Education researchers who teach in schools: a braided river approach to enhancing research and practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Much attention has been given to how involvement in research can improve teachers’ practices and student outcomes. Less has been said about how teaching in schools can improve researchers’ practices and the quality of their research. In this article, I discuss advantages encountered conducting research in schools while also teaching part time. This ‘braided river approach’ of teaching at one school while researching at other, similar schools, allowed for a helpful balance between insider-ness and outsider-ness while collecting and analysing data. I found that part time teaching assisted my research by improving access and rapport with participants, by providing an empathetic, nuanced lens for analysis, and by keeping my research focused on relevant, impactful lines of inquiry. Ideally, qualified education researchers should be allowed time to teach in schools, with potential benefits for researchers, teachers, and children.