Professional Inquiry Research Articles

Navigating the Digital Transformation of Education: Insights from Collaborative Learning in an Erasmus+ Project

Collaborative Opportunities for Professional Inquiry Leading to Organisational Transformation (COPILOT) represents an Erasmus+ initiative involving four transnational partners from three EU countries including IES Cristobal de Monroy secondary school [Spain], Laois Offaly Education Training Board (LOETB) [Ireland], University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education [Ireland], and Akadimos, a teacher continuing professional development provider [Greece]. The project encompassed three primary objectives, aligned with the Erasmus+ programmes’s emphasis on supporting teachers and school leaders to address digital transformation. These included the following: the identification of participatory approaches and digital methodologies employed by schools to facilitate digital transformation among educators; exploring and establishing dynamic professional environments in schools by identifying synergies with organisations operating in diverse fields or socio-economic contexts and enhancing the capacity and professionalism of partners to engage in EU/international collaboration. To investigate the outcomes of the project objectives, a small-scale qualitative study was conducted, which involved analysing participants’ reports on the project’s collaborative activities. Additionally, a focus group was held at the conclusion of the project to gain insights into the digital readiness, capacity, and resilience of teachers and school leaders within their respective organisations. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data. The findings of the study offer encouraging indications regarding the crucial symbiotic role played by school leaders and “early adopter” teachers in promoting digital transformation. Moreover, participating teachers displayed a general willingness to adapt their teaching methods to incorporate more technology, provided they receive both formal and informal support. Furthermore, there exists a willingness among transnational partners to digitise and share resources both at present and in the future.

Ethical Issues in Researching Higher Education Teaching and Learning

Higher education here is taken to be education beyond school level: often at an institution (a university) that has degree-awarding powers, though some programmes may lead to a diploma, certificate or other award or qualification. Nomenclature around “research” in the associated teaching and learning is contested: professional enquiry, scholarship of teaching and learning, pedagogical research… are some of the terms used. Authors discuss and distinguish such terms. An ethical issue is a circumstance in which a moral conflict arises or is implicit and should be resolved in a morally acceptable way. These include privacy, informed consent, insider research and power relationships within higher education research; there are also fluid challenges around the use of digital contributions. Authors present a narrative exegesis of work in the associated areas, which authors argue will be of use to universities promoting such research, and of particular interest to two groups of academics wishing to systematically develop their practice in ways that contribute to the field: those on teaching-only contracts, who would also demonstrate their research credentials; and researchers from non-education-cognate fields. Authors identify directions for further work.

Professional Inquiry as Strategy for Language Teacher Development: Three projects at the ZFA Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2022-2023)

Between October 2022 and March 2023, the Language Centre (Zentrum für Fremdsprachenausbildung: ZFA) at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum organised a professional inquiry programme for its teachers. This introductory article introduces professional inquiry as a strategy for teacher development and describes the principles behind it and the ZFA project. An overview of the three professional inquiry projects completed by teachers at ZFA is also included here, together with comments on the both the benefits of the project for the teachers as well as challenges they faced. Following this opening piece, the full reports written by the participating teachers are presented. These reports show how systematic pedagogical classroom investigations by teachers can support their understandings of teaching and learning. Based on the experiences of this project at ZFA, professional inquiry is recommended as a feasible approach to the development of university language teachers.

