1. Why Teacher Research Matters for Educational Research Dr Ian Thompson Department of Education University of Oxford

2. English Teacher Action Researcher-PhD Educational Researcher Personal Context

3. Teachers and Research Teacher research high visibility Teaching Schools National College for Teaching and Leadership: Education Endowment Foundation; CfBT; teacher research conferences Ben Goldacre- rigour/validity RCT like Action research/practioner research 3

4. Department for Education Priority Evidence based practice for teaching and learning Whether policy reforms make a difference in practice Teachers identifying research DfE (2013): The most important outcome of our shared approach to research should be that teaching practice becomes increasingly based on rigorous evidence of what works. 4

5. But: Academic Critiques Dylan Wiliam ‘The Research Delusion.’ TES April 2015 “Researching is a particular skill. Some of us took years to gain that skill. Asking teachers to be researchers? They are not. I want to put the emphasis on teachers as evaluators of their impact. Be skilled at that. Whereas the whole research side, leave that to the academics.” John Hattie TES April 2015 ‘Evidence-based education is dead — long live evidence-informed education’ Tom Bennett TES April 2015 5

6. Implications: a False Dichotomy Teacher Research 1.Done by teachers and schools 2.Small scale 3.Aims to improve existing practice 4.Aims to have impact by producing better student outcomes Academic research 1.Done to teachers and schools 2.Large scale 3.Aims to research teaching and learning in schools by examining existing practice or by testing interventions 4.Aims to have impact by informing policy 6

7. How do we know what works? Research effective when theory and practice combine- McIntyre ‘practical theorising’ Collaboration between schools and university Range of research methods to answer important questions 2 mixed methods examples: Closing the Gap; Test and Learn Collaboration for Effective learning and teaching: mixed methods, research champions 7

8. Responding to Knowledge Society As casualties Coach children to memorise standardised learning Learn to teach as they are told Work harder; learn alone Treat parents as consumers and complainers Perform emotional labour Respond to imposed change with fearful compliance Trust no one (including research) As transformers Flexible and creative teaching Problem-solving(inclusiveness) Professional trust (security) Risk-taking Continuous improvement Respond to change through knowledge of local context Collective intelligence (trust) 8

9. Oxford’s Cultural Historical Contexts

10. Oxford Education Deanery Research collaboration between schools and the University that responds to the needs of local schools and works to ensure that the findings are effectively embedded and evaluated in schools’ practice. Aims to: build capacity in schools for making knowledge visible and open to scrutiny; sharing of the knowledge that matters in being a teacher; researching topics that matter for the profession. 10

11. Teacher Research Matters Real value and impact of teacher research is both on pupils’ learning and teachers’ engagement with research. Sharing of teacher research a way to re- engage schools and teachers both with each other and with the wider research community. Enjoy the Showcase 11