Written by: Graham Chisnell
Developing a culture of research in school empowers staff at every level to influence practice and play an active role in the strategic development of the organisation. Research can enhance the climate of a school in four ways. Relationships strengthen, the learning environment is enhanced, the quality of provision improves for students and the heart of the school beats stronger than ever before (Chisnell, 2021a). In this case study, I reflect on the impact of embedding a culture of research on student outcomes, staff engagement and organisational change.
What is research?
research: a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding
Cambridge Dictionary, 2013
Research can mean many things to different people. To a teacher studying for their masters degree, research can involve a complex set of strict protocols (Thomas, 2017). To a teacher in a busy school, research may be a distant memory of a skill that they undertook as an undergraduate, while to a non-teaching member of staff, research is often considered inaccessible.
The research challenge
As a school leader, I recognised that research practice held the key to empowering staff to develop their own pedagogy and practice. Also, while there were helpful models for research available to my team, these were often too academic or inaccessible (McAleavy, 2016). I therefore needed to devise a cycle of research that simplified the process for my staff while maintaining the purpose and impact of the research findings. Furthermore, I realised that if I could provide my staff with an accessible model for research, I could build a school culture where all staff engaged in research, whether their role was in class, administration or estates. From this idea, the Research Cycle was born.
The Research Cycle
The Research Cycle (see Figure 1) consists of eight steps that the researcher follows to structure their research. Each step in the cycle supports and strengthens the research practice of the staff member. I also wanted to align the Research Cycle to the natural rhythm of a school year. The cycle begins in September, during appraisal reviews, with the appraisal lead also acting as a research coach.
Figure 1: The Research Cycle (Chisnell, 2021a)
To ensure that staff engaged in meaningful research practice, it was essential to provide training in the theory and practice of the Research Cycle. I aligned the Research Cycle to the timing of the appraisal system in order to give a purpose and rhythm to the process. The appraisal leads were trained in group coaching skills, helping them to support staff in thinking through their research project (Whitmore, 2017). Once the team was trained, we then embarked on a training cycle for the staff that developed their research practice across the year. The first year focused on embedding this practice with the teaching staff.
Steps one and two of the Research Cycle encouraged the teacher to define a purposeful research issue that was interesting to themselves and relevant to the school. Appreciative enquiry was used to focus the teacher on their own interests and strengths to inform their field of research (Cooperrider et al., 2001). Our teachers relished the opportunity to build a research question that empowered them to interrogate the impact of their practice or trial new ideas based upon the research of others, in order to strengthen outcomes for their students. One of my teachers devised the following research question: ‘Does our environment support children in a developmentally appropriate way?’ The focus on research also brought a fresh relevance and purpose to the appraisal system. Mary Norton states that ‘developing areas of research with staff enables them to have ownership of the change’, adding that, as a result of engaging in research, ‘staff have noted increased happiness, engagement and independence in the children, especially those from more vulnerable backgrounds’ as a result of the research undertaken (Norton, 2022).
Once the issue had been defined and a research question formed, the teacher moved to step three of the Research Cycle: to review what was already known about their research question by considering the research that was currently available. Teachers were encouraged to speak with colleagues, review education journals and read educational books. In considering the research of others, the teachers developed their ability to think critically. They used models such as the Chartered College of Teaching’s research engagement tools and developed an awareness of the dangers of cognitive bias in research (Kahneman, 2011; Chartered College of Teaching, 2020). This third step in the Research Cycle took the teacher to the end of term 2, where they once again met with their appraiser/research mentor, who helped them to refine their original research question.
The teachers were then ready to embark on their research project. They were trained in a range of simple research methodologies. This provided the teachers with a toolkit of research methods, such as the Diamond Nine, questionnaires and interviews (Chisnell, 2021a). Teachers used these methods playfully to explore their research question and to gather valuable data to interrogate their assumptions. While one teacher used the Diamond Nine to ask pupils in the Early Years to share their preferred ways of learning in school and at home, another teacher used an interview to discern pupils’ preferred approach to learning. As my teachers engaged in their research methodology, they honed their observation skills and became increasingly quizzical about the impact of their teaching on student outcomes. As the data emerged, the teachers were then ready for step six in the Research Cycle: to analyse their findings.