Towards the Atlas of Living Flanders, a Challenging Path

In Belgium, a federal country in the heart of Europe, the competencies for nature conservation and nature policy lie within the regions. The Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) is an independent research institute, funded by the Flemish regional government, which underpins and evaluates biodiversity policy and management by means of applied scientific research, and sharing of data and knowledge. One of the 12 strategic goals in the 2009-2015 INBO strategic planning was that: 'INBO manages data and makes them accessible. It looks into appropriate data gathering methods and means by which to disseminate data and make them readily available'. Since 2009, the INBO has steadily evolved into a research institute with a strong emphasis on open data and open science. In 2010 INBO became a data publisher for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), adopted an open data and open access policy and is known for being an open science institute in Flanders, Belgium. In 2021, a question arose from the council of ministers on the possibility and availability of a public portal for biodiversity data. The goal of this portal should be to ensure findability, availability, and optimal usability of biodiversity data, initially for policy makers, but also for the wider public. With the Living Atlas project already high on our radar, an analysis project, funded by the Flemish government, started in December 2021. All the entities in the department of 'Environment' contributed to a requirements and feasibility study, a proof of concept (POC) Living Atlas for Flanders was set up and the required budget was calculated. During the requirements and feasibility study we questioned the agency for nature and forest (ANB), the Flanders Environment Agency (VMM), Flemish land agency (VLM) and the Department of Environment with the help of a professional inquiry agency IPSOS on the possible relevance for policy of a Flemish biodiversity portal, the need of high resolution data (geographical and temporal scale) and the availability of biodiversity data in Flanders, focussed on key species, protected species and other Flemish priority species. During the technical proof of concept, we tested the Living Atlases (LA) software suite as the most mature candidate for a Flemish Living Atlas. We checked how we could set up a LA installation in our own Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment, evaluated all the used technologies, estimated the maintenance and infrastructure cost, the needed profiles and the number of full-time equivalent personnel we would need to run a performant Atlas of Living Flanders. The goal of this talk is to inform the audience on the steps we took, the hurdles we encountered and how we are trying to convince our policy makers of the benefits of an Atlas of Living Flanders.

The Lasting Impact of Memories from Personal Physical Education Experiences on PE Preservice Teachers

Preparing tomorrow’s teachers includes carefully developed curriculums, extensive class work and experiences that support student teachers to learn and apply content knowledge, theory and pedagogical skills. A significant part of this is often clinical work and student teaching experiences, which allow student teachers to put theory into practice. Teacher preparation programs seek to instill necessary skills and dispositions to be effective physical education teachers. However, there are previous, personal experiences of student teachers/ preservice teachers that are not part of formal teacher preparation that may influence teacher preparation. This professional enquiry considered the lasting impact of personal physical education (PE) experiences on preservice teachers (PSTs).

Valuing, growing and retaining Pacific leaders and teachers

The Ministry of Education document Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030 is a government commitment to transform outcomes for Pacific learners and their families. Key Shift 5 of this Action Plan focuses on valuing, growing, and retaining “teachers, leaders, and educational professionals with diverse Pacific heritages” (Ministry of Education, 2020a, p. 38). This professional inquiry explored what Key Shift 5 looks like within the Resource Teaching service. A literature review examined ethnic minority leadership in education, specifically looking at the enablers and barriers. The Pacific research method, talanoa, was used to give voice to the lived experiences of four ex-Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). Findings from this inquiry acknowledge the misrepresentation of Pacific in decision making spaces and highlight the benefits and advantages Pacific RTLB bring to their roles. The importance of support from senior management was indicated by all participants as a key factor in valuing, growing, and retaining “teachers, leaders, and educational professionals with diverse Pacific heritages”.

Towards a research-engaged teaching profession: insider reflections on a collaborative approach to developing teachers in Wales as professional enquirers

ABSTRACT There is a substantial body of literature related to action research in all its various forms. A small contribution to that work within a UK setting, this paper reflects on the early evolution of a state-led initiative designed to develop teachers in Wales as professional enquirers. Launched in 2018 and ongoing at the time of writing, the National Professional Enquiry Project (NPEP) is a genuinely collaborative effort involving schools, universities and the regional education consortia as key delivery partners. Whilst other attempts at building research capacity within the nation’s teaching workforce have been made, the project is unique in the Welsh context as it requires different parts of the education system to work in lockstep under the same banner. The paper explores one university’s emancipatory approach to professional enquiry, and provides insight into the ‘lived experience’ from the perspective of lead enquirer, university researcher and regional facilitator. Drawing on its authors’ privileged access as active participants, it uses autoethnography to crystalise what is learnt from these experiences into five guiding principles – foundational skills development, stakeholder coherence, dedicated time, professional autonomy and shared vulnerability – upon which a fruitful collaborative approach to developing teachers as professional enquirers should be founded.

