"Practitioners are experts in their field and this book introduces research methods that help to make that expertise explicit. There is worldwide recognition of the importance of high quality, reflective practice that both engages with existing research evidence and engages in the production of new evidence. Research Methods for Understanding Professional Learning demonstrates how the knowledge about what happens in a practice context and the skills used to succeed there can be used as the building blocks for developing research methods and tools to best investigate practice. The experienced author team introduce a framework for understanding practice and for designing research about practice using a wealth of real research examples across all phases of education. This practical guide provides suggestions of a unique mix of research methods and tools, moving beyond just action research methodology, allowing the reader to engage with research design and assess how well the data gathered will answer their research question."--Back cover...

Practitioners are experts in their field and this book introduces research methods that help to make that expertise explicit. There is worldwide recognition of the importance of high quality, reflective practice that both engages with existing research evidence and engages in the production of new evidence. Research Methods for Understanding Professional Learning demonstrates how the knowledge about what happens in a practice context and the skills used to succeed there can be used as the building blocks for developing research methods and tools to best investigate practice. The experienced author team introduce a framework for understanding practice and for designing research about practice using a wealth of real research examples across all phases of education. This practical guide provides suggestions of a unique mix of research methods and tools, moving beyond just action research methodology, allowing the reader to engage with research design and assess how well the data gathered will answer their research question.

Action Research in Education is an essential guide for any lecturer, teacher or student-teacher interested in doing research. 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. It maps out easy-to-follow steps for usefully applying an action research approach and is full of practical tips and examples of real practitioner research projects from a range of schools, colleges and universities. This book will help teachers to: - understand and apply practitioner inquiry - enhance their problem-solving skills - locate their own activity in a wider context - maximise opportunities to develop practice - evaluate the needs of their learners Clear, pragmatic and timely, this is a must-have text for all teachers and students of education. Vivienne Baumfield is Professor of Pedagogy, Policy and Innovation in the School of Education, University of Glasgow Elaine Hall is Lecturer in Research Methods, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University Kate Wall is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Durham University

During the last twenty years, professional learning for teachers has been promoted as a viable path for increased teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Because of the complexities of the school system and the diversity of the student population, designing quality professional learning opportunities that are meaningful for teachers can be difficult. However, recent research suggests that there is a sufficient literature basis to support a set of features and characteristics of professional learning that leads to increased teacher knowledge and learning. This study seeks to understand the elements of professional learning through the lenses of the participants in a professional learning opportunity, which incorporated the research-based professional learning characteristics. It also seeks to understand how the participants themselves made sense of their own learning and how they perceived the impact of their learning on their teaching and students. This research employed qualitative case study methodology to illustrate the phenomenon under examination. Participants in this study included a purposefully selected group of three participants enrolled in a particular professional learning experience. All three participants made changes in their instructional approaches and reported changes in both content and pedagogical knowledge as a result of participation in the professional learning experience. It is noted that the design of the program, in particular the active learning, coherence, and collective participation aspects, played a significant role in the participants' initial implementation of new instructional strategies in their classrooms. The findings offer insight into the elements of professional learning that impact teacher practice.

Research Methods in Education introduces research methods as an integrated set of techniques for investigating questions about the educational world. This lively, innovative text helps students connect technique and substance, appreciate the value of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and make ethical research decisions. It weaves actual research "stories" into the presentation of research topics, and it emphasizes validity, authenticity, and practical significance as overarching research goals. The text is divided into three sections: Foundations of Research (5 chapters), Research Design and Data Collection (7 chapters), and Analyzing and Reporting Data (3 chapters). This tripartite conceptual framework honors traditional quantitative approaches while reflecting the growing popularity of qualitative studies, mixed method designs, and school-based techniques. This approach provides a comprehensive, conceptually unified, and well-written introduction to the exciting but complex field of educational research.

There are many expectations placed upon first year art educators. Among these are the completion of professional development programs and the application of the learning strategies and methods they promote. As organizing, retaining, and applying the knowledge gained in such programs is a goal of any professional teacher, devising strategies and methods of accomplishing this goal are imperative to manage the amount of variety of professional development many young teachers experience. The basis for this research project was the investigation and application of a professional learning strategy using arts-based research. Arts-based research is a contemporary research method that applies design principles and aesthetic elements as a tool to enhance the investigational learning process. This research documents how a first year teacher utilized arts-based research as a means of enhancing the investigation and understanding of content related to professional development programs experienced during his first year of teaching. A detailed journal of the experience, in the form of an internet blog, documents how the educator utilized arts-based research and how it impacted his professional learning. The images produced as result of the arts-based research strategies are provided as artifacts of the process. This research provides evidence that arts-based research can be used as an effective way of organizing and enhancing professional learning developed as a result of professional development programs.

Students become experts and innovators through Concept-Based teaching Innovators don’t invent without a deep understanding of how the world works. With this foundation, they apply conceptual understanding to solve new problems. We want our students to not only retain ideas, but relate them to other things they encounter, using each new situation to add nuance and sophistication to their thinking. To do this, they need conceptual understanding. This book serves as a road map for Concept-Based teaching. Discover how to help students uncover conceptual relationships and transfer them to new situations. Specifically, teachers will learn: Strategies for introducing conceptual learning to students Four lesson frameworks to help students uncover conceptual relationships How to assess conceptual understanding, and How to differentiate concept-based instruction Look no further. For deep learning and innovative thinking, this book is the place to start. "The authors tear down the false dichotomies of traditional vs innovative education and provide a practical toolkit for developing creativity and applying knowledge through Concept-Based learning. Every practitioner needs this book to juxtapose what worked well in the 20th Century with what is essential in the 21st Century and beyond." Michael McDowell, Superintendent Ross School District, Ross, CA "While most good educators recognise the incredible value of teaching conceptually, it is challenging. The authors have created accessible, practical baby steps for every teacher to use." Dr. Vincent Chan, principal Fairview International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia