The authors report findings from a study examining teachers' experiences conducting research in their classrooms and their perceptions of teacher research as a tool for professional learning and development. Data from open-ended surveys (n = 38) and group interviews (n = 18) suggest that: (a) teachers value self-direction and choice in…

The topic of teacher research has been widely discussed by researchers. What has been less discussed is how teachers make sense of classroom research. Given the difficulties of implementing teacher research, it is necessary to understand teachers' conceptions of research and the role that it plays in their work. Whilst there is a burgeoning…

In discussions about relationships between research and pedagogy, teachers and researchers are often characterized as facing each other across a "gap" that separates them. Teachers are described as having practical concerns about their own classrooms and little patience for "theoretical" issues. Researchers are described as…

What does it mean for curriculum to be inclusive? This paper builds upon assertions that standardised, pre-determined curriculum marginalises students. This is especially harmful for students labelled with disabilities. I argue for an alternative approach to curriculum that is more fluid and inclusive than the traditional model. Describing this…

This paper takes up ideas from previous research projects which advocate student teachers undertaking research activity as part of their teacher education course. The aim is to strengthen the call for maintaining university input into teacher education preparation, which is currently being marginalised by new policies increasingly promoting…

Modern language education favours the model of a reflective teacher-researcher who is engaged in both individual and collaborative curriculum revision and teaching-learning environment improvement. The present paper addresses the issue of classroom research and reflective practice in current ESL pedagogy and teacher professional development. The…

This article reports on an action research project in which two New Zealand classroom teachers worked with a university researcher to investigate the effects of their knowledge, thinking, and beliefs on the ways in which they mediated students' learning in teacher-student interactions. Working in a small community of practice over a two-year…

This study demonstrates the potential for teacher research to lead to critical inquiry and change in social studies classrooms. It presents four portraits of experienced social studies teachers engaged in critical teacher research. These teachers posed critical questions about the means and purposes of schooling, while engaging their students in…

Over the last decade or so, faculty in a wide range of disciplines have become more interested in and open to the scholarship of teaching and learning. That scholarship has taken many forms, including personal accounts of experimentation and change, descriptions of recommended practices, and quantitative research on students' gains. In this…

The desirability of teacher engagement with research has been made apparent by several recent secretaries of state and encouraged through legislation and some support mechanisms intended to encourage practitioner-led investigations. Yet it is still regarded as exceptional, rather than the norm, when teachers become involved in formal research…

Researching language teachers requires intensive involvement of both the researcher and the researched. Yet, the available methodological literature in the field often paints a blurred picture of the nature of such involvement and provides little advice on dealing with challenges inherent in this type of research. Our doctoral research projects…

This article provides an initial exploration of the impact of teachers' involvement with classroom-based research projects on their professional learning. Interviews with classroom teachers are used to explore their experiences of working with Graham Nuthall and his research teams, who focused on finding out how students' interactions with…

This article discusses the significance of researcher-teacher relationships in naturalistic classroom studies, presents observations related to those relationships, describes a continuum of such relationships, and considers implications designed to assist researchers in planning and implementing their studies. (Author/MT)

Presents an interview between a researcher and a teacher who was the subject of two studies. Discusses the teacher's impressions of each study, the researchers, and what was learned from each experience. Describes problems with research methods and interpersonal factors. Concludes that participating in research is a valuable experience for…

Sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative has sought to develop teachers' research capability and to build knowledge about teaching and learning with the intention of improving outcomes for learners. Fortunate to receive a two-year grant, our research collaboration investigated secondary…