This book presents a detailed study of the potential of action research in professional education. It depicts a primary school teacher's use of action research, through a series of school-based assignments, to improve her teaching and to develop herself as a person and a professional.

Action Research in the Classroom is an essential guide for any teacher or student-teacher interested in doing research in the classroom. The authors map out an easy-to-follow action research approach that will help teachers improve on their professional practice and evaluate the needs of their pupils and schools for themselves.

This handbook presents and critiques predominant and emergent traditions of Educational Action Research internationally. Now a prominent methodology, Educational Action Research is well suited to exploring, developing and sustaining change processes both in classrooms and whole organisations such as schools, Departments of Education, and many segments of universities. The handbook contains theoretical and practical based chapters by highly respected scholars whose work has been seminal in building knowledge and expertise in the field. It also contains chapters exemplifying the work of prominent practitioner and community groups working outside universities. The Editors provide an introduction and conclusion, as well as an opening chapter which charts the historical development of action research and provides an analysis of its underlying theories. The handbook is organized into four sections, each beginning with a short introduction: - Action research methodology: diversity of rationales and practices - Professional: Knowledge production, staff development, and the status of educators - Personal: Self-awareness, development and identity - Political: Popular knowledge, difference, and frameworks for change This is a key resource for scholars and graduate students at doctors and masters levels, as well as school leaders and administrators. Susan Noffke is Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign and co-editor with R.B. Stevenson of Educational Action Research (Teachers College Press, 1995). She taught at the primary school level for a decade, and has led masters and doctoral level courses in action research for the past 20 years. She continues to work with many collaborative projects with schools and school districts. Bridget Somekh is Professor of Educational Research at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She is a founder editor of the Educational Action Research journal and has been a co-ordinator of the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) for many years. She is co-editor of Research Methods in the Social Sciences (SAGE: 2005) and author of Action Research: a Methodology for Change and Development (Open University Press: 2006).

This book gives practical guidance on doing an action research project. Written for practitioners across professions who are studying on work-based learning programmes and award-bearing courses, this book is packed full of useful advice and takes the reader through the various stages of a project, including: starting your action research project monitoring and documenting the action techniques for dealing with the data making claims to knowledge and validating them legitimating your research making your research public creating your living educational theory. The book's practical approach will appeal to practitioners and will encourage them to try out new strategies for improving their work. It will also be essential reading for those resource managers in schools, colleges and higher education institutions who are responsible for providing courses and support. This third edition of the best-selling book has been thoroughly updated and improved by a number of features, with new case studies from a wide range of disciplines, extracts from validated dissertations and theses (with information on how to access more examples via the Internet), points for reflection, checklists of reflective questions, and up-to the-minute information on current debates and ideas.

First Published in 1998. The idea for this book came from involvement in a research project, the Mentoring in Schools project, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust between September 1993 and July 1995. The book also draws on local evaluation studies of previous pilot projects such as the Articled Teacher Scheme and partnership initiatives with primary schools. A readable, interactive book which presents the phenomenological aspects of school-based training, the human face of mentoring, and which tells how people actually experience school-based teacher education partnerships.

Presenting the work of a highly innovative partnership between the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education and eight secondary schools, this book explores this networked learning community which has helped to define the use and production of educational knowledge and research within and between various partners. This book examines the central questions and gives examples of the outcomes of the development that will assist any researchers, especially teachers undertaking research, to develop school-university partnerships. Stories and examples from practitioners and others who worked directly in and with schools are presented throughout the book. It will appeal to a wide audience of practitioners and academics, and to all who are interested in how research and enquiry can be used to support the development of practice in schools.

The recent move towards inclusive education has radically influenced the way educational research is conducted. Students need to become aware of the critical legal and ethical responsibilities that arise from investigation in this new and expanding area. Written from the standpoint of inclusive education, rather than 'special education', this carefully edited collection of readings from a wide variety of sources, will develop the student's ability to: * identify and respond to ethical dilemmas that occur within their particular research methodologies and settings. * respond appropriately to the myriad of complex legal issues that are pertinent to their own work The contributions to this book draw upon examples of inclusive practices from around the world. Students taking postgraduate courses or diplomas in Inclusive education will find this an invaluable read.

The world of teacher research is rapidly changing following the introduction of Best Practice Research Scholarships. This was announced by the DfEE as part of a new Professional Development Plan in which teachers are to be allocated up to £3000 to do their own research (non-award bearing) with the support of an HE mentor. The TTA also believes that teachers should play a more active role in conceiving, implementing, evaluating and disseminating research. This book is for teachers who are looking, or being encouraged, to undertake research in their schools. Written by teachers and their HE research mentors, the book provides case studies which show teachers how to 'do' and 'use' research and how to 'do' effective pedagogy. Olwen MacNamara shows how a group of teachers set out to observe, describe, analyse and intervene in areas of primary education. The book can be raided for insights into research methods as well detailing professional issues about teaching and learning, and will be essential reading for teachers undertaking Best Practice Research Scholarships.

This work offers a challenging approach to enhancing children's learning through a process of reflective analysis called "innovative thinking". Using practical examples drawn from a variety of learning contexts, the author: provides a framework for reviewing and reflecting on classroom experience, focusing particularly on those aspects of teaching and learning that are surprising, puzzling or worrying; outlines a series of steps that should help teachers generate new ideas and practical strategies to guide the development of their work; offers an approach which emphasizes strategies that can be incorporated into teachers' work with the whole class, and to the potential benefit of all children; and illustrates how "innovative thinking" can assist teachers in enhancing the learning and inclusion of individual children whose classroom responses give cause for concern.

Key Issues for Primary Schools is a concise comprehensive guide to the main issues in primary education and the implications for schools. Presented in a convenient A-Z format, the book includes coverage of: * special educational needs * attendance, truancy and exclusion * bullying and behavioural problems * management and administration * safety and security. There is also a review of up-to-date DfEE requirements and suggestions for further action and reading. The addresses of useful contacts help to make it a reference book no primary school should be without.