I am a high school teacher in Alabama who is very interested in evidence-based practices in the classroom. I have a blog where I talk through research I've read and apply it to my classroom -- http://www.effortfuleducator.com I would love any dialogue on this topic as I think it is of utmost importance to our students. If a particular strategy isn't proven to work, why are we doing it?

Blake

Hello,

I'm currently Research Partnerships and Networks Manager for the Chartered College of Teaching, England. Before taking up this role, I was an educational researcher based at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and for many years (23!) my colleagues and I have worked closely with teachers to research aspects of classroom practice. I agree that embedding a research culture in schools is challenging due to the pressures and constraints affecting teachers' time and capacity to engage with research. However, in our experience, teachers often find researching their practice - sometimes with the support of academic researchers - can have a transformative impact, not only on the quality of their teaching, but also on their professional knowledge and understanding. It's really important that teachers have agency and control with the research so that they are identifying the issues and questions that want to explore, and it is helpful if they can work collaboratively with others as part of a research community. Our research focus was student voice and we supported teachers in exploring aspects of classroom practice through the lens of students' perspectives.