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Professional Inquiry: research engaged schools

Why is professional inquiry so important?

Inquiry is central to professional learning communities. It is also at the heart of the IB approach to pedagogy and is becoming a key aspect in the IB evaluation self-study from 2020 onwards. To professionally inquire is to be curious, to ask questions, to examine, to consult and investigate ideas. It is also to carry out research where your classrooms are your laboratories of learning.

How do we lead a community of lifelong independent learners committed to inquiry?

This page provides an introdution to what a research-engaged school looks like - a school that puts professional inquiry centre-stage.

Having an Inquiry Mindset

"The knowledge we need to solve problems (in schools) often doesn't reside close at hand; it has to be found through active inquiry and analysis." (Elmore.R.,Building a new structure for school leadership, Washington 2000)

In The Adaptive School: A sourcebook for developing collaborative groups, Garmston.R.J., & Wellman B.M suggest three helpful questions as the source of all professional inquiry:

  • Who are we? Two related questions are 'About what do we care?' and 'How much do we dare?'
  • Why are we doing this? which draws attention and choice to the habits and practices we have become accustomed to. Are these practices continuing to have the desired outcomes? Are they effective? Is there better practice elsewhere? How do we know?
  • Why are we doing this this way? This third question focuses on the 'how' we do things. Who is benefiting from the way we are doing things?

Activity: Our professional inquiry

  • As a school leadership team try answering these three questions:

    Who are we?

    Why are we doing this?

    Why are we doing this this way?
     
  • What are the key professional inquiry questions you are currently asking? To what extent are these central to your school action plan?

Activity: Inquiry Questions Bank

  • Generate good thought-provoking and discussion generating inquiry questions on the following IB topics. This is a good way for staff to frame the things they wish to know and explore.

    International Mindedness
    Learner Profile
    