Eliciting student teacher’s views on educational research to support practice in the modern diverse classroom: a workshop approach

Figures & data

Table 1. Development of themes.

Thematic analysis after Braun and Clark (2006, in italics). Phase 1. Becoming familiar with the data: transcribing data, reading and re-reading the data, noting down initial ideas. Group discussion workshops were recorded with notes taken to clarify speaker turns and transcribed soon after the workshops. Repeated listening and discussion were used to help understand unclear or incomplete utterances. Each transcription was discussed amongst the team soon after it was available and when recall of the workshop was high. Written responses from relevant sections of the later email workshops were collated. Initial ideas based on close reading were discussed amongst the research team for each workshop.
Phase 2. Generating initial codes: coding interesting features of the data in a systematic fashion across the entire data set, collating data relevant to each code. Three authors discussed the workshop transcripts and collations, noting and highlighting the semantic content of utterances and text, which were organised to become initial codes. The workshops took place over a year. This meant that codes could be added as the project progressed. The fourth researcher independently re-examined all initial codes, and developed familiarity with all of the written and transcribed data through repeated active reading of all data.
Phase 3. Searching for themes: collating codes into potential themes, gathering all data relevant to each potential theme. Initial themes were identified by discussion using a constant comparative approach within and across each potential theme. These early themes were further discussed by all researchers in relation to the coded data.
4. Reviewing themes: checking the themes work in relation to the coded extracts and the entire data set, generating a thematic ‘map’ of the analysis. As additional workshops were completed, themes were reviewed in light of the new data generated and coded, and themes added or revised following discussion.
5. Defining and naming themes: ongoing analysis to refine the specifics of each theme, and the overall story the analysis tells; generating clear definitions and names for each theme. As workshops progressed, and new coded data added, themes were consolidated with larger themes subsuming some themes. These changes over time are outlined below. The fourth researcher finally reviewed all of the data, another researcher re-checked, and the final list of seven named themes was created. This final list of themes was considered to be a full and appropriate representation of the data.
6. Producing the report: selection of vivid, compelling extract examples, and final analysis of selected extracts, The final themes were illustrated by extracts selected by the fourth researcher and confirmed by the others. Final themes and illustrative quotations appear in Table 2.
Development of final themes from Phase 2.
Phase 2: Generating initial codes	Phase 3: Identifying Potential Themes N = 10	Phase 4: Reviewing Themes N = 8		Phase 5: Defining and Naming Themes: Final Themes N = 7
Belief that research is the job of academics) Belief that it is the teacher’s role to adapt research to classroom context. Lack of time to sit and think about research Teachers just need a summary of what to do and why	1. Teacher’s role	Themes added/merged/re-worded	1. Teacher’s role – including barriers to undertaking research (e.g. work pressure, time constraints, and the belief that research is the job of academics) as well as the belief that it is the teacher’s role to adapt research to classroom context.	Themes added/merged/re-worded	1. Role barriers to using research (including work pressure; time constraints; belief that research is the job of academics, or that it is not the teacher’s role to adapt research to their individual work context.
Research needs to have an impact with teachers Research is interesting when it can be related to personal prior experience Research can be surprising when it can be related to personal prior experience Research evidence can support your position and give you confidence	2. Research related to personal prior experience. 3. Research needs to be impactful for teachers	Potential Themes 2 and 3 merged to new Theme 2	2. Research findings are related to prior personal experience.		2. Research findings are evaluated in relation to prior personal experience.
Research should provide specific implementation guidance and/or practical strategies. Identifying practical application of research. Extending research to provide specific implementation Identifying need to extend research to further practice area/populations/strategies.	4. Research should provide specific implementation guidance and/or practical strategies. 5. Identifying practical application of research. 6. Extending research to provide specific implementation, expressing the need to extend research to further practice area/populations/strategies.	Initial Themes 4, 5 and 6 merged to new Theme 3	3. Identifying practical application/s of the research: potentially/actually useable within personal practice.		3. Expressing the need for the practical application/s of the research to be clear.
Challenging research methodologies – such as cultural characteristics of sample, Approaches from research are not always evaluated to see what impact they have had.	7. Challenges to research methodologies.	New Themes 4 and 5 added	4. Challenging the research methodologies – such as population characteristics, relevance and value. 5. Expressing the need to extend research to further practice areas/populations.	Themes 4 and 5 merged to new Theme 4	4. Expressing the need to extend the applicability of the research beyond the restricted research population and characteristics sampled.
Research language is not normal, not user-friendly Too much effort to find out what it means Personal dis/comfort in discussing papers whose meaning is in/accessible.	8. In/accessibility of research message.		6. In/accessibility of research message.		5. In/accessibility of research message and the need for clarity and readability.
If you try to discuss research you get closed down Management teams are more looking at the school improvement plan and have pressure from above	9. Lack of job autonomy.		7. Position in a job hierarchy and top-down decision-making.		6. Lack of/opportunities to apply research.
Engaging with research that is on social media/TV Going on workshops/training which are considered useful to actual practice and not just following government legislation	10. Engaging with research outwith course requirements.		8. Engaging with research outwith course requirements.		7. Students engaging with research outwith course requirements.

