Mobilising Teacher Researchers

Book excerpt: '[A] really important book [...] the growth of interest in teachers in England taking part in educational research is significant.' – John Furlong, Emeritus Professor of Education, Oxford University, UK. Mobilising Teacher Researchers brings together the results of a research project carried out over a two-year period, commissioned by the National College for Teaching and Leadership and involving over 650 schools in England. An internationally renowned group of contributors present crucial and intriguing lessons learnt from the 'Closing the Gap: Test and Learn' project, aimed at identifying ways in which to close the attainment gap, raise the achievement of disadvantaged children in England, and introduce new research methods into schools. From the project’s policy origins to its implementation, the book captures the diverse range of outcomes from the project, both intended and unexpected. It reveals the ways and extent to which teachers were mobilised as researchers, and how analysis will impact on the future of research-informed practice in schools. This resulting collection of evolutionary debates focuses on topics such as new forms of governance, teacher engagement and the effectiveness of Randomised Controlled Trials. It foregrounds new approaches to school-based educational research, and is crucial reading for anyone concerned with educational research, and seeking to understand education for social mobility.