Teacher Change research (ongoing)
Issues about promoting teacher change first emerged through the research into and evaluation of the Concept Cartoon project. There were several instances of teachers claiming to have made marked changes in professional practice as a result of attending a single professional development session focused on using Concept Cartoons. This was unexpected. The PUPPETS research and the evaluation of the impact of the Puppets: talking science, engaging science courses have provided more data on teacher change. The teacher change research collates the data to identify common factors and any significant issues about teacher change. This analysis is supplemented by data emerging from the Active Assessment project research.
Research questions include:
• To what extent can the PUPPETS professional development programme lead to change in professional beliefs and practice?
• To what extent can professional development focused on Active Assessment lead to change in professional beliefs and practice?
• To what extent can professional development focused on Concept Cartoons lead to change in professional practice?
• What parallels can be drawn between these professional development programmes in relation to impact on professional practice?
• To what extent is it possible to achieve significant change in professional practice through small-scale intervention, such as short courses and demonstration lessons for teachers?
Data were collected in a number of ways, see Concept Cartoons research, PUPPETS reasearch and Active Assessment research for the methods used.
The main findings appear to show that significant, and in some cases, long lasting change in teacher beliefs and practice can be achieved through small-scale interventions. We know that in at least some cases these changes have been long lasting. Common factors that appear to be relevant in promoting this change are that no major curriculum change is necessary, no major shifts in professional practice are required, and the commitment needed from teachers is modest. The availability of easily managed classroom strategies, that encourage pupils to talk and take some control over their own learning, appears to be significant in supporting teacher change. There are strong parallels with an action research approach, in which change in teacher values and beliefs are a consequence of positive student responses to changes in professional practice (see Naylor, Keogh & Turner, 2011, for further details).
Publications by Brenda Keogh and Stuart Naylor et al
Naylor S. & Keogh B. (2010) Puppets, dialogic teaching and teacher change. In M.Tasar and G.Cakmakci (Eds.) Contemporary science education research: pre-service and in-service teacher education, 263-268. European Science Education Research Association.
Keogh B., Naylor S., Maloney J. and Simon S. (2008) Puppets and engagement in science: a case study. Nordic Studies in Science Education, 4, 2, 142-150.
Keogh B., Naylor S., Maloney J. and Simon S. (2008) Puppets and engagement in science. Paper presented at the Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Shakespeare, D. (2008) PUPPETS – talking science, engaging science: an evaluation of the project. Nuffield Foundation.
Naylor S., Keogh B., Downing, B., Maloney, J. and Simon, S. (2007) The PUPPETS Project: puppets and change in teacher practice. Paper presented at the ESERA Conference, Malmo, Sweden.
Naylor S., Keogh B., Downing, B., Maloney, J. and Simon, S. (2007) We talk more, we listen more, we think more, we learn more: changing the culture in primary science classrooms. Paper presented at the ASERA Conference, Freemantle, Australia.
Goodwin, A. (2002) An evaluation of the ConCiSE Project. Manchester Metropolitan University.