Table 2. Themes and illustrative quotations. Participants identified by course and project number.

THEMES

1. Role barriers to using research (including work pressure; time constraints; belief that research is the job of academics, or that it is not the teacher’s role to adapt research to their individual work context.

As a new teacher I found all the paper work already on my plate hard enough to manage without having to trawl through 40 page journals which don’t actually tell you how to implement changes in a class (PGDE 1

Teachers don’t have time to read through research papers and rifle through the tables and tables of results. Give us practical strategies and clear guidance on how to do so. (PGDE 6)

2. Research findings are evaluated in relation to prior personal experience.

Q – re. EEF ‘setting’ research extract. Are there ways in which this research evidence could become more informative for teachers/practitioners to use in practice?

By giving examples of setting in practice, as I was aware as I had experienced it although I feel it would be difficult to comprehend if one had not had the practical experience. (PGDE 2)

Q – re. EEF ‘setting’ research extract. Are you surprised by the research findings?

No, but I was surprised when I first encountered similar data. I have previously been convinced by setting, as it worked well for me. (PGDE 3)

3. Expressing the need for the practical application/s of the research to be clear.

I don’t use [research] because I find it hard to know how to interpret a lot of into a class situation. (PGDE 1)

Sometimes I feel that what the researchers are saying is idealised and not practical in practice (BEd 2)

4. Expressing the need to extend the applicability of the research beyond the restricted research population and characteristics sampled.

Another thing that would make me more inclined to use the evidence was if it was taken from my area and with a large number of people/schools where the evidence is taken from. (PGDE 1)

Other areas of research, could be for example, the impact of nutrition and/or medication as well as the social environment including out-of-school activities and how a particular set of pupils progress in comparison to pupils who do not come from impoverished backgrounds. (PGDE 5)

Q – Are there any barriers to or problems in using research evidence to inform practice?

Only a certain amount of children are used so it might not give a true idea of if the method is effective in all children. (BEd 3)

Might not be daily reality for all but the research I’ve read to date (inclusion, setting) applies to enough people to make it useful. (PGDE 4)

5. In/accessibility of research message and the need for clarity and readability.

Statement: Research is often full of jargon and statistics that are hard to understand.

This is why I read articles about the research rather than the actual papers. (PGDE 6)

Statement:

I tend to skip over the stats as often too complicated. (PGDE 4)

6. Lack of/opportunities to apply research.

The things I do remember going into placement to use were soon dropped to assimilate to what the schools do because passing the course is more important at the time than what research suggests to try. (PGDE 1)

Secondary practice is out of my hands as I don’t choose my classes – some are set and some are not. (PGDE 6)

I would suggest that the best response is a united whole-school approach – so how best to use and incorporate research like this should be discussed and formed amongst those working within a given school/learning community. (PGDE 3)

7. Students engaging with research outside course requirements.

Q – What kinds of research evidence do you use?

Speeches and talks at e.g. The Scottish Learning Festival (PGDE 3)

Q – What kinds of research evidence do you use?

Times Educational Supplement for Scotland is informative and gives ideas and tips for best practice particularly in the area of classroom management. (PGDE 5)

Table 3. Summary of quantitative responses to post-workshop and follow-up questionnaires with illustrative quotations.

