Properly equipping our teachers for the future: re-reading research in practice as an everyday habit of professional practice

Abstract

In this article we make the case that Research in Practice (RiP) is intrinsic to the role of the professional teacher and as such should be an ongoing (supported) entitlement for all teachers throughout their career trajectory. This is not in itself a new call; what is different is our contention that the current policy context of post-compulsory education makes such demands more urgent, more purposeful and, crucially, of new pedagogical significance. We argue that the consequences of Equipping our Teachers for the Future (DfES, 2004) may be highly restrictive for teacher educators and the teachers they work with. We consider how RiP might facilitate new vantage points from the lived experience of working in the sector, and how the latter might be (re)viewed. We go on to suggest that RiP may also yield important pedagogical benefits for teachers and their communities, as well as contributing to knowledge and understanding about the sector more broadly. In conclusion we argue that teacher educators must take seriously the responsibility to nurture RiP as an everyday habit of professionalism and to give serious thought to providing spaces and places for RiP. We ask whether the new opportunities provided by the Institute for Learning framework can be exploited to support longitudinal research practices.