Uncovering Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions of Achievement and Accountability: Evidence from a Framed Field Experiment

ABSTRACT Contemporary research on preservice teachers’ data use opportunities, coursework, and interventions typically focuses on preservice teachers’ perceptions about data use comfort, confidence, and preparedness. Despite the contribution of such research to understanding the efficacy of approaches to teacher preparation, understanding preservice teachers’ underlying conceptions about data and data use is critical to responsive teacher preparation. However, these conceptions are elusive as preservice teachers do not routinely engage in authentic data use practices. In the present study, I develop a novel methodological approach for uncovering preservice teachers’ conceptions about data. Then, I use this framework to investigate how achievement classifications and accountability pressure manifest in preservice teachers’ instructional decision-making. Findings suggest preservice teachers have a general propensity for differentially allocating instructional resources to their lowest achieving students and respond to accountability pressure by shifting these resources toward students approaching proficiency criterion and those closest to achievement thresholds. Findings have implications for how teacher preparation programs may leverage preservice teachers’ conceptions as a foundation for the development of data literacy, iterative instructional improvement, professional inquiry, and accountable leadership.

NSW Cannabis Medicines Advisory Service preliminary survey results: enquirer perceptions and patient outcomes.

BackgroundIn 2018, an innovative, State government‐funded cannabis medicines drug information service was established for health professionals in New South Wales (NSW). The NSW Cannabis Medicines Advisory Service (CMAS) provides expert clinical guidance and support to medical practitioners considering prescribing a cannabis medicine to their patient(s).AimsThis research examines quality assurance and patient outcomes related to enquirers' experience with NSW CMAS.MethodsData collection involved an online, anonymous survey with two components. Following a health professional enquiry, quality assurance data were collected about the enquirers' experience with NSW CMAS. The second survey focussed on patient outcomes and provides real‐world observational data about cannabis medicines safety and effectiveness across a wide range of indications.ResultsData collection occurred between January 2020 and June 2021. Preliminary analyses were based on 68 quality assurance and 50 patient outcomes survey responses. General practitioners represented the highest proportion of survey responses (n = 33; 49%). The most common enquiry involved ‘patient‐specific advice’ (n = 50; 74%). Patient‐specific information provided by the service was mainly used for prescribing decision support (n = 45; 90%).ConclusionsPreliminary findings highlight the impact of an innovative cannabis medicines drug information service in supporting health professional clinical practice in an area of rapid knowledge translation. Quality assurance data indicate that the service is perceived well by the majority of enquirers. Patient outcomes data across a wide range of indications suggest some effectiveness and a reasonable safety profile for prescribed cannabis medicines for most patients.

Using Web Video Conferencing to Conduct a Program as a Proposed Model toward Teacher Leadership and Academic Vitality in the Philippines

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted private basic education in the Philippines to hold a professional developmental program for faculty members using web video conferencing (WVC). Given the uncertainties of WVC educational quality and the challenge of shifting to a fully online environment, this study aimed to evaluate the use of web video conferencing and the development of a faculty development program on sustaining teacher leadership and academic vitality through research. The training was held for nine weeks, and 33 faculty members of the institution participated. Quantitative data include survey questionnaires on perceptions on action research, perceptions on technology integration, training proficiency, and pedagogical practices. Qualitative data include analysis of video recordings, reflection journals, observation notes, and actual research outputs. It utilized descriptive developmental action research using a convergent mixed-method approach, and thematic analysis. Findings show that the use of WVC as a mode of delivery proved successful in creating an effective educational experience for all the participants as evidenced by their enhanced teacher leadership skills and academic vitality. These skills were demonstrated through their willingness to promote professional inquiry as shown by their actual research outputs and demonstration of high proficiency in the adoption of technology integration.

Meaningful teacher accountability through professional inquiry: A narrative interpretation of one teacher’s experience

ABSTRACT Little is known about the way that teachers cope with the formalisation of professional inquiry in New Zealand. Despite its systemic implementation as an accountability-driven initiative to improve the quality of education, there are varied interpretations and enactments of professional inquiry. In this article, we will explore one teacher’s interpretation of these variations. Through a narrative lens, we will illuminate personal and contextual challenges that this teacher considered amidst the pressures of accountability. We will explicate how an internal, culturally bound sense of accountability can be juxtaposed alongside an external, policy-linked view of accountability. This juxtaposition illuminates how teachers may make sense of and legitimise the need for teaching accountability. The insights gleaned can aid educational researchers, school leaders and policymakers to better understand how teachers attach purpose and value to external accountability measures.

