Educational research for professional practice: More than providing evidence for doing ‘x rather than y’ or finding the ‘size of the effect of A on B’

Educational research has been criticised by governments and practitioners. For some politicians and policy makers, there is a tendency to look for direct links between research and successful, effective and efficient practice. Research is needed to inform their evidence-based practice as policy makers, and to provide the kind of research teachers need to base their practice on the best available evidence for doing ‘x rather than y’ (Hargreaves 1996) or predicting the ‘size of the effect of A on B’ (Blunkett 2000). There is no doubt that both teachers and policy makers do make decisions on a daily basis based on some form of evidence. This paper explores Hargreaves’ notion of evidence-based practice, providing a range of criticisms. It also examines Carr’s historical account of ‘praxis’ and ‘poiesis’ to suggest a notion of evidence-based praxis based partly on the historical notion of ‘phronesis’ — practical wisdom. The basis for this is the argument that wise and practical ethical and moral judgements are central to an understanding of teachers’ daily work. What to do in a specific educational situation cannot be determined solely by theoretical beliefs or by ‘techne’. However the ethical dimension is not the only consideration. The paper suggests that evidence-based praxis use Stenhouse’s notion of ‘actionable evidence’, which includes the ethical dimension, but also Thomson’s concept of ‘thisness’, which describes the unique contextual characteristics of a school. If disadvantaged schools can make some sort of difference to learning opportunities for students, it is argued that teachers might engage in evidence-based praxis which involves them in reflecting on, and theorising what is happening in classrooms, schools and neighbourhoods. This ‘praxis’ also involves them in modifying their theories, critically analysing ‘what works’, questioning how they know and developing ideas about how things might be done differently. There will be an element of developing knowledge about teaching and learning strategies (Hargreaves’ ‘body of knowledge’), but it will be in the context of the ethical and moral dilemmas associated with education. It will take up the question of local differences as well as a realistic approach to what constitutes actual school improvement. Evidence-based praxis is also essentially a collective activity not an individual approach. Future development of the notion of evidence-based praxis might also include involving students in a more reciprocal and open learning process like that highlighted by researchers who focus on student participation linked to school reform.     

Methods of teaching on-line bibliographic searching: Experience at the College of Librarianship Wales

We have been teaching students about on-line bibliographic searching since 1972. With the help of British Library Research and Development Department funding we have recently extended our teaching in this area and now use services such as Lockheed, System Development Corporation and the British Library's BLAISE. This paper discusses aspects of the design of courses on on-line bibliographic searching, describes various methods we have used to demonstrate searches to students in order to prepare them for undertaking a live search themselves, and compares the relative costs, in terms of system costs and staff time, of these methods. The methods of demonstration involve the playing back of recorded searches on videotape, audio cassettes and digital cassettes as well as live demonstration and may be of interest to other teachers of library and information science students or to those involved in the training of people to carry out on-line bibliographic searching.     

Teaching the Writing Process

This article outlines some cognitive process models of writing composition. Possible reasons why students’ writing capabilities do not match their abilities in some other school subjects are explored. Research findings on the efficacy of process approaches to teaching writing are presented and potential shortcomings are discussed. Product-based and process approaches to teaching writing are compared, with discussion and analysis of examples of writing that resulted from the two different approaches. The article draws out principles for teaching and learning, concluding that an approach to teaching writing that focuses on students’ learning rather than on text outcomes may help to improve students’ attainment in writing composition.     

Institutional Repositories and Research Data Management: challenges and opportunities

Mandated storage,curation and management of research data is likely to significantly challenge and change established institutional repository processes in coming years.At the major repository conferences,management of research data and metadata has been the hot topic of recent years.The biggest institutions with large research communities and well-resourced digital libraries,are already actively working on integrating ‘data’ into their repository ecosystems.     

National cultural indicators in New Zealand

New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to report national cultural indicators – specifically choosing to use a conceptually based framework which was broadly underpinned by theories of culture, industry and political economy. One of the essential elements of this work was the incorporation of a Māori perspective in recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi and the importance of the indigenous Māori culture. Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has primary central government responsibility for cultural policy and advice and the reporting of national cultural indicators. The term “culture” in this context broadly refers to Māori culture and the cultures of all New Zealanders, and to endeavours relating to arts, heritage, media, and sport and recreation. The Ministry is currently scoping a programme of research that aims to refine the indicators; relate indicators more clearly to the cultural policy role of government (and in turn their related cultural agencies); and more clearly articulate the relationship that cultural sector indicators have with those of other sectors. Cultural sector consultation to identify and clarify perspectives and reconfirm a common terminology (if not understanding) will be an essential and important part of this work. Better contextualising the national indicators will make them more meaningful and useful for reinforcing the importance and value of the cultural sector; monitoring the “health” and performance of the cultural sector over time; providing useful quality information; measuring the effectiveness of policy interventions and connecting across the cultural sector and to other sectors. This paper outlines the New Zealand context and the development and reporting of national indicators; reflects on the usefulness of reporting national indicators to date; and describes and discusses the intended direction of further work.     

Movement planning reflects skill level and age changes in toddlers

Kinematic measures of children's reaching were found to reflect stable differences in skill level for planning for future actions. Thirty-five toddlers (18-21 months) were engaged in building block towers (precise task) and in placing blocks into an open container (imprecise task). Sixteen children were retested on the same tasks a year later. Longer deceleration as the hand approached the block for pickup was found in the tower task compared with the imprecise task, indicating planning for the second movement. More skillful toddlers who could build high towers had a longer deceleration phase when placing blocks on the tower than toddlers who built low towers. Kinematic differences between the groups remained a year later when all children could build high towers.     

‘I am reading to her and she loves it': benefits of engaging fathers from disadvantaged areas in their children's early learning transitions

Findings presented here relate to the evaluation of a one-year father-inclusion project, which took place in an area of multiple deprivation in the North of England. The project's goal was to engage fathers and male carers in their children's transition from an early years setting to a reception class and to maintain that involvement in the mainstream school setting. The project was successful in engaging men, recording 76 male attendances, 19 of which were recorded at school-based activities after the transition. Key benefits identified by fathers engaged in the project were closer relationships with their children and greater involvement in their play and learning. Children were very positive about their fathers' involvement and school staff identified a better rapport with fathers following the project.     

Online Ph.D. Program Delivery Models and Student Success

The purpose of this study was to provide information to an online university that offers Ph.D. programs in three formats: knowledge area modules (or KAM, a type of faculty-led, self-directed doctoral study), course-based model, and mixed model (a combination of the KAM and course-based models). The investigators sought to determine why students choose a particular delivery model; their satisfaction with the model; and if they switch, why they do so. A mixed-method approach was utilized using quantitative student characteristics and survey data as well as qualitative survey and interview data. Results indicate that students enrolled in a course-based online Ph.D. program are more likely to be retained and more satisfied than students enrolled in other online delivery models.