Research in education seeks to discover patterns, trends and truths that can inform the work of teachers and school leaders. Action research is a specific type of research which is designed to provide insights that will enable an improvement in performance – in the case of education, usually more effective teaching and learning.

Knowledge bank

Whereas medicine tends to be an evidence-based profession, relying on what we know tends to work, education has evolved a dynamic all of its own, which combines common-sense ideas on what works in the classroom with some findings from the world of research.

This is actually a rather curious anomaly, given that over £20 billion is invested into schools in the UK every year by the government. Many observers feel that we need to move towards education being based much more on evidence about what is successful.

The analogy that is sometimes used is that teachers should become experts in learning, rather like doctors are experts in healing.

The ‘science’ underpinning most research into learning is psychology, since in characterizing learning we are interested in analysing human behaviour.

A key problem in translating what we know about learning into practical measures for the classroom is that the concept of ‘proof is much more elusive in psychology than in the purer sciences.

The nature of human interaction, as manifested in activities such as teaching and learning, is so complex that it is very difficult to identify precisely which factors result in which outcomes.

Instead of being able to show conclusively that a particular teaching method is successful at achieving specific intended outcomes, education researchers often talk about their research findings supporting an overall theory or paradigm for learning. These are usually underpinned by a leading figure in psychology who has written extensively in the field and has attracted a prominent following.

The difficulty of using research findings to transform classroom practice is made even more challenging by the fact that few research studies are actually carried out in real classrooms. This is due to a variety of practical, ethical and financial reasons.

Despite the above provisos, there is much we can learn from the world of education research that can illuminate what’s happening in our classrooms and schools. In particular, there are many case studies and more rigorous experimental procedures that help illuminate the methods which are likely to be more successful.

Education research lies on a spectrum from action research in a single school carried out by an individual teacher, to a large-scale standardized programme across many schools to test a particular method or approach. Most researchers accept that larger the scale of the study, the more likely it is to reveal generalized patterns that may be relevant in your own school.

Ask yourself

• What education research are you aware of that informs your practice on a day-to-day basis?
• To what extent is research in education important to you?
• What questions about learning are you most curious to find the answers to?

To do list

• Read more about a specific aspect of learning that interests you.
• Consider engaging in some action research in your own school.
• Attend a conference that allows you to make contact with some leading thinkers in the world of education research.

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