Educational Research Mentoring Sarah Fletcher

Educational Research Mentoring  Why ‘educational’?  What kind of ‘research’?  What kind of ‘mentoring’?

Educational Research Mentoring  Enables a growth of knowledge about teaching and learning in schools and in universities.  Bridges between two populations of researchers in complementary educational contexts.  Is distinct from traditional forms of research mentoring associated with university contexts.

Educational Research Mentoring  The research mentor assists the teacher researcher in identifying a research question for school-based investigation. , video conferencing and tele-mentoring might supplement the face to face dialogue

Educational Research Mentoring  The research mentor assists the teacher to identify values, skills or understanding to develop to assist his/her CPD and actively participate in his/her school’s improvement. , video conferencing and tele-mentoring might supplement face to face dialogue – sessions videoed as data which can be later used as evidence to support any claims of improvement in teaching and learning.

Educational Research Mentoring  The research mentor assists the teacher with understanding various ways to collect data. This might include using digital video, MP3 recording, making movies to cut to DVD/CD.

Educational Research Mentoring  The research mentor assists the teacher in collecting and collating data in his/her school- based enquiry. This might include use of the KEEP Toolkit templates and Critical Thinking Scaffolds.

Educational Research Mentoring  How is ERM a beneficial two way process?  Potential for professional & personal development for the research mentor & teacher through collaborative enquiry.  Co-writing papers for publication and conference presentations and co-creating web-based ‘snapshots’.  Mutual learning about the use of technology in enabling systematic enquiry as a form of CPD that can inform and improve teaching in very different educational contexts.

Educational Research Mentoring  Case Study One: Rieko Iwahama, Kobe, Japan  Case Study Two: Emma Kirby, Bristol, England  Case Study Three: Donna Chipping and Rachele Morse, Southampton, England  Case Study Four:  Karen Riding and her students, Salisbury, England

Educational Research Mentoring Relates to Boyer’s (1990) Scholarships: Discovery (research) Integration (connectedness of educational aspects) Application (e.g. to assist individuals and institutions) Teaching (‘the highest form of understanding’) and …… ‘Generativity’

Educational Research Mentoring  Is there evidence that my contribution to educational knowledge has influenced anyone? Donna Chipping and Rachele Morse’s research (2006), suggests there is ……  ‘We … support the definition offered by Fletcher (2000) of research mentoring as creative collaboration between teachers as researchers and other researchers' where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.’

Educational Research Mentoring Fletcher, S.J. (2006) ‘Technology-enabled action research in mentoring teacher researchers’, Reflecting Education Journal, Vol. 2 (1) pp Fletcher, S. (2005) ‘Sharing Teachers’ Action Research’, KEEP Newsletter Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (winter 2005) Feature Web- Article accessible at Fletcher, S.J. (2005) 'Research Mentoring: The Missing Link', in Bodone, F. What Difference does Research Make and for Whom? New York, USA, Peter Lang, pp