Ideal for practising teachers, leaders and learning support staff, this package of workshops gives you the skills you need to get started in professional enquiry.
Using the university’s own model of enquiry, crafted using the very best of educational research and experience, we will support you to undertake meaningful, close-to-practice enquiry in your school at a rhythm and pace to match your needs.
A hands-on, practical offer, our Introduction to Professional Enquiry is designed for the discerning practitioner who has an interest in research and enquiry, but is not sure where to begin.
Sessions are provided online, typically during the working day but also in the evening (as appropriate); Introduction to Professional Enquiry was developed with the working practitioner in mind and we are mindful of the competing demands on your time.
Typically, sessions take two forms, ideally run consecutively
- Skills workshops – 5 x 2hr sessions; these sessions provide participants with the key skills needed to begin their enquiry journey
- Check-in support sessions – typically 1hr, scheduled as agreed to give participants the opportunity to discuss more informally on a one-to-one basis their enquiry as it develops; a chance to test current thinking during the ‘live’ undertaking of enquiry.
Responding to the need, outlined by the Welsh Government
Introduction to Professional Enquiry responds to the need, outlined by the Welsh Government in its ‘Our National Mission’ action plan (2017), to develop a teaching profession that is ‘research-engaged, well informed and learning from excellence at local, national and international levels’.
Indeed, the package recognises that, as a result of Wales’ curriculum reform and the blueprint laid out in Successful Futures, ‘the implications for the formation and subsequent growth of teachers as reflective practitioners are considerable’ (Donaldson, 2015).
It also aligns neatly with expectations outlined in Wales’ Schools as Learning Organisations (SLO) model, which champions as one of its seven key strands the expectation that schools develop ‘a culture of inquiry, innovation and exploration’ (OECD, 2016).
Introduction to Professional Enquiry is delivered by a team of experienced educational researchers, and involves key learning from their ongoing involvement in and leadership of the Welsh Government’s National Professional Enquiry Project (NPEP).
Fundamentally, we are motivated by evidence that suggests teachers who engage in research have ‘better understanding of their practice and ways to improve it’ (McLaughlin, Black-Hawkins & McIntyre, 2004) and that ‘to make significant changes to their practice, teachers need multiple opportunities to learn new information and understand its implications for practice’ (Timperley, 2008).
Indicative skills workshops content
- What is professional enquiry? Scoping the evidence-base
- Research questions, ethics and enquiry mapping
- Research design and methodology
- Data collection and analysis
- Evaluating findings and report writing
Sign Up Now
Interested schools can sign up for our Introduction to Professional below:
Timetabled skills workshops will begin in October 2021 and run until June 2022 (we will support you through your first full cycle of enquiry).
The programme can accommodate a maximum of 2 x teachers per participating school, which includes: 5 x skills workshops and 3 x check-in support sessions. More informal, emailed and verbal, support will be provided throughout the life of the programme on a needs basis.
Total cost to school (for max. 2 x teachers) = £1,000.
More bespoke, all-school packages are available on a limited basis
More bespoke, all-school packages are available on a limited basis (to be agreed with the school and tailored to your specific needs, e.g. daytime/twilight sessions involving larger numbers of staff). For more information on these bespoke packages or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact Gareth Evans via: Gareth.evans@uwtsd.ac.uk
We recognise that enquiry can be daunting to those who are new to it, but we are confident that the opportunity to reflect on practice and explore areas of interest specific to you as a practitioner will support your own professional development as well as better informing key classroom-based decisions.
