1.1 Introduction
Our school studentsā world is constantly changing, driven from both inside and outside the educational arena. Although teachers in schools are accustomed to having to accommodate such change, however difficult it might be for them to resolve it within the classroom context, researchers within this field are required to search for ways to minimise the impact whilst maximising the effectiveness of educational change so that they add meaning and provide specific assistance for teachers. Rather than standing still, this challenges us to be innovative and to make learning ever more relevant, challenging, inclusive, and rewarding. In this context, educational innovation refers to application of contemporary educational research to classroom curriculum and pedagogical practice. At the same time, it is appropriate to acknowledge that often teachers are not the researcher as their own school world provides little breathing space for the academic challenge needed, even though they are always at the forefront of any data collection and of putting ideas into practice. Hence researchers may be formulating information without being at the cutting edge of where their work will be utilised; that creates many issues of its own. Educational researchers within the school context, whether teachers or not, are required to have data-driven and evidence-informed solutions to resolve the issues so that teachers can get on with the job of leading learning. The challenge is how to continue to encourage and support teachers, who are at the heart of the educational system, to be responsive to the needs and demands of their multiple stakeholders.
In researching and applying educational innovation, both researchers and teachers additionally encounter influence from policy makers and educational systems in the conduct of their work with and in schools that creates a source of tension between parties. Such influence may be felt during the design stage in formulating questions and methodology that will have relevance and value to researchers, educational systems, schools and classroom teachers. It may be in the ethics process as anonymity can be complex when research is being conducted and then implemented within a classroom context. It can occur when system level priorities limit access to schools for the purpose of research or how the findings may be implemented. Researchers are approaching their work from the perspective of contributing to knowledge and generally are seeking ethical, objective and rigorous approaches to their study. Teachers and schools are looking for innovative evidence-based practices that they can apply in the school or classroom to enhance academic or social outcomes for students. Whilst these are by no means mutually exclusive, there are disconnects that create challenges for both researcher and schools as each has vested interests in the conduct and outcomes of the research. The power and control that is held by the various stakeholders throughout the research process impact the decisions made about what to research, how to research and what outcomes may be achieved as a consequence in practice.
Against this backdrop, this book presents a careful selection of contemporary research into different ways in which researchers go about both helping teachers navigate the complex process of managing change within the classroom and suggesting possible new approaches to current practices based on educational research fully based within the school system itself. The book traverses a wide range of conceptual, disciplinary, methodological, national and sectoral boundaries with a focus on investigating the tensions that impinge on research-based change and how to integrate innovative changes into the education system and individual classrooms. The aim is to promote understanding of the possible effects of educational change on curriculum and pedagogy within the classroom, how teachers might know whether their innovations are effective, and what broader stakeholders may perceive to have been the impacts of the applied research.
1.2 Literature Review
Agendas, scope and purpose for research vary considerably and whilst traditionally may have been based on development of knowledge and theoretical contribution to academe, globally there is increasing consideration of the application of contemporary educational research in schools and also the conduct of action research within schools by teacher researchers. The conduct and implementation of the research in both cases is impacted by systemic policy and decision-making processes. On the one hand, schools are under pressure to implement curriculum improvements to demonstrate improvement in student outcomes, but they are often not consulted or involved in the decision-making processes that determine what research is conducted or what initiatives will be promoted for inclusion across schools at a systemic level. In the United Kingdom national reports have recommended āthat research be made more relevant for the members of the education community, to better disseminate good quality results towards users and the public, to contribute to solidify the existing body of knowledge, to strengthen links between research, policy and practiceā (Normand, 2016). Similar concerns are raised in Part 1 of this volume in relation to France, Denmark, and the United States of America. Researchers themselves also want to have a positive impact on practice (Buxton, 2011; Meagher, Lyall, & Nutley, 2008), but the application of research findings to policy and then to practice is complex, involving challenges and tensions for researchers and schools (Bastow, Dunleavy, & Tinkler, 2014), and is difficult to measure (Doyle & McDonald, 2016; Marginson, 2014; Spaapen & van Drooge, 2011; Timmer, 2004; Wolf, Lindenthal, Szerencsits, Holbrook, & HeĆ, 2013).
