 Enquiries begin with the formulation of a question (sometimes referred to as a hypothesis). This is the conceptualisation stage. The question is posed by the teacher(s) or in conjunction with students and must be “researchable” with the potential to answer an issue in the classroom. The NACE R&D Hubs format for enquiry, “If I do X, will Y happen?” is extremely helpful in making this concise and the research viable.  

Stage 2: intervention

After the question is finalised (and often shortened for clarity), comes the intervention stage, where the investigation is planned in detail, a target group identified and baseline information from the target group set up. 

Stage 3: analysis

When sufficient data is gathered, it is organised in categories and then begins the analysis stage, where analysis of key themes leads to deeper understanding. 

Stage 4: evaluation

Finally, after 6-8 weeks, sufficient time to observe physical change taking place, conclusions are drawn which relate back to the original question and typically identify implications for classroom practice (or indeed further enquiry) arising from the investigation. This evaluation stage might include its value to the pupils, to the teacher’s professional learning, or more broadly to organisational learning. 

Whilst these four stages may appear to be a linear process, they are not: the shape is very much cyclical, returning to the original question posed.

How does this relate to provision for more able learners?

There are many benefits to conducting enquiry work focusing on more able learners. It helps create a space for busy teachers to stop and examine existing ways of working. It is situation-specific: it enables the examination of one’s own situation and leads to a better understanding of context. It is a participatory process, all about doing. It builds on teachers’ extensive knowledge of classroom practice already. It is collaborative, as the sharing of ideas with others in NACE R&D Hubs demonstrates. It involves robust evaluation: bringing a systematic and disciplined way of working that leads to new understandings and creates a bona fide evidence base, so important for developing how best to support more able learners in primary and secondary school contexts.

How to do it well: five top tips for teacher enquiry work

1. Spend time getting the research question right. It must be clear and specific. For example, “How does the use of teacher written feedback improve learning in History for more able learners?”
2. Set a baseline at the start of the project. This might be teacher assessment or achievement data.
3. Use a variety of ways to collect data. This could be a short questionnaire, focus group interviews, set tasks or targeted lesson observations.
4. Involve more able students from the start. Involve them in helping to plan the project. Talk to them about how this is going to happen and their view of it in implementation.
5. Share your work. This might be within a school at a research meeting or a staff meeting. Consider going wider. A conference perhaps or writing the enquiry up for publication. This is new and important work. Share your successes!

A final word from Lawrence Stenhouse (1981) who commented that, ‘‘it is teachers who in the end will change the world of the school by understanding it’’.

References

• Cochran-Smith, M. & Lytle, S. (2009) Inquiry As Stance. New York: Teachers College Press
• Coghlan, D. (2019) Doing Action Research in your Organisation. London: Sage.
• Stenhouse L. (1981) What Counts as Research? British Journal of Education Studies. Vol XXIX, No. 2. June.

About the NACE R&D Hubs

NACE’s Research and Development (R&D) Hubs offer opportunities for NACE members to exchange effective practice, develop in-school research skills and collaborate on enquiry-based projects. Each Hub brings together members from all phases, sectors and contexts to share and augment the available evidence on what works for more able learners. Find out more here, or contact us to express your interest in joining the R&D Hubs next academic year.