As experts such as Didau and Wiliams have illustrated, learning is often invisible and messy! Making sense of what works best to enable students to learn is the continuous quest of being a teacher.

As with all schools, we teach in the bubble of our own school environment and community, which means that although we want to be research-driven in how we improve, it is important to establish what works best from research within our own school - context is everything! Many research articles (and meta-research) are from schools with completely different contexts to BSAK; therefore, establishing a rich culture of in-house Practitioner Research makes sense.

Practitioner Research (also known as Practitioner Enquiry or Action Research) within schools does not necessarily mean rigorous, data-driven, highly scientific methodologies. But it does mean well thought out strategies for research, and clear goals for research. It means attempting to establish conclusions about what can work best at BSAK.

The goal is to bring research into our classrooms, and discover which of the latest thoughts on education best serves our own unique setting, in order to inform peers and transform practice.

Why Practitioner Research/Enquiry:

https://my.chartered.college/2018/03/bringing-evidence-into-the-classroom-why-teachers-need-to-take-control-of-research/ - this lovely piece explains why Action Research should be considered as best practice - while not a silver-bullet!

http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/practitioner-enquiry.aspx - the GTCS (General Teaching Council of Scotland) is at the forefront of this new move to engage practitioners in bringing research into the classroom to investigate it.

http://www.learningscientists.org/ - a fantastic site full of research, and all things about Learning!

How to do it:

• https://wiobyrne.com/action-research/ - this is a solid piece about setting up Practitioner Research
• At BSAK, we will support both inductive and deductive Practitioner Research. We do look for the following:

1. A Purpose (which may or may not provide a hypothesis)
2. Research methods set out prior to undertaking the research
3. Key literature - to firmly base the Practitioner Research in current research
4. Analysis / Discussion / Pause & Repeat
5. Conclusions that provide take-aways for our teaching peers.

• http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/research-practitioner-enquiry/practitioner-enquiry/how-practitioner-enquiry.aspx - how practitionr research is set up within the GTCS
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ssta4QONS_HjlhJJQFshnsSMTARyR3vY/view?usp=sharing - this is a pdf by Fearghal Kelly of how to complete research.

Exemplars:

• https://my.chartered.college/2017/07/encouraging-students-to-ask-questions-in-the-classroom/