Practitioner Research Projects Research Articles

Practice education and the pandemic

The corona virus pandemic presented a significant disruption to social work education (Wolf et al, 2020; McLaughlin et al, 2020). Research that emerged from the pandemic offers valuable insight into the possibilities for students and the efficacy of new virtual teaching methods. Yet our current understanding lacks the perspective of the practice educator, tasked with navigating students through placement. This article outlines the findings of a practitioner research project that sought to understand the experiences of practice educators within one Teaching Partnerships of the south eastern region of England during the pandemic, and the role technology played in delivering social work education virtually. Within this qualitative study data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with four independent practice educators. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Practice educators encountered phenomena on placement that generated considerable uncertainty and disruption. Educators then sought to ‘make sense’ of the interaction between these phenomena and the emotional experiences they evoked. As physical access to the practice learning context was prohibited, practice educators also found themselves engaged in finding creative means to becoming digitally present.

Two modes of feedback are better than one: Educator experiences of providing audio feedback on student work

The integration of digital teaching and learning practices can contribute to the organisational change required by the higher education digital transformation agenda. One such digital practice, audio feedback, is claimed to be more efficient and engaging than written comments. A substantial body of empirical research in this area evaluates student satisfaction, impact on student performance, and time efficiencies for tutors. What remains to be usefully investigated is tutors’ experiences with providing audio feedback and its impact on tutors’ pedagogical processes and practices. To address the identified gap in literature, thus, an online tutor, the author of this article, conducted a collaborative practitioner research project with three other online tutors to use an audio feedback function for their module assignment marking. Qualitative data were collected through tutors’ reflective journals and a group discussion to gain insights into their experiences. Findings suggest that the production of audio feedback is the culmination of a complex process involving both written and spoken stages and has the potential to address pedagogic concerns and communicate authentically with students, but requires additional time and cognitive processing. Implications for the potential contributions of the practice to the broader digital transformation vision are discussed.Keywords: audio feedback; assessment feedback; feedback practice; digital feedbackPart of the Special Issue Teaching practices in times of digital transformation <https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.ac86609b>

Addressing the needs of marginalised young people through school-based catch-up interventions during COVID-19: A case study from Ireland

In 2020, schools worldwide closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost one million young people and children were impacted in Ireland, with those from ‘marginalised’ backgrounds being especially vulnerable due to pre-existing inequalities. The Crisis Coping for Marginalised Young People: Living and Learning through COVID- 19 project aimed to explore youth pandemic life and learning experiences and to support the needs of, particularly marginalised, young people, culminating in the implementation of supports for students in schools. Here, we present a praxeological account of the benefits and challenges associated with our novel methodology which involved working ‘through’ 14 final-year student teachers’ practitioner research projects in their designated disadvantaged or socio-demographically diverse placement schools (11) across six counties in the Republic of Ireland, involving 269 students. Supervised closely by the lead researchers, the teacher-researchers conducted empirical research in their schools (involving questionnaires with students and interviews with Principals) to inform the design of academic, social and mixed school-based interventions which were subsequently implemented and evaluated. The empirical findings pointed to young people’s concerns about social isolation, the stability of friendships and having fallen behind academically, and Principals’ concerns about supporting those from marginalised backgrounds and about creating a safe and happy environment upon return to in-person school. In this paper, we highlight our significantly improved understanding of the COVID-related experiences of young people from marginalised backgrounds but point to the uncertain effectiveness of the interventions for improving their educational readjustment. Further, we critically interrogate the challenges encountered which constrained the lead researchers’ and teacher-researchers’ actions.

Exploring the Use of Imagery to Synthesise Voice Science and Vocal Artistry When Training Singers in the Youth Choir Context

This qualitative practitioner research project seeks to broaden the debate between voice science and artistry by investigating choral conductors’ pedagogical needs. In particular, it explores the application of imagery in the vocal training and development of young singers. As the science versus imagery debate continues in the pedagogical community, the interrelationship between physiological accuracy, artistic expression and vocal health is becoming ever more prescient. Despite advances in vocal health research, relatively few studies investigate the impact of imagery use in choir training compared to other areas of voice pedagogy, and fewer still extrapolate findings to consider conductors’ professional development. This study seeks to bridge that gap. Six conducting staff members at a British youth choir participated in observations, interviews and a questionnaire aimed at identifying, analysing and evaluating their use of imagery in rehearsals. Investigation of imagery type, function and application during the training of youth choir singers begins to indicate the efficacy of various strategies in synthesising the two competing strands of science and artistry. Where imagery does not adequately unite the technical and artistic, three core themes have been identified as underlying the deficit. Findings suggest that additional training, development of physiologically accurate personalised imagery, and nuanced understanding of professional roles are all vital for ensuring the vocal health of youth choir singers.

