Research and development project (final year)

 

The focus of the final research and development project is chosen by the student to reflect their own needs/interest and those of the context in which they work. The project must involve the implementation and evaluation of some kind of teaching innovation in the student’s own context (which may be their own classroom, or within the school and its local community, or even across a network of schools). The project must include a collaborative dimension which means that students need either to engage their colleagues (e.g. teachers, teaching assistants) or other stakeholders (e.g. parents) in the school-based research work; or to develop ways of sharing their findings that really encourage others to engage in further development work.

 

Core teaching for the project will therefore include two strands:

1.  Designing and carrying out school-based research2.  Collaboration and leadership in educational innovation
  • The range of methods appropriate to a variety of types of school-based practitioner research and the ethical considerations guiding their use
  • Principles for establishing a worthwhile focus for development work in school and elaborating appropriate criteria for evaluation of educational innovations
  • Statistical and qualitative data analysis, including the use of appropriate software packages such as SPSS, NVivo
  • Developing expansive learning environments and a culture of enquiry
  • Effective dissemination of research findings for practitioners
  • Leading professional learning

 

As part of the work for their research and development project all students will be expected to contribute to an annual conference held for course participants and members of our partnership schools (within the Oxford Internship Scheme) presenting ideas about effective research instruments and strategies to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching innovations they introduced.

Last modified by Mrs Louise Gully - 9 April 2009