Practitioner Enquiry: Professional Development with Impact for Teachers, Schools and Systems offers an accessible, step-by-step guide to practitioner enquiry, describing what practitioner enquiry is, what its adoption in schools entails, and what research and experience says about its benefits and possible pitfalls. Written by an experienced Headteacher who has worked with many schools to support their own engagement with practitioner enquiry, and who has been using the approach himself for over eight years, the chapters examine all aspects of its theory, practice and engagement. The book includes a variety of case studies to explore the effect of practitioner enquiry across a range of settings, and to show how you can bring about deep, sustainable and embedded change that has positive impacts for all learners. Chapters cover: how you can create the conditions for succeeding with practitioner enquiry the process of enquiring into your practice the role of school leaders and teachers in successful enquiry processes the benefits you may expect from such enquiry case studies from a number of different contexts, showing enquiry in action examples of research posters produced by teachers involved in enquiry. Practitioner Enquiry serves as a much-needed injection of up-to-date research into the field, combining theory and practice in an engaging and comprehensive style. It will be key reading for teachers and school leaders in both primary and secondary sectors.

This book is a guide to research methods for practitioner research. Written in friendly and accessible language, it includes numerous practical examples based on the authors′ own experiences in the field, to support readers. The authors provide information and guidance on developing research skills such as gathering and analysing information and data, reporting findings and research design. They offer critical perspectives to help users reflect on research approaches and to scrutinise key issues in devising research questions. This book is for undergraduate and postgraduate students, teachers and practitioners in practitioner research development and leadership programmes. The team of authors are all within the School of Education at the University of Glasgow and have significant experience of working with practitioner researchers in education.

This exciting new edition of a popular text is an important resource for any education professional interested in investigating learning and teaching. Building on the success of Action Research in the Classroom, the authors have revised, updated and extended this book to include examples from further and higher education.

Practical, accessible and up-to-date, this book draws directly on the work of teachers and other professional trainers concerned with programs for continuing professional development.

This book has been written specifically for postgraduate students carrying out small-scale research projects in and around their work environments and for those undertaking research projects as part of their higher education courses. The book will also be useful to teachers, tutors, lecturers and trainers who want to use the concept of practitioner-based enquiry to enquire into their own institutional practices, and produce reports which can be submitted for academic credits leading to the award of certificates and degrees from universities and other professional bodies.

Doing Practitioner Research focuses on helping practitioners conduct research in their own organisations, and attention is given to the best methods for doing this effectively and sensitively. The authors also attend to the theoretical, political and organisational context of doing research, as well as addressing the ethical and practical issues of undertaking research. The authors cover in detail the range of skills and techniques necessary to make a successful start to the process of becoming an effective practitioner researcher. This is an ideal text for growing number of practitioners working in health, education and social care who are undertaking research. Fox et al have provided the perfect introduction to why practitioners are in the unique position to conduct research that actually improves professional practice. This book will be essential reading for those professionals/practitioners engaged in research in their own organisation or undertaking a post-graduate qualification in Health, Social Care, or Education.

There is now a widespread expectation that teachers and coaches should be reflective practitioners, an expectation written into national standards of education in many countries. This innovative book introduces the methods by which teachers and coaches can conduct research into their own professional practice and therefore become more effective reflective practitioners, improving their students’ learning as a result. As the only book on practitioner research that focuses specifically on the unique challenges of working in a physical education or youth sport environment, it uses real-life case studies and applied practical examples to guide the reader through the research process step-by-step. Examining the what, why and how of four key research methods in particular – action research, narrative enquiry, autoethnography and self-study – it provides an expert analysis of the strengths and limitations of each method and demonstrates how conducting reflective research can produce tangible results in improving both teaching and learning. This is an invaluable resource for all those interested in enhancing their professional development as students, practitioners or researchers of physical education and youth sport.

An invaluable tool for health and social work students and professionals who want to improve their practice through collaborative research with patients, clients, and colleagues. Throughout history, some of the most prominent contributors to health and social sciences have been men and women comfortable with both practice and academia. But today, research in health-related fields is increasingly conducted in specialized settings by people who are first and foremost researchers. Critics bemoan this loss of practice-based research, long considered a vital part of the contribution that doctors, nurses, public health workers, and social workers can make both to their field and the communities in which they work. Unfortunately, the explosion of new discoveries in health-related fields, along with the exponential increase in the amount of knowledge being produced and the growing demands of practice, have caused both the production and application of knowledge to become highly specialized and increasingly complex. This has resulted in a widening gap between research and practice. Recognizing the need for a guide to this type of research, Practitioner Research for Social Work, Nursing, and the Health Professions is a thoroughly reimagined version of a book originally published in 2011 in the Netherlands. Aimed at American practitioners, it is a highly practical guide for anyone in social work, nursing, and other health care and social welfare settings. Its seven-step Practitioner Research Method offers readers a tried-and-true approach to conducting research in their own work environments, and the authors use real-world examples to highlight strategies for overcoming barriers and incorporating research. While leading practitioners through each stage of the research process, the authors explain in detail how to apply a variety of field-tested tools and techniques. A unique and indispensable resource for students in undergraduate and graduate research courses, as well as for seasoned professionals who seek a practical guide for developing and implementing their own research projects in social work, nursing, and the health professions, this book is also the first textbook to introduce the concept and practice of practitioner research to an American audience.

`This is a really useful book. It is full of helpful ideas and examples and discusses the importance of research for teachers. While addressing both the why and the how of practitioner research in school settings the authors have kept closely in touch with the practical concerns of busy professionals′ - Professor Anne Edwards, School of Education, University of Birmingham This is a book about how to do your research. It′s aimed at teachers involved in classroom-based research projects such as Best Practice Research Scholarships and Networked Learning Communities. This book is a significant text for teachers involved in practitioner research. It will discuss how the notion of classroom research has evolved from previous movements based upon school effectiveness and action research. It will show how being able to conduct and understand research is vital for the professional development of teachers. The text will then consider the practical issues of the design and carrying out of classroom-based research. The book contains practical examples to illustrate points where appropriate. Each chapter includes recommended further reading and practical tasks.

"While there are many books out there on action research, few immerse the reader so effectively in the nitty-gritty realities of the method, while also pushing school practitioners to use inquiry to challenge an unacceptable status quo. This text should be read by all teachers and school leaders who care about empowering students and communities through action research." —Ruth Johnson, Professor of Educational Administration, California State University, Los Angeles Author, Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap "A highly accessible and informative book for K–12 educators and university graduate students. Provides very useful examples of what action research looks like when carried out in schools. This book has always been at the top of my recommended resources list." —Ken Zeichner, Hoefs-Bascom Professor of Teacher Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison Discover the most empowering pathway to improved practice in education! Since the publication of the first edition of Studying Your Own School, practitioner action research has become an established professional development practice in schools and teacher education programs. While the fundamentals of practitioner action research have not changed, the challenges of large scale reform have dramatically altered the context of teaching. This extensive revision of the best-selling book includes the latest investigative methods and reflects the current educational environment. New features of the second edition include A "Getting Started" chapter on initial issues and considerations More advice on crafting the research question and research design Up-to-date information on political and ethical considerations New examples of practitioner action research studies A focus on promoting equity and social justice Packed with updated examples to help orient the reader, this book is unique in providing the theoretical and historical underpinnings of practitioner action research and all the "how-to" information necessary for successful classroom application.