Improving Education With Our Pupils Through Practitioner-Research

These are some of the accounts teachers from Bath and North East Somerset have submitted as part of their masters programme. Some of this work is now  known and contibuting to transforming educational practice internationally. These accounts contribute to the developing professional knowledge base of inclusive and inclusional gifted and talented educational theory and practice.

They are roughly in date order of submission - the list is increasing but scroll down and find a title that interests you. You will find CPD and research takes on a different meaning from the traditional - this approach actually makes a difference in educational practice.

Gifts and Talents in Education

Vicky Tucker - A response as to how my involvement with the Gifted and Talented programme initiated by Bath and North East Somerset has made me re-assess my living educational values and beliefs, thus influencing my delivery and provision for the SEBD students with whom I work. May 2008.

Ros Hurford - How does using philosophy and creative thinking enable me to recognise and develop inclusive gifts and talents in my pupils? May 2008.

Educational Enquiry Accounts

Joy Mounter third Educational Enquiry,  ‘How can I enhance the educational influence of my pupils in their own learning, that of other pupils, myself and the school?’

Ros Hurford third Educational Enquiry ' Working within the framework of 'Personalised Learning' how can I ensure there is a real learning space for my pupils, where they feel involved in what they learn and how they learn it?' Submitted February 2008.

Sally Cartwright first Educational Enquiry,  A Pilot Project: The application of the TASC process across 5 subjects to Year 7 students 2008. Large pdf file - worth the wait!

Amy Skuse  How have my experiences of Year 2 SAT's influenced my perceptions of assessment in teaching and learning? Submitted October 2007.

Louise Cripps How do I improve my educational relationship with the learners I work with, both adults and children? Submitted for examination, University of Bath, November 2007

Ros Hurford's first Educational Enquiry, How do I encourage my pupils, through my own example and practice to become lifelong learners? January 2006.

Ros Hurford How does the writing of a new gifted and talented policy enable me to reflect upon and evaluate my personal values about gifts and talents? In what ways am I living my values in this area? September 2007

Claire Formby second Educational Enquiry,  How do I sustain a loving, receptively responsive educational relationship with my pupils which will motivate them in their learning and encourage me in my teaching? Submitted September 2007.

Claire Formby's third Educational Enquiry, How am I integrating my educational theorizing with the educational responsibility I express in my educational relationships with the children in my class and in my school and wider society? April 2008.

Joy Mounter first Educational Enquiry,  How can I live my personal theory of education in the classroom to promote self reflection as a learner? November, 2006.

Joy Mounter's Second Educational Enquiry, Language of learning to the language of educational responsibility. November, 2006.

Ed Harker How can I carry out Masters level educational research without abandoning my own educational values? November, 2006.

Marie Huxtable How can I improve my practice through 'walking the talk' and 'dealing with doorsteps? January 2006

Research Methods in Education

Joy Mounter, If I want the children in my class to extend their thinking and develop their own values and learning theories, how can I show the development of their learning? How do I research this in my classroom? 2007

Steve Bamford, The Creation of Quality Experience. How Do I Research This in My Classroom? November 2006.

Claire Formby, How can I research the difference my values make to the children I teach? November 2006.

Ros Hurford, If the development of an emotionally literate classroom is fundamental to my own values and philosophy of education, how can I show the impact of it on the well-being and learning of the children I teach? How do I research this in my classroom? November 2006.

Margaret White, How do I research the relationships that are created within my primary classroom? November 2006.

Methods of Educational Enquiry

Kevin McDermott  A Study of the ways in which Spirituality is understood by students in a Catholic school using two types of educational researchsubmitted February 2004 .

Understanding Learners and Learning

Sally Cartwright Understanding Learning and Learners. November 2007

Claire Formby  As my understanding of the way children learn continually develops, how does this influence my everyday teaching?

Joy Mounter Can children carry out action research about learning, creating their own learning theory?

Ros Hurford How has my own development as a learner influenced the changes I have made in the way I teach, and how has this affected the learning of my pupils? January 2007

There are other assignments on the 'Master Educators' Programmes' That are exciting, for instance  Karen Collins' (2002) Methods of Educational Enquiry Module: Plan of a small-scale enquiry linked to the development of a skills-based cross-curricular Citizenship based module for Able, Gifted and Talented students in Years 9-11, bearing in mind particularly the concepts of validity, reliability and triangulation and how they are related in this context.' and I suggest you have a look and see what else interests you.

Teachers  and educators in B&NES, and beyond, have maintained there enthusiasm to research their practice throught the masters programme tutored by Jack Whitehead (University of Bath) asking questions such as 'how do I improve what I am doing?'

Dr Jack Whitehead (University of Bath) is internationally known for his work with teachers, heads and LA staff and leaders in other fields such as the health service and business. Examples of the work can be found on http://www.actionresearch.net. Read some of the thesis - they will be a delightful suprise if you have been used to the traditional forms of research.

All teachers are welcome to join us Tuesday or Thursday evening to work on their masters (2 units a year funded by TDA; an educational enquiry and either Gifts, Talents and Education, Understanding Learners and Learning or Research Methods)

This is also an opportunity for teachers who are leading their schools in improving inclusive gifted and talented education to have the support of a community of enquiry and gain accreditation for their work.

Want to know more about who is doing what and where?

If you would like to join Jack and other enthusiastic educators from Bath and North East Somerset and beyond for educational conversations on Tuesday or Thursday evenings 5.15pm -7.00pm University of Bath in 1WN 3.8  you will be most welcome.