Analysis of data involves the art of breaking down the data in order to bring clarity to what the data is saying (Thomas, 2017). Teachers were taught to present and analyse their data. They learned how to seek out data that was helpful in answering their research question and to use this to present their findings to others.
The final two steps in the Research Cycle asked the teacher to share their understanding and to refine their practice. This meant that from the outset of the research journey, the teacher knew that there was going to be an audience for their research findings. This refined their thinking and strengthened their desire to undertake research that told an important truth about their practice. My team of teachers were deeply creative in how they shared their findings.
Teachers’ research projects were published in a school research journal. I am deeply proud that Mary’s research led to a published article in issue 15 of Impact journal (Norton, 2022). They were also invited to share their research findings in seven-minute slots in a TeachMeet-style conference. Teachers used digital presentations, research posters, animations and video recordings to share their research outcomes. I bristled with pride as I listened to their presentations. Each presentation shared practice that had made a positive impact on their students.
Embedding a culture of research
Having introduced the Research Cycle to the teaching staff over the course of a year, it was time to embed research across the school for all my staff. In year two, the Research Cycle was introduced to our teaching assistant workforce, and in year three to all staff. Here are the key drivers to embedding a culture of research:
Time
If research is to be successful, it needs to be valued. Each of my staff was gifted the equivalent of two training days, in which they had 12 hours to engage in research practice.
Research champions
We created a talent pathway for research across the school and trust. Staff were trained to coach other members of their team, helping them with their research practice. This built the quality of research undertaken and empowered staff as research leaders (Chisnell, 2021b). It is worth considering that if you are a teacher and would like to develop research practice in your department or school, the research champion role is a great catalyst for developing a small research group within the school. This could include starting a research community or journal club to engage with the research cycle.
Learning tickets
Each teacher received a learning ticket worth £150 to fund their research project. Some staff spent this on educational books and subscriptions to professional subject organisations, while others used the money to buy train tickets to visit schools undertaking innovative practice that aligned with their field of research.
Research bursaries
Groups of staff undertaking research in similar areas of interest were encouraged to pool together and apply for a research bursary of £500. This encouraged collaborative research projects and grew opportunities for collaborative research projects.
Research buddies
Staff whose research question was within a particular field of study were grouped together. This allowed staff to share ideas and resources. Staff also worked together to co-present their research findings, building confidence in staff who were less keen to present alone.
Conclusion
The Research Cycle strengthens the purpose and culture of research in school. If you get the culture (what you do) for research right in your school, the climate (how it feels) will follow. The Research Cycle empowers staff and provides a scaffold for the process of research, leading to a self-improving organisation where staff are empowered to lead change.
Research in schools, however, has its difficulties and limitations. Finding time to undertake research is a deep challenge, as is staff confidence. In addition, embedding research in school can be reliant on an enlightened, research-focused school leader. Overcoming these three challenges can be complex, as they can become a block to embedding a culture of research. Be courageous, keep the end goal in sight and remember to celebrate the wins along the way, while learning from the bumps in the road.
- Cambridge Dictionary (2013) Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Chartered College of Teaching (2020) Research engagement toolkits. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/content_type/toolkit (accessed April 2024).
- Chisnell G (2021a) Irresistible Learning: Embedding a Culture of Research in Schools. Woodbridge: John Catt Educational.
- Chisnell G (2021b) Talent pathways – building a culture of career development in schools. Impact 11: 33–36.
- Cooperrider DL, Sorenson P and Whitney D (2001) Appreciative Inquiry: An Emerging Direction for Organization Development. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.
- Kahneman D (2011) Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- McAleavy T (2016) Teaching as a Research-Engaged Profession: Problems and Possibilities. Reading: Education Development Trust.
- Norton M (2022) A reflection on how and why we changed our Key Stage 1 learning environments. Impact 15: 44–45.
- Thomas G (2017) How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students. London: SAGE Publications.
- Whitmore J (2017) Coaching for Performance: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership. London: Nicholas Brealey.
Irresistible Learning 