POST-WORKSHOP QUESTIONNAIRE (N = 12)	YES	NO	Only PGDE participants returned the post-workshop questionnaire by email, and quotations are extracted from this teacher education course.
QUESTION 5: Has participating in this workshop helped you to reflect upon your use of research evidence?	12	0	I will be trying to allow what I have read (and continue to read) to inform my practice It’s made me realise how little research I keep up to date with and how much I rely on conversation with others to inform my practice.
QUESTION 6: Has participating in this workshop helped you to identify or clarify potential issues in using research evidence?	11	1	I think this workshop has helped me to discover the benefits of research in the wider setting of schools’ environment. There’s still that bubble of teachers who won’t budge regardless of research.
QUESTION 7: Has participating in this workshop helped you to feel more equipped to use research evidence?	9	4	Not really – served more as a reminder that research evidence is out there. It does because it makes me think that with the questions asked that you aware of some of these issues and want to try and change things. I am all for trying these theories out but have no idea how to do it. This workshop gives me belief that whoever is reading this will take my comments on board and action them and hopefully realise I am not against research, just against the current way that it is used and presented.
QUESTION 8: Has participating in this workshop helped you to identify potential solutions for yourself/other students in using and providing research evidence?	7	4	Yes, do not accept things at face value and be critical of what you read, it is alright to use your professional judgment and disagree with research. Solution would be to use it and not just rely on those around you for information/support/ideas.
QUESTION 9 Has participating in this workshop helped you to identify potential solutions for universities in providing research evidence?	6	7	Yes universities should look to encourage debate surrounding areas of research evidence, as this will make student teachers more adaptable and equip to use their professional judgment effectively, being critical and honest in reflections. It does though I also don’t really feel it is the universities’ fault. They have to adhere to what academics do and governments say but they hopefully will take on board that some of the theory is just not applicable to most students when they get to actual teaching. Without examples of lessons or resources to use I don’t really know or feel confident in being able to have an opinion on what half of the theories are until I can try them out myself. I am however very pleased I did the workshop and hope my contribution was helpful.
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE (N = 10)			All participants returned the Follow-up Questionnaire by email, and quotations are extracts from participants on all teacher education courses.
QUESTION 1 Has your intended practice based on research evidence changed at all, and if so how?	4	6	I would say I am more aware of the sample size of research projects and how this can affect validity and representation. BEd No. I am a first year BA student and so am not yet able to use research evidence yet. I’m sure this meeting will come in handy in later years however. BA I think that it has changed it slightly, more in terms of where I go to find my information and source it rather than the actual research I have read. I would say that I found only perhaps half of what I read worthwhile. PGDE I was already intending that my practice be backed up by research. This study only fuels that desire. However, I believe that this will happen more readily by my ensuring continued links with centres of research. PGDE In some regards yes, in others, no. Depending on the evidence found and the size of pool and significance of said results, and through my own personal trial and error in the classroom to see if it fits with my teaching style, I have been known to implement new practices that are said to be beneficial from the research. In particular some of the behaviour management strategies that are ever changing and adapting. PGDE
QUESTION 2 Has the kind of research evidence you do will/use changed at all, and if so how?	4	6	Yes I will be more likely to check the source of the evidence to see if it is a reliable source. When referencing research I will also try and find other evidence that backs the first evidence up. BEd The use of research will very much depend on managing time for reading and implementing it within the school setting. PGDE I have become more aware of ways to find a range of evidence so the types of research I read will have changed, yes. In the past I tended to rely solely on word or mouth, recommendations from senior staff members or friends – I am now more active in looking for articles when I reach a dilemma and could do with some advice or guidance for ways to improve. PGDE
QUESTION 3 Have other sources of information that your practice is/will be based on changed at all, and if so how?	1	9	Generally other sources of information such as education websites for teachers, my peers and various books I have purchased on effective teaching I have put into practice more than the text heavy, slightly dull at times resources.
QUESTION 4 Has the usefulness of research evidence in informing your practice changed at all, and if so how?	2	8	Yes it has been useful as it has taught me to be more critical of the research I find. BEd. It has made me think more carefully about how I might frame any research questions I pursue. PGDE I do not think the usefulness of research evidence has changed but I would say I am more aware now of the need to find quality research evidence that can be easily related to practice. Much of the evidence that I found during this year I struggled to see the link to practice. PGDE I wouldn’t say it has overly as I struggle to feel that a lot of it is relevant in all classrooms. I am more interested in how I set my class up and what I need to prepare for the start of term at the moment than lots of complex theories that are very time consuming to read and comprehend. PGDE
QUESTION 5 Have the sources you use to access research evidence changed at all, and if so how?	2	8	No. I am only just beginning the course and so any research evidence I have looked at has come from the University. BA Yes it has made me less likely to read through any of it as its often too long and dull without giving examples of what to teach. Instead a lot of research evidence can appear to be the person giving the evidence trying to prove their right over another view point without actually giving teachers guidance on how to do it if they wanted to. PGDE No but as I won’t have access to the University resources during my Probation Year will need to find out how/where teaching staff access research evidence. I do receive TES and that often has links to research that has been undertaken so will continue to use that. PGDE
QUESTION 6 Has your view of barriers to or problems in using research evidence to inform practice changed at all and if so how?	5	5	Yes I have now learned that you should not just use any evidence and this can create a problem when searching for evidence as you might not know what is reliable evidence. BEd Not particularly. I found the research evidence is not overly worthwhile because every piece of evidence that comes out gets countered with someone’s opposing views making it basically a case of which I agree with more rather than any evidence provided. PGDE Barriers to incorporating research will very much be dependent on workload, time management and usefulness of types of research to be used within the school and/or classroom practice. PGDE

Table 4. Summary of quantitative responses to Pre-Workshop Q1 and questions on research summaries.

