The Risks and Rewards of Action Research

Dr. Judy Durrant

UCET CPD Committee Symposium, 2nd June 2015

Holding our ground in a volatile political landscape while schools were changing conceptually

‘The Importance of Teaching’ (2010)

• We needed a strategy to continue our work• We wanted to be proactive

• Forced to ask: “What is our core work?” ‘More than providers…’ (Bryan and Durrant, 2014 TEAN presentation)

CPD ‘hubs’

• Regional invitations to meet existing school partners & make new contacts

• Listening and sharing intelligence

• Communicating and developing our CPD offer

• Withdrawal of PPD funding > increasing interest in non-accredited research programmes

School-based action research projects

Examples: two recent action research projects: Blean Primary School near Canterbury St. Ursula’s RC Junior School, Havering

• All teachers (20+) at Blean including head • All teachers and support staff at Havering including head • Structure and frameworks to support enquiry and impact• Values-based, reflexive, collaborative, participative, dialogic• Series of 5 or so twilights; end of year sharing conference• Total cost £5,000 - £6,000 per project

Values as a basis for enquiry and action

People investigating their own issues and questions

Engaging with evidence and listening to each others’ perspectives

Relational work…

Exploring children’s ideas, opinions and experiences through creative, interactive enquiry

Learning conversations based on peoples’ experiences

Developing professional confidence through peer support

Creating spaces for dialogue

New questions and perspectives instigate change

Reflective discussion leads to consideration of alternative possibilities

Passionate sharing of processes & outcomes

Valuing individuals through professional recognition (TLA)http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/research-knowledge-exchange/teaching-and-learning-academy/teaching-and-learning-academy.aspx

Valuing the work by individuals and the school through high quality publicationSee pdfs of project booklets at

http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/research-knowledge-exchange/themes/professional-organisational-and-leadership-development.aspx(under ‘school action research projects’)

These booklets are costed into projects, compiled by University facilitators and published by the University’s marketing department using materials gathered as the work progresses, including artefacts and evidence from ongoing evaluation / review. Sometimes teachers are given time to write brief accounts during sessions, or a senior leader at school is responsible for collecting summaries. For St. Ursula’s we edited Teaching and Learning Academy submissions. Schools pay for 100 hard copies and are sent the pdfs. We keep some for ourselves for further marketing. They can be handed out at final conference / sharing events, but sometimes the conference report is a good conclusion to the booklet.

‘What are we learning?’ (masterly?)

• hResearch has helped us ‘press the pause button’

Incorporating the children into our research has been

powerful. Children see things differently from us.

We were imposing our own assumptions and

interpretations and now we are more likely to

listen.

We are thinking more and aware of children’s

responses to feedback. We are able to make professional choices.

We can challenge each other professionally without taking it

personally.

The children are developing a language

for learning and feedback.

There is more dialogue.

Research has given us

confidence to test theory in practice.

Risks• Trust has to be built fast in new partnerships• Leaders may not be able to let go• Teachers do not engage if not ready – when to say ‘no’• Temptation to pack with content, destroying dialogue• Tenuous balance between structure & flexibility• Organisation and communication make or break• Easily destroyed by wobble factors – new head, Ofsted• Scaling up is difficult, needs existing infrastructure• Poor quality research – whose responsibility?• Requests for inappropriate evaluation of success• University sees this as peripheral • Over-exploitation between university and school

Rewards

• Children’s learning improves• Action research addresses specific issues• Improved understanding – children, teachers, learning• Professional and leadership development • Professional confidence, ownership and voice• Motivates ‘theory into action’ at high level of engagement• More dialogue in classrooms• More open professional cultures • Challenge and change underpins everyday practice• Recognition of University’s proactive work• Publication = marketing • Trust within valued partnerships

Some useful referencesBiesta, G.J.J. (2007). Why ”what works‟ won’t work. Evidence-based practice and the democratic deficit of educational research. Educational Theory 57(1), 1-22.

Bryan, H. and Durrant, J. (2014) ‘More than ‘Providers’: positioning the University proactively in continuing teacher education and school improvement.’ Presentation at 5th TEAN conference: Achieving the Priorities of Teacher Education Conference Aston, Birmingham, 16th May 2014

Giroux, H.A. (2011) On Critical Pedagogy. London: Bloomsbury

Elliott, J. (1998) The Curriculum Experiment: Meeting the Challenge of Social Change. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Giddens, A. (1984) The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Durrant, J. and Holden, G. (2006) Teachers Leading Change: Doing Research for School Improvement. London: Paul Chapman.

Durrant , J. with teachers from Blean Primary School (2014)How to…learn with and from children. Professional Development Today 16: 1, pp.27-45

Durrant, J. (2014) Children See Differently From Us – a fresh perspective on school improvement. Professional Development Today 16:2, pp.51-60

Mitchell, C. and Sackney, L. (2000) Profound Improvement: building capacity for a learning community. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger.

judy.durrant@canterbury.ac.uk