School improvement: the case for supported teacher research

Abstract

This article develops and extends a number of ideas about teacher involvement in school effectiveness and improvement research. It is in three parts. In the first part we consider the issue of the accessibility of effectiveness and improvement research findings and some of the difficulties surrounding teachers’ perceptions of the ‘theory—practice divide’. In the light of this we offer teacher research, especially in collaboration with external partners, as a potent tool which teachers might apply to the interpretation and local exploration of research findings, and as a route to establishing themselves as key players in school improvement efforts. In the second part, we draw on our own experiences as school and university staffby way of describing two case studies of collaborative school‐based research. In these, we give an account of the context for our work and overview project action and outcomes. Finally, we turn to a critical reflection of our learning from the case studies and point to lessons concerning project ownership, management of the improvement process and of project continuance, and collaboration.

Keywords:

• teacher research
• school improvement
• school effectiveness
• partnership
• collaborative research
• action research

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karen Carter

Rob Halsall is Research Development Manager and Karen Carter is Senior Lecturer in Drama Education and Educational Management at the Didsbury School of Education, the Manchester Metropolitan University

Kath Perry

Maureen Curley and Kath Perry are teachers at St Mary's CE Primary School in Moston, Manchester