Motives of teacher students for choosing topics for internship-integrated practitioner research projects

Motives of teacher students for choosing topics for internship-integrated practitioner research projects

Critically reflective mentoring within team-based leadership: ‘having conversations that matter’

ABSTRACT Team-based leadership is increasingly recognized as valid for raising workplace quality. Developing effective teams of leaders, though, is barely understood, scantly researched and not simple or straightforward. Mentoring has been recognized as valuable within teams and with the support of critical reflection can assist in augmenting team-based leadership. This paper presents findings from an action research project in an early childhood center that was nested within a larger practitioner research project. Using action research, practitioner researchers investigated the conceptual interrelationships between team-based leadership, team-based mentoring, and critical reflection. Sociocultural theory underpinned the interactive and collaborative project. A framework for mentoring and critical reflection was developed and implemented to support critical mentoring for team-based leadership. Findings indicated that complex and abstract concepts can be combined to strengthen team-based leadership through mentoring and critical reflection. We argue this was made possible through action research. Our purpose in disseminating this research is to give glimpses into complex and iterative action research processes; to show that clarifying and integrating key concepts enabled the full potential and impact of the work to be realized; and to contribute to the knowledge by showing that action research is a powerful approach for addressing quality issues.

Translanguaging multimodal pedagogy in French pronunciation instruction: Vis-à-vis students’ spontaneous translanguaging

Researchers have emphasized the significant potential of translanguaging and multimodal pedagogical strategies for language teaching, but their application in teaching languages other than English (LOTEs) has yet to be examined. Furthermore, previous studies have distinguished pedagogical translanguaging from spontaneous translanguaging, but few of them have discussed their interaction in teaching. To address these two gaps, this paper reports on a practitioner research project into the implementation of translanguaging multimodal pedagogical strategies, based on multilingual students’ spontaneous translanguaging practices and their effects on achievement and satisfaction while learning beginner French in a Chinese university. The data consists of recordings of 34 multilingual students’ pronunciation tasks before and after an intervention, classroom videos, semi-structured interviews with seven students, and the teacher’s self-reflection journal. The analysis reveals that the learners generally displayed statistically significant academic achievement and a strong preference for the new pedagogy. The findings not only provide positive evidence for the application of translanguaging multimodality pedagogy in LOTE classrooms, but also develop a dynamic and interactive system for translanguaging pedagogy. In addition, the study has devised a set of operational procedures for pedagogical translanguaging design and holistic evaluation, for application in foreign language education more generally.

Internship integrated practitioner research projects foster student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation: a mixed-methods study in initial teacher education

ABSTRACT Practitioner research as one approach of research-based learning in teacher education aims at the enhancement of student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation. As current research does not provide sufficiently detailed and generalisable findings about the effects of internship integrated practitioner research, the present mixed-methods study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to deliver valuable insights. Content analysis of qualitative data of a first survey (n = 312) shows that student teachers solely report a development of their practise and do not report effects on their research orientation when openly asked. Factor analysis of quantitative data of a second survey (n = 124) with closed questions about practise- and research-orientated effects reveals four overarching factors: structuring of teaching, researching, communicating during teaching, and learner centred teaching. Results of the second survey demonstrate benefits in all factors. The findings provide indications that professional learning and research orientation is related to practitioner research.

Teachers as researchers and the issue of practicality

ABSTRACT Practitioner research should be sufficiently trustworthy and useful. We argue, however, that although criteria of trustworthiness are rather well developed, criteria of usefulness are not. As a result, the long-term impact of practitioner research is rather disappointing because, we contend, it tends to lack practicality. We used theories of classroom ecology, goal systems and how people make decisions in complex situations, to conceptualise practicality from a teacher’s perspective. By applying our theoretical framework to the case of Jane we provide insight into how and why trustworthiness and usefulness can be met while practicality is typically undermined. Jane conducted an excellent practitioner research project in the context of her teacher training under what would be considered ‘ideal’ conditions, but the long-term impact on her teaching practice was low. We conclude with suggestions for making practitioner research more attuned to practicality, i.e. the nature of practice and practical decision making.

