by Kate Wall
Wording of your research questions is important. However thinking about your sample, the kind of evidence you want to collect and what that evidence is about will help you to refine and define. This will help ensure your cycle has a clear line of enquiry that others can follow/9
by Kate Wall
If you say you're interested in kid's perspectives of outdoor learning make sure you collect evidence of their thinking in an appropriate way they comprehend. Are you explicit about kind of learning you want them to think about as outdoor learning is a big category of practice?/8
by Kate Wall
Then make sure you follow those clues through - if you say you are focusing on that group of regular non-attenders then don't suddenly, on a whim, include another group of children with different characteristics (save them for the next cycle). Keep to the plan /7
by Kate Wall
So, be conscious of the clues you are giving in your question in regard the line of enquiry you are going to take. Be wary of words that are difficult to decipher - effective, supportive, impact - in what regard? for whom? Make sure that you are as precise as possible /6
by Kate Wall
One more, what are benefits of 1:1 learning conversations? This is a big question and could focus on children, teachers or both, or the behaviours within the process of learning conversations. Benefits implies a positive lens, but still Q is quite open so could become unwieldy /5
by Kate Wall
Another example, will group work help Turkish language speakers intergrate into the class? This feels like a case study of a specific group with group work being the intervention. The evidence needs to target integration, but what does this mean and how to can it be evidenced? /4
by Kate Wall
Or, how does retrieval practice support exam classes in biology? This means targeting older kids in the school (exam classes), and an intervention of retrieval practice. Some lack of clarity around what 'support' means, in what way? Revision, subject knowledge, confidence? /3
by Kate Wall
For example, how do P1 students understand problem solving? The question indicates the project is not going to involve talking to teachers, the focus is children. Also a specific aspect of the maths curriculum is being targeted, so evidence will focus on this learning/2
Practitioner Enquiry Tip of the Week: line of enquiry. The questioning you've been pondering is important as it is the hook on which the line of your enquiry hangs. It will give clues of sample, the method etc. it will also indicate where the gaps are/1🧵
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
#EducationalResearch
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
#EducationalResearch
by Kate Wall
As your enquiry develops don't be trapped by assumptions about what is better or worse. Focus on what you want to know about the learners in front of you, and ensure quality in a clear line of enquiry from question to evidence to analysis (next week's #PractitionerEnquiryTotW)/7
by Kate Wall
Let's challenge the research assumption that big is better and small is less. Instead, enquiry communities should be accepting of all types of research; a need for all types of lenses focused on complexity of education practice: some targeting big picture & some tightly focused/6
by Kate Wall
Therefore use the question rooted in your learners' needs as guide. You could target the whole school or class, but if it's a small group of learners or an individual then that's OK and a useful contribution to the enquiry community. Don't apologise for being focused on need/5
by Kate Wall
Quality in research does not come from statistical significance. Therefore neither is a case study automatically less. There are good and bad examples of all kinds of research. These are research designs wielded by the researcher to answer questions and so fit is very important/4
by Kate Wall
If you're wanting to do statistical exploration then there are extensive guides in regard the size of sample needed and the types of evidence to collect. But if you are not intending on doing this kind of research don't be held to account by rules that as a result don't apply/3
by Kate Wall
Assumptions about large samples come from research traditions using statistical analysis to explore causation in quantitative data sets. These tests need a certain sized sample to be valid. Yet these are mostly not the types of evidence or relationships found in real classrooms/2
Practitioner Enquiry Tip of the Week: no prizes for size. There's a temptation in research to think big is better - big samples over a long time with lots of data sources - but this isn't what quality derives from. Rather focus on targeting need/1🧵
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
#EducationalResearch
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
#EducationalResearch
by Kate Wall
Trust the process. Enquiry with rigour and clear lines of enquiry, with opportunities to reflect and share, leads to learning that's sensible and useful. As enquiry leaders we need to know when to shut up and learn with other enquirers. You never know what you might find out/8
by Kate Wall
Classrooms are complex, we regularly find out the unexpected. So, enquiry leaders restrain yourselves. It's not up to you. You don't know that teachers' practice or the learners they're working with like they do. Trust them to be asking thoughtful questions. Just ask them why/7
by Kate Wall
The value for teachers of the process of authentically finding out for themselves is what makes useful prof learning. If I'd just said don't, would that have achieved the same end? Plus I might be wrong, for that context and that group of learners it might work (its happened) /6
by Kate Wall
In 20+ years of supporting practitioner enquirers I've seen fads come and go -brain gym anyone? Teachers' enquiries have usually confirmed my beliefs, but often not as I might have expected. It's almost always more complex than I thought. The process of finding out is important/5
by Kate Wall
Your enquiry is about asking questions about your practice, not mine. Therefore along with other enquiry leaders, I need to accept that. I can't know your practice and if that question is important to you with clear reasons connected to learner need, then who am I to say no/4
by Kate Wall
It would be easy for me to exert my perceived expertise and power and say 'I wouldn't do that', but where does that lead? I don't know your context, I'm a teacher and love teaching, but I haven't taught in your school with your children and young people with your curriculum/3
by Kate Wall
It's very tempting to give opinions - I have lots of them! To encourage teachers away from certain ideas or ways of thinking because my experience or my understanding of the research and practice evidence says that thing is not a good bet for progressing those learners/2
Practitioner Enquiry Tip of the Week: to guide or not to guide. As a leader of enquiry communities and a coach to many teachers engaged in enquiry, I constantly grapple with how much guidance to give. Should I be telling teachers what to do?/1 🧵
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
#PractitionerEnquiryTotW
by Kate Wall
Share the load. Talk about what you've read and recommend relevant reads to build capacity in your community and share the load. Listen to other people's enquiries and ask about their influences. Remember 'reading' is now multimedia and so normalise the range of types & sources/8
by Kate Wall
To ensure it's manageable, have clear intent (what do you want to know? Why?), be a critical consumer of all sources (what's reliable? What are paper's influences? Why?), read with an open mind (how can it help me? With what?) and set an end date (by Oct holidays I will...)/8
by Kate Wall
Reading will occur all through the process. Research write ups seem to imply it's only the background to the research and you can't get started until you know the field, but this gives restrictive expectations. Read throughout and see influences throughout - subject and method/7
by Kate Wall
Engagement with the literature will look different for different people particularly how much reading is enough. It is personal and depends on all the other stuff going on. For some reading might be the whole enquiry: what does the literature say about the use of plenaries?/6
by Kate Wall
Be kind self, academic fields of literature are huge and if you add in professional sources can be over whelming even for those with loads of time. Give yourself permission to browse, to not necessarily read the whole thing (esp. if not relevant) and ask for recommendations/5
by Kate Wall
There are also books (obviously), blogs, podcasts, websites, reports, interviews, conferences and more. All might help and feel less extra. Just be a critical consumer of any source - just because it is said with authority doesn't mean it will work with Brian in your class/4