TeachersTopic is a periodical feature about a subject of interest to the teaching community written by a prominent expert in the field. This month, Dr. Gail Ritchie answers questions about teacher research.
Q: What is teacher research? Is it another name for action research? Why should teachers conduct research?
A: Teacher research is a process by which classroom teachers investigate problems of practice, delve into questions about curriculum, and/or “test out” new instructional practices. The process consists of articulating a question, collecting data to answer the question, analyzing the data, reflecting upon and interpreting what the data say, drawing conclusions from that analysis, and then taking action based on those findings. Because it is action-oriented, teacher research is considered a type of action research. Teacher research is conducted by teachers, whereas action research can be conducted by any practitioner with questions about his/her practice (e.g., administrators, counselors, social scientists).
Teachers who conduct research are engaging in ongoing, job-embedded professional learning. Investigating their own questions, rather than waiting for someone to tell them what to do, empowers teachers to generate their own knowledge about “what works” in teaching and learning. It encourages them to be reflective and adopt a questioning stance toward teaching and learning—what Bob Fecho calls “critical inquiry pedagogy” (2004). Teacher researchers often work as part of a team or within a group of other researchers, so they have the benefit of collaboration and multiple perspectives as they seek to analyze and interpret their data.
Q: Teachers are very busy. How will they find time to add teacher research to their already busy teaching lives?
A: As surprising as this may seem, teacher research may actually save teachers time in the long run. That’s because the systematic collection (and subsequent analysis) of data by a teacher researcher is much more efficient and effective than a random, hit-or-miss, shot-in-the-dark approach to addressing classroom issues and concerns. Some school districts, such as the one where I work, value collaborative teacher research to such an extent that they provide funding to pay for substitute teachers. This allows the teacher researcher groups to meet six times per year, during the school day, and support one another’s inquiries.