One significant challenge is the involvement of schools in decision-making regarding what is researched and how the results should be implemented in schools. Whilst teachers and teaching receive close scrutiny by government agencies and the media (Trimmer, Donovan, Findlay, & Mohamed, 2017), the conduct of educational research in classrooms is primarily still undertaken externally to schools and decisions regarding development of curricula and implementation of new initiatives often occur at a systemic level. In addition, much of the research funded by the public sector is focused primarily on demonstrating outcomes of previously implemented programs to justify and account for public expenditure (Brennan & Clarke, 2011; Gorard, 2010) and not necessarily looking to determine innovations that will enhance practice, curriculum innovation or the experience and outcomes of students in classrooms. These dilemmas and the tensions they create are being felt globally and are discussed in detail in the first part of this volume.
Research conducted around successful school improvement has shown that the involvement of teachers and educational leaders in schools is critical in implementing educational reform and facilitating innovative educational practice (Anderson, Leithwood, Louis, & Wahlstrom, 2010; Drysdale & Gurr, 2012; Hargreaves, 2003). This can occur with research teams including teacher researchers or working collaboratively with schools, as opposed to conducting their research in schools. The Australian Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) report (2014) acknowledged the need to promote stronger links between research informed theory and practice in schools (Trimmer et al., 2017). Another approach that is demonstrating some success is Action research being conducted by teachers in their classrooms for their own students (Sagor, 2000; Timperley, Parr, & Bertannes, 2009). Whilst there is currently no requirement for Australian teachers to engage in research as part of their professional development (AITSL, 2014; Beaulieu, 2013), global trends to employ Master teachers are encouraging teachers to take a more active role in research within schools (DeBruyn & DeBruyn, 2009; Department of Education, Training and Employment [DETE], 2016a, 2016b, 2016c, 2016d; Doyle, 1985; Education Labour Relations Council [ELRC], South Africa, 2008; Johnson, 2011; Sanders, Wright, & Horn, 1997; State Board of Education, Ohio, 2007; Trimmer et al., 2017). Trimmer et al. (2017) found the strength of such action research to be threefold: firstly, it promoted professional learning and reflective practice through design and conduct of the research; secondly, akin to all research, it created new knowledge, in this case through a collaborative partnership with teacher colleagues; and thirdly, it changed and developed the roles of the teachers and their relationship to higher education, assisting capacity building in schools through the purposeful collection and use of data for evidence based decision making. Both approaches to research being conducted within schools by academic and teacher researchers are considered by authors in the following chapters, with a focus on schools and teachers in Part 2 and the focus on researchers in Part 3 of the book.
Each of the editors have also undertaken roles as teacher and researcher, encountering these tensions personally. To demonstrate how these challenges can play out in practice, the examples below provides personal reflections from each editor about their own encounters with such tensions and problems whilst carrying out their own research, including ethics, processes for gaining permissions from school systems and access to students/classrooms.
1.3 Examples from the Editorsā Own Research
Karen: Prior to working as an academic researcher, Karen was a classroom teacher and then worked within the State government education system as a researcher/evaluator and policy advisor. In the latter role she worked at the intersect between researchers, schools, and the government education system. In her current role, she works with practicing teachers undertaking research as part of their higher research degree studies. An example of tensions from both of these perspectives will be discussed below.
In planning and conducting their research, academic researchers take an ethical stance that reflects a high level of independence and objectivity with the aim of producing credible and unbiased results (Chelimsky, 2008; Trimmer, 2016). However, where funding to conduct the research is provided by the system with an overarching intent of assessing the effectiveness of an educational initiative that has been part of an approved policy implementation, there can be conflicts that arise and pressures upon the researchers with regard to methodology, conduct and interpretation of findings of research (Markiewicz, 2008). This can be particularly problematic where the educational initiative being researched is of key strategic import for the current government or where significant funds and infrastructure have been invested over a number years to support the initiative (Trimmer, 2016). For example, in regard to participants, the author has experienced cases where there has been pressure to select a specific sample of schools, or requests to provide participant details post-publication, and is aware of many projects that have experienced significant delays due to systemic processes that incur lengthy delay and sometimes refusal to provide access to schools to collect data (Trimmer, 2015, 2016).
Interestingly this can also occur when the researchers are practicing teachers within the system who are wanting to collect data within their own schools and classrooms. As supervisors supporting higher degree research, Karen and Jenny have had the experience of liaising between system requirements and classroom teachers researching their own practice through action research and their ...