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Asked by ehjcanford to Sarah, Richard, Rebecca, Mark, Katie, Emily on 12 Feb 2018.
Question: I am really interested in getting involved in doing some research. What is the best way to do this?
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Sarah McGeown answered on 12 Feb 2018:
University researchers are generally very happy to hear from teachers interested in carrying out research in their school or classroom. I’d be inclined to contact academics working in Universities close to you – either departments of Education or Psychology (Developmental Psychology). You may have a specific research area that you are interested in, or you may be happy to get involved in an ongoing/new research project. I know it can be very difficult to know who to contact initially, but a quick search of researchers webpages will allow you to see their expertise. I’m often contacted by teachers (usually by email rather than phone) who are interested in getting involved in research. I’ll always get back in touch and let them know of any possible research opportunities. Alternatively, I’ll provide them with the names of colleagues who I think may better align with their interests. Please don’t be afraid to contact researchers – I assure you, if we are conducting research with implications for education, we are always delighted to hear from teachers interested in getting involved.
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Emily Farran answered on 14 Feb 2018:
I agree with Sarah. Most researchers have summaries of their research on their websites, with contact details. If you’re interested, send an email. On our lab website we also have a ‘for parents’ section ( http://cogdevlab.weebly.com/for-parents.html), and on a recent project we had a “parent space” (http://www.elstrad.eu/en/parents/project.html). This includes research reports, but also information about projects that people might like to get involved in. However, for the most uptodate information, follow researchers on twitter. We recruit alot of our participants this way. If you would like to follow my lab or myself: @cogdevlab @ekfarran
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Rebecca Merkley answered on 2 Mar 2018:
Some university departments also run public engagement events for teachers. For example, the developmental psychology section at Oxford runs ‘Making Links’ events where they invite teachers from schools who have participated in research studies to come and hear more about ongoing research. Events like this would be a great place to meet and chat with researchers about getting more involved. I also agree with Emily that you can see a lot of information about research projects and events on Twitter. The Wellcome Education account would also be a good one to follow @WTeducation
Comments
Lia - WellcomeTrust commented on :
The EEF also has a guide to support teachers carrying out their own research.
https://v1.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/EEF_DIY_Evaluation_Guide_(2013).pdf
modsu commented on :
At my husband’s school, their CPD has become more research-focussed. The staff have been split into groups, and have each been given a research topic (eg gifted and more able, boys, PP/disadvantaged). They have to do some reading around their research topic, and then carry out some research in their classes. Each of the groups will then feed back to the rest of the staff.
If you’re a teacher, this might be an idea worth suggesting to the senior management team?
Hope that helps
Thanks
modannie commented on :
There is also an interesting resource from the Centre for Educational Neuroscience: http://www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk/what-works-in-my-classroom/
It’s a guide for teachers who want to evaluate their practice, with some downloadable leaflets at the end. It covers the key things you need to know in order to run your own research project.
Courtenay commented on :
Definitely contact a University researcher who is working in the area that interests you. I have run workshops for practitioners and have supported them to evaluate their practice. Taking part in research can also give you good insight to what is involved. And of course, most of us like to develop our research plans in collaboration with practitioners so it can be useful in the real world!