There has been a notable shift towards research engagement in schools. Exponentially, charities, universities, academics, consultants, teaching schools and other external organizations have declared support for the use of educational research in schools. The pursuit of research informed practice can positively support the teaching profession and should be encouraged , but how can this be achieved?
Who should be included in this pursuit remain points of contention? The role of policymakers and school leaders in evidence-based education is causing some to call into question what we really mean by evidence (Biesta 2010). Within the education system, there is a voice of dissent that does not accept the need for research engaged practice. We may not hear them vocally on platforms such as ‘EduTwitter’, but if we go into the staffroom after briefing (when SLT have left) we will hear the occasional groan and the conversation between busy teachers who ask one another when they will simply have the time to implement this or that.
This article approaches the topic of research informed practice as a potential force for good in teachers’ practice, for me it links back to my favourite quote by essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson: “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so they have made me.” Imagine the potential of an education system where each adult who comes into contact with children makes decisions based on a wealth of knowledge; where practice is improved by informing practitioners thinking.
There are, however, educators who do not identity research as part of their work. Before we look at the barriers and reservations teachers have about engaging with educational research, I think it is important to state that many of these concerns are legitimate. Rather than seeing our less enthused colleagues as old fashioned, uncommitted or unacademic, we remember that progress is much more likely to be authentic and entrenched if all feel valued and listened to as part of the process. If anything, there is room for a level of healthy cynicism; the critical eye can be a welcome barrier to the implementation of gimmicks or time-consuming and ineffectual policies. Research informed practice highlights the issues surrounding the motivations and justifications school leaders use as part of their decision-making process.
As such, the need for trust between teachers, school leaders and policy makers is magnified. The pursuit of research informed practice is a noble one, but in our search for ‘what works’ we may have created as many problems as we have solutions for the teaching profession. This article approaches these issues from a teacher-centered perspective, using my experience as a research lead to offer potential solutions to barriers to research informed practice.