Critical Reflection - Impact and Implementation Considerations in Early Childhood Education and Care

The National Quality Standard (NQS) is the benchmark for quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) within Australia. The Australian Government positioned reflective practice at the core of the NQS (ACECQA, 2013) in order to raise standards and inform future planning and decision making (COAG, 2009; Kennedy, 2011). Critical reflection was identified as foundational to good practice with educators expected to engage in a 'lively culture of professional inquiry' (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13) with reflection ensuring a way of continued improvement to raise standards. This paper reports on a research study that explored the impact and implementation of critical reflection as part of the NQS in ECEC. This research identified that critical reflection positively impacts ECEC operations and also positively impacts the learning environment of ECEC centres.

Teachers’ Reflection on their Agency for Change (TRAC): a tool for teacher development and professional inquiry

ABSTRACT Claims about teachers’ potential to influence change tend to overlook that educational outcomes arise from complex, situated practices of many actors including teachers. This article introduces a tool for Teachers’ Reflection on their Agency for Change (TRAC) for empirical analysis of teaching as a collective activity designed to ‘track’ the diverse outcomes of teacher agency, including but not limited to student attainment, while accounting for the relational and institutional contexts. Activity theory is applied to map purposes and contexts of eacher agency. Uses of TRAC in professional development and inquiry are illustrated with an example of one teacher’s reflection during her collaboration with researchers on a change project aimed at ‘closing the attainment gap’. Inclusive pedagogy is used as an interpretative lens to discuss agency in relation to its specific purpose and context. The article offers guidance for future uses of TRAC to consider teachers’ impact on any change agenda.

Universal Design for Learning: Implications for RTLB

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for developing inclusive educational practices. The primary purpose of this small-scale professional inquiry was to investigate the effective ways in which Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) across New Zealand implement and evaluate the UDL framework in their practice to improve the educational achievement of all learners. The enablers and barriers to implementing UDL in practice were explored through an anonymous online questionnaire using a mixed-method approach. This study highlighted that RTLB were using the UDL principles in several areas at different stages of the RTLB practice sequence. The results indicated that ongoing professional learning development and collaboration within the organisation were the preferred modes of support to implement the UDL framework. RTLB also articulated several barriers to its implementation including teacher resistance and lack of knowledge. The need for more UDL training for educators was identified. Differences were found in ways of monitoring the UDL interventions amongst practitioners. The results further underlined the need for developing a clear criterion to monitor the application of UDL in practice.

Professional Learning Communities in the Contemporary Basic Education in Finland

SummaryIn the article I will pay attention to schools as Professional Learning Communities which include: shared values and vision of education, collective responsibility, reflective professional inquiry, collaboration and group, as well as individual, learning. I also analyze trust and respect, closely related to PLC in contemporary Finnish education.

Facilitating collaborative reflective inquiry amongst teachers: What do we currently know?

Collaborative teacher learning is thought to improve teaching practice and student outcomes. Key to such learning is Reflective Professional Inquiry (RPI); seen as vital if practitioners are to engage effectively with new knowledge and ideas. Yet RPI is under-conceptualised and little is known about how to facilitate effective RPI. With this study we engage in a meta-narrative literature review, covering a range of disciplines (including education, medicine, and psychology), in an attempt to fill these knowledge gaps. Findings indicate that there are no existing interventions designed to foster RPI that have been rigorously evaluated. Consequently, there are no approaches that could be employed as part of collaborative teacher learning, with the expectation that practice or student outcomes will subsequently improve.

Using self-study as a methodology for dental educators' professional inquiry.