	BA (n = 3)		BEd (n = 3)		PGDE (n = 6)		Total (n = 12)
QUESTIONS	YES/QUITE/ A LOT	NO/A LITTLE	YES/A LOT	NO/ A LITTLE	YES/QUITE/ A LOT	NO/ A LITTLE	T YES/QUITE/A LO	T NO
Pre-workshop Q1: How far would you say that your current practice is based on research evidence?	N/A	N/A	A lot: 0 Quite a lot: 3 A little: 0		A lot: 0 Quite a lot: 5 A little: 1
Research Summary 1
Research Summary 1 Q1 Is this source of research evidence (the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) new to you?	0	3	2	1	2	4	4	8
Research Summary 1 Q2 Are you surprised by research findings?	2	1	0	3	0	5	2	9
Research Summary 1 Q3 Were you aware of the issues discussed in the research?	3	0	3	0	5	0	11	0
Research Summary 1 Q4 Do you think you could use this research evidence to inform your practice?	3	0	3	0	4	0	10	0
Research Summary 1 Q5 Are there ways in which this research could become more informative for teachers/practitioners to use in practice?	2	1	2	0	4	0	8	1
Research Summary 1 Q6 Does this raise questions you would like to have answered by further research?	2	1	1	2	5	1	8	4
Research Summary 2
Research Summary 2 Q1 Is this source of research evidence (What Works Clearinghouse OR Education Endowment Foundation) new to you?	3	0	3	0	6	0	12	0
Research Summary 2 Q2 Are you surprised by research findings?	3	0	2	1	1	3	6	4
Research Summary 2 Q3 Were you aware of the approach discussed in the research?	0	3	1	1	4	2	5	6
Research Summary 2 Q4 Do you think you could use this research evidence to inform your practice?	3	0	3	0	4	0	10	0
Research Summary 2 Q5 Are there ways in which this research could become more informative for teachers/practitioners to use in practice?	3	0	1	1	4	0	8	1
Research Summary 2 Q6 Does this raise questions you would like to have answered by further research?	0	3	3	0	5	0	8	3

Table 5. Participants’ views of statements about educational research.

Statements (N = 12)*	Total N. reporting ‘close to my views’	Total N. reporting ‘not close to my views’
STATEMENT 1: Education research isn’t helping people live with daily reality.	2	10
STATEMENT 2: In order to influence teachers’ practice, research-based teaching materials that translate findings into practical strategies are required.	12	0
STATEMENT 3: Teachers have concerns about their ability to evaluate research information.	6	6
STATEMENT 4: Teachers are less interested in research if they believe that the intention in sharing the research evidence is to impose a particular style or model on their teaching.	7	5
STATEMENT 5: Having research evidence for practice prevents inappropriate or time-wasting activities in class.	4	8
STATEMENT 6: Without strong research evidence for good practice, teachers can be pushed into doing whatever politicians dictate.	6	6
STATEMENT 7: Educational research is often not applicable to individual classroom situations.	9	4*
STATEMENT 8: Research is often full of jargon and statistics that are hard to understand.	7	5
STATEMENT 9: Having research evidence for practice allows teachers to justify their professional decisions.	12	1*
STATEMENT 10: Theory without practice is empty; practice without theory is blind.	10	2

* Responses asterisked do not total 12 as a participant indicated both agreement and disagreement.

Table

Statements	Close to my views	Not close to my views	Comments
1 Education research isn’t helping people live with daily reality.
2 In order to influence teachers’ practice, research-based teaching materials that translate findings into practical strategies are required.
3 Teachers have concerns about their ability to evaluate research information.
4 Teachers are less interested in research if they believe that the intention in sharing the research evidence is to impose a particular style or model on their teaching.
5 Having research evidence for practice prevents inappropriate or time-wasting activities in class.
6 Without strong research evidence for good practice, teachers can be pushed into doing whatever politicians dictate.
7 Educational research is often not applicable to individual classroom situations.
8 Research is often full of jargon and statistics that are hard to understand.
9 Having research evidence for practice allows teachers to justify their professional decisions.
10. Theory without practice is empty; practice without theory is blind.

Braun, V, & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77 –101.

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