Practitioner learning, enquiry and research

1. Practitioner learning, enquiry and research Colleen McLaughlin, Kristine Black Hawkins and Andrew Townsend University of Cambridge Faculty of Education BERA Glamorgan September 16th, 2005

2. Research undertaken Research questions from Networked Learning Communities research strands • 25. How are practitioner research and enquiry developed and sustained in networked learning communities? • 27 How do networked learning communities support schools to learn from research and evidence? • 28 Are there particular kinds of learning process that are more likely to occur through school-school connections?

3. Our specific questions were: 1. What is understood by research and enquiry? • by different people who engage in this activity • What do people chose to do as research and enquiry? • And why do they do it [purposes]? 2. What is the impact or effect of research and enquiry on a school? • How does it benefit a school or schools? • And, how is it understood by those engaging in and promoting research and enquiry? 3. What sustains the effective use of research and enquiry in schools? What are the implications for sustainability and organisational redesign at the following levels:- • The organisational level • The leadership level • The level of external support [e.g. relationships between schools and other organisations such as LEAs, universities, national government bodies and other professionally related organisations]?

4. Research strategy • Review of the literature on teachers, schools and networks and research and enquiry - 2004 • Case studies of 6 Networked Learning Communities - 2005 • Special schools Primary schools • Secondary schools Rural and urban schools • A geographical spread in the country • A spread in terms of school characteristics • A range of experience and stage of development in terms of working in this field of practitioner research and enquiry • Questionnaires to all staff in those schools - approx. 651 returned

5. Overview of this presentation • What R and E occurred and what influenced it? • How was it conceived and the emergent issues? • The impact of undertaking research and enquiry • Sustaining and developing research and enquiry and the emergent issues • Implications for organisations and networks

6. What Research and Enquiry occurred and what influenced it? • Did occur in every context we examined • Mirrored the purposes and context • EAZ, Subject area, challenging circumstances • Conceptions often mirrored external pressures and external models of R and E • Room for manoeuvre dependent on external and particular contexts of networks - limits to risk taking and networking? • Different emphases at different levels within the network or system

7. How was it conceived and the emergent issues? • Wide ranging definitions that encompassed and included classroom, school improvement and professional learning. • Conceptions emphasised • Professional learning through collaborative problem solving and knowledge sharing • Reflection on practice and sharing of that reflection • A process of improvement focused on teaching and learning • A process of refining developing and changing practice - action research • A process of professional development and refreshment - professional dialogue • A process of enquiry that relies on the use of and collection of evidence in a systematic way

8. Issues of definition or conception • This blurring of boundaries had assets and drawbacks • Encouraged experimentation and involvement • Lack of clarity about outcomes or the basis for judging the claims made • Hargreaves [1999] noted that 2 most challenging aspects of knowledge creating schools were the issues of validation and dissemination - our research supports that • Pressure to adhere to conventional ways of conducting and disseminating R and E • Need to refine, develop and articulate the distinctions and implications of the differences.

9. The three fields of knowledge • Concept widely used in the networks • What is known- knowledge from theory, research and best practice • What we know- practitioner knowledge • New knowledge - created through collaborative work • Very limited evidence of the use of current knowledge • Practitioners -serious issues re the availability, accessibility, use and form of wider educational research - how to take up this challenge without ‘dumbing down’. Has implications for support of networks and teachers. • Engaging in research enhances the use of others research and deepens involvement and motivation. • Polarities and mediation between the different fields of knowledge.

10. The impact on practitioners, schools and networks • Reported considerable and powerful impact on practitioners • Sense of professionalism, professional learning and professional development. ‘Most effective form of staff development’ • Refreshment and retention • Lessening isolation • Collaboration seemed to be the most important factor in many cases. Range of forms of collaboration. • Impact on school policy where focus is clear and routes to implementation planned and clear e.g. subject areas in secondary schools and shared agendas in primary e.g. KS1 or 2 • Takes longer than expected

11. Sustaining and developing research and enquiry and the emergent issues • Alignment a key concept. • Need to develop mechanisms and thinking re sustainability • Mediator or external agent crucial - image of bridge • Need for technical, professional and personal support - group dynamics key • Manageability - a key concept • Dissemination - a key challenge • Capacity and conditional change connected

12. Alignment A professional realm is healthiest when the values of the culture are in line with those of the domain, when the expectations of stakeholders match those of the field and when domain and field are themselves in sync. When these conditions exist, individual practitioners are free to operate at their best, morale is high and the professional realm flourishes. We term this a situation of authentic alignment. [Gardner, Csikszentmihalyi and Damon, 2001: 27]

13. Implications for organisations and networks • The notion of the self-facilitating network free of external support and resources is a myth • The development of research, enquiry and collaboration is powerful lever and will involve re-examining structures and organisation in order to facilitate the work if it is to endure • Building on commonality

14. References Gardner, H., Csikszentmihalyi, M. and Damon, W. [2001] Good Work: when excellence and ethics meet. New York: Basic Books. Hargreaves, D. [1999] 'The Knowledge Creating School'. British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 47, no 2, pp.122-144 National College of School Leadership [2005] Networked Learning Communities: learning about learning networks. Cranfield, NCSL.