Dental educators play crucial roles in dental education and in the functioning of dental schools. Whilst it is recognised that dental educators need more than relevant disciplinary expertise and that scholarly development of dental educators is important, there is a lack of knowledge about ways research can be used to promote professional development. This article aims to showcase a research methodology for professional inquiry that is widely used in teacher education to promote the view that dental education is a professional practice. Self-study methodology was employed by four dental educators to illuminate their theory-informed practice. We chose to frame the inquiry around technology and accumulated three forms of data: individual journaling, video-call discussions and Padlet/bricolage. Analysis of this data focused on how the learning was co-constructed by the group. Five key elements of our self-study were constructed into narratives: understanding technology as a dental educator, being a learner and embodied scholarship, the (expanded) roles of a teacher in a technological environment, advancing our own professional identity as an educator, and possibilities and limits for self-study in the dental education context. Professionalisation of dental educators is critical to sustainable dental education. By educators researching their own practice, research approaches such as self-study can perform a dual role of facilitating scholarly development and contributing to the generation of new knowledge about becoming and being a dental educator.

Understanding values embedded in the leadership of reciprocal professional learning by teachers

ABSTRACT A starting point for realising connections between leadership and professional learning is to focus specifically on teachers and their conceptions of leadership. Typically, leadership is understood as a designated position with a defined role and responsibilities for individuals. An alternative conception is to view leadership as collective rather than individual work to enhance student learning. This article advances leadership for professional learning through explicit recognition and application of actions underpinning four professional values (professional discretion, collegial obligation, reflective inquiry and discourse and evidence-based practice). These values are intrinsic to collaborative learning cultures. The literature supporting them points to important actions for the creation and maintenance of these cultures. The article explores this literature and justifies particular teacher leadership actions that help collaborative learning cultures. These actions are captured in a sample survey instrument designed to stimulate in-school discussions on productive ways to work towards teacher leadership in cooperative settings. Sample data are analysed to indicate how teachers’ individual views produce a school profile, which can be used as a prompt to determine whether the basis for reciprocal professional learning by teachers is evident or requires further development. The survey tool makes explicit the foundations for teacher leadership as collective activity.

Professional artefacts: evaluating creative outcomes for work-based inquiry

PurposeThis paper aims to explore graduate perspectives about the creation and use of professional artefacts to communicate work-based inquiry projects to professional audiences.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on constructivist qualitative interviews with 14 graduates from a part-time professional practice in arts programme and used thematic analysis to interpret and discuss the findings.FindingsParticipants indicated a perceived value in the use of the professional artefact as a way of articulating their professional inquiry. Professional artefacts enable essential communication skills for professional contexts, have the capacity for engaging with professional audiences that are external to the university, have the potential for enabling further study and workplace employability, show awareness of project management and leadership capabilities and helped some individuals build on and share their own personal philosophy of practice with peer professionals.Research limitations/implicationsAs a small-scale research project that used purposive sampling, the findings are not representative, but could provide the creative means to develop professional artefacts within work-related educational programmes and workplace learning programmes.Practical implicationsIt is argued that the process and production of professional artefacts can provide the means for communicating work-based projects to professional audiences within workplace settings.Originality/valueProfessional artefacts explore and present developmental aspects of work-based inquiries with distinctive creative approaches to favour practice knowledge and innovation that can be expressively shared with peer professionals.

Supporting Teacher Confidence and Perceived Competence in Relation to Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy Utilising Communities of Learning Kāhui Ako

This professional inquiry investigates how Community of Learning Ka hui Ako across-community teachers (ACT) can support teacher confidence and perceived competence in relation to their culturally-responsive pedagogy. Communities of Learning Ka hui Ako are explored in terms of defining what makes a community successful and how they can be used as a vehicle for accelerating the achievement of Maori learners. A review of the literature surrounding culturally-responsive pedagogy, its enablers and barriers, as well as evidence that Communities of Learning Ka hui Ako can address this, is examined. A semi-structured interview was used to explore Community of Learning Ka hui Ako ACT perceptions of culturally- responsive pedagogy and successful practice. Findings from this inquiry suggest that the mechanism of Communities of Learning Ka hui Ako though the ACT is having a positive impact on teacher confidence and perceived competence in relation to culturally-responsive pedagogy through the explicit use of Kaupapa Maori principles to support and drive change.