“It’s worth it”1 practitioner research as a tool of professional learning: starting points, conclusions and benefits from the perspective of teacher-students

ABSTRACT The current study focuses on the concept PPS-PR (Personalized Professionalization in Pedagogical Fields through Practitioner Research), an approach that integrates practitioner research projects during internships. A central aim is to encourage teacher students´ professional learning (Bachelor of Primary Education). 312 Austrian teacher students carried out practitioner research projects and were invited to participate in an online survey at the end of the semester. The results show that the majority of respondents choose research topics predominantly related to the fields of methodical competences (e.g. classroom management strategies) and report consistent conclusions and long term benefits. The findings indicate that professional learning of teacher students can be supported by the PPS-PR concept. Therefore, practitioner research can be seen as a tool for developing competences that are stable and can furthermore be transferred to other situational contexts.

Owning it: educators’ engagement in researching their own practice

ABSTRACTPractitioner research is an approach increasingly used by and with teachers, including in early childhood (EC) education. Studies outlining the benefits of educator engagement in research show learning, empowerment and self-determination in professional direction. There is also a sense of achievement for university researchers when they research with rather than about educators. This paper reports findings from a collaborative Australian practitioner research project focused on building capacity in educators’ research abilities, pedagogical knowledge and classroom practices. Four EC centres engaged in action research projects intended to investigate self-identified aspects of their practice under the mentorship of University Research Mentors (URMs). A sociocultural methodology underpinned the approach that supported educators to work with others, moving their knowledge forward within their cultural context. Practitioner researchers reported that the model was sustainable because their self-selected research was meaningful and relevant and they grew to feel more professional. We argue that practitioner research provides an alternative to traditional research where external researchers decide on the research focus, collect their data and leave. We draw attention to the need for policy-makers to recognise and value the contributions educators are capable of making by researching and changing their own practice in collaboration with experienced academics.

PRACTITIONER RESEARCH IN THE PRACTICE AND EDUCATION OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN THE NETHERLANDS

ABSTRACT Objective: the purpose of this study is to explore the increased attention for practitioner research in the practice of healthcare professionals in the Netherlands and its consequences for the implementation of research in higher professional healthcare education. Method: this study is a reflection based on a literature review. Results: recent developments in the practice of healthcare professionals in the Netherlands have led to the belief that an analytic, inquisitive and reflective capacity is playing an increasingly important role for healthcare professionals to function optimally and to improve clinical practice through innovation. In the Netherlands professionals in healthcare carry out practitioner research projects to construct local knowledge and improve their own professional practice. Increasingly, institutes for higher professional healthcare education have implemented continuous research curricular strands to teach students to conduct practitioner research. Conclusion: practitioner research is seen as an effective professional learning strategy that promotes the use of theory and recognizes practical knowledge and expertise of the healthcare professionals and their patients and clients. Practitioner research should be implemented in practice and education as a distinct form of research. In continuous research curricular strands in higher professional healthcare education students should acquire sufficient research self-efficacy and the experience that practitioner research can enhance professional learning and practice development.

The Impact of Conducting Practitioner Research Projects on Teachers’ Professional Growth

There is growing interest in the effectiveness of practitioner research for promoting teachers' professional learning. It is important to determine if and why practitioner research is effective for teachers, however, it is also necessary to determine what support they need to develop research skills to design and implement practitioner research. This article reports on a year-long pilot study that aimed to design a model of professional learning to enhance teachers' research skills and support them to conduct their own research. The study involved 11 participants from four schools. Eight full-day workshops were designed to develop research skills and scaffold the research projects. Participants were surveyed at the beginning of the study and interviewed mid-way and at the end. The findings indicated professional growth for all participants both in terms of research skills and other professional outcomes, such as enhanced classroom or school-wide practice.

How practitioner-led research could have greater impact: the importance of considering knowledge mobilisation holistically

Literature about practitioner research focuses on the production of research or building of research capacity, with limited exploration of the wider contribution that practitioner research can make to knowledge mobilisation (KM). This paper draws on findings from a practitioner research project to explore how practitioner research can facilitate KM. We suggest that more would be achieved if KM initiatives were informed by a holistic model which recognises that KM is influenced by: the actors involved (and the dynamics between them), environmental context, knowledge content and type, mechanisms for mobilising knowledge, and the underpinning values and principles.

Integrated health and Social Care Project – Mental Health

Project Title: Integrated Care Models in Mental Health Research Project: Self assessment of an Integrated NHS Trust; National Perspective Challenges and Opportunities survey; &amp; Small Scale Front Line Practitioners' Research Projects.Mersey Care NHS Trust has been successful in becoming an NHS North West Education Integrated Care Demonstrator site. The project considered the effectiveness of social care values, principles, role, functions, and delivery within an integrated Mental Health setting by engaging the workforce, partners, commissioners and service user/carers. The aim of the project was to elicit a considered, informed and collective value judgement from participants (here service users, carers, social workers, other professionals and managers) on the effectiveness of mental health social work in an integrated setting.The project ran between April to November 2015 and aimed to capture confidence in the role of mental health social work interventions, thinking and approaches in integrated settings, including understanding and working with social networks and communities.The project objectives included strengthening the evaluation which has already been started in the Trust, from an objective viewpoint and to explore and build an evidence base for integrated working which is then to be disseminated across other integrated mental health services. Also considered was the effectiveness of social care values, principles and delivery within an integrated mental health setting by engaging the workforce, partners, third sector, commissioners and service users.The Project has three research project activities:Research Activity One: Evaluating Mersey Care NHS Trust’s Mental Health Social Work Integrated Support &amp; Development programme1. To complete a review of the literature in relation to mental health social work in integrated settings in the context of development and training needs2. Review and compare local policies, standards and social work workforce developments with the current literature in relation to mental health social work in integrated settings3. Compare the views of practitioners and people who access services with what is found in the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of Mersey Care’s modelFive deliberative sessions were held; three with professionals and two service users and carers. Each group was provided with a summary of what had been found in the literature review about what constitutes ‘good’ mental health social work in integrated setting which was.Research Activity 2: Small Scale Frontline Research ProjectsIn additional to the main body of the learning, the project also supported a number of small scale practitioner research projects. Seven studies were undertaken to provide contemporary evidence based and practitioners led. Topics included: Parity between physical &amp; mental health; safeguarding adults/children; multidisciplinary working with asylum seekers; and whole system approach to trauma informed care.Research Activity 3: National Survey What Makes Integration Sustainable In Mental HealthThe aim of this strand of the project was to explore why integration within mental health services between health and social care has been sustained in certain mental health trusts whilst in others integration has not.The learning from each of the three research activities formed the basis of a portfolio containing reports and recommendations that provided a detailed understanding of best practice in relation to integrated working in mental health. The process provided learning that was able to identify good practice in the existing models of integration in the context of current policies and identify gaps and develop strategies for strengthening the integration model in Mental Health.Community Care Magazine has already published an article about the project findings and their significant relevance to professional and organisational development and practice. Link below:http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2016/02/05/care-act-increasing-tensions-nhs-trusts-social-worker-integration/Mersey Care is now a pilot site to test out a number of products developed by the Department of Health and the College of Social Work. Details below:Three resources were released together in February 2016- ‘Social work for better mental health’ The Strategic Statement- ‘How are we doing?’ An organisational and workforce self-assessment resource for implementation of the College role categories- ‘Making the difference’: A framework for direct service user and carer feedback and collaboration to promote high quality social work in mental healthFinally the project findings will support the government national integration policy including the Healthy Liverpool Scheme which is an excellent programme bringing clinical commissioners, providers and the Local Authority to work hard together to rebalance the healthcare system in Liverpool with greater focus on prevention, proactive care in community settings and integrated delivery across providers, with patients actively involved in their care (Panorama documentary, NHS - The Perfect Storm, July 2015).

Children's Literacy Play Environments: Snapshots of Practitioner Research for Change

THE SEARCH TO IMPROVE achievement in literacy is worldwide. Success is seen as an important social and cultural marker. Contemporary scholars discuss the importance of children's social interactions as they co-construct literacy learning. As early childhood educators play a role in children's communities, their knowledge and literacy teaching and learning approaches are important, and the focus of this paper. Practitioner research, using a literacy environment rating scale and photostories, was used to focus on change in early literacy environments. I share the methods, processes, strategies and approaches for strengthening practice to offer support for others planning and implementing practitioner research or early literacy-focused projects. Action research, accompanied by the use of the mediating artefacts of the scale and photostories, was found to be a useful methodology for change in literacy learning environments, but was not without challenges.

How do parents of children with communication difficulties experience video interaction guidance? A practitioner research project

This practitioner research article sought to provide an interpretation of the parental experience of video interaction guidance (VIG). Two mothers and one grandmother participated in one cycle of VIG and one interview about their experiences. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings indicated that parents valued the opportunity to use video to reflect on their interaction skills. They felt empowered to use their learning to develop relationships with their children. Questions emerged about parents’ experiences of control and feeling judged during VIG. Participants’ felt VIG involved some judgement of their parenting skills and their children’s communication skills. This is discussed within the wider socio-cultural context of practitioner–client relationships. The article highlighted implications for VIG practitioners to be honest about their positions and mindful of the feelings of the clients they support. Understanding of the function of the relationship between the guider and the VIG client was identified as an area for future research.

Teachers’ engagement with research texts: beyond instrumental, conceptual or strategic use

Recent policy statements have urged greater use of research to guide teaching, with some commentators calling for a ‘revolution’ in evidence-based practice. Scholarly literature suggests that research can influence policy and practice in ‘instrumental’, ‘conceptual’ or ‘strategic’ ways. This paper analyses data from two studies in English comprehensive schools, in which teachers were given research reports about teaching gifted and talented students, and supported over a 12-month period, to incorporate findings into practitioner research projects of their own devising. Participant observation data, interviews and teachers’ written reports were analysed in three phases; analysis revealed that the teachers used research in instrumental and strategic ways, but only very occasionally. More frequently, their use of research was conceptual. Within this category, research influenced what teachers thought about, and how they thought. The process is theorised as a ‘long, focused discussion’, to which research contributed a ‘third voice’, in dialogue with individual teachers (the ‘first voice’) and their colleagues (the ‘second voice’). Given the dearth of empirical work on this topic, it is argued that this theory, whilst tentative, provides an appropriately nuanced framework for further investigations of teachers’ use of research evidence.

The Role of Practitioner Research in Developing Cultures of Learning in Children and Families Social Work

Over the past decade, higher education policy in the United Kingdom has increasingly focused on the impact of academic research with research councils putting out specific calls for knowledge exchange (KE) opportunities. This KE project involved a Scottish university working with practitioners from two Local Authority Children and Families Social Work departments. The aim, in line with the recent UK Government-sponsored review of child protection, was to contribute to effecting a shift from a compliance to a learning culture. This article discusses whether and to what extent academic support for small-scale practitioner research projects delivered as part of a larger KE project can contribute to the development of learning cultures in statutory social work settings. We conclude that while it is difficult to demonstrate this in any absolute sense, the practitioners who took part gained greatly from doing so and have gone on to share their new knowledge and skills with others in their agencies. The relationships between practitioners and academics were central for creating space for critical discourse and KE. The learning from this KE project could usefully inform other knowledge brokerage projects going forward.

Learning conversations: teacher researchers evaluating dialogic strategies in early years settings

Learning conversations, dialogic interactions with adults, are important opportunities for children to develop their thinking as well as their speech and language skills. This area of teachers' practice is informed by a well-established body of research evidence and professional guidance literature. The design and facilitation of this practitioner research project was framed by a metaphor for teachers' professional learning as ‘interplay’ between the vertical domain of public, published, knowledge and the horizontal domain of the teachers' practical wisdom. The teacher researchers used a framework based on the published literature to analyse video clips of their conversations with children in early years workplace settings. The study highlights the power of video analysis as a prompt for professional learning within a practitioner research framework. The use of conversation strategies by these teachers involves a balancing act between competing agendas within their workplace setting. In addition to mediating the strategies proposed by the research evidence base to suit their own early years workplace settings, in part by emphasising speech and language development, the teacher researchers identified a useful strategy, based on transportable identity, of ‘stepping out’ of being a teacher, for example by positioning themselves as a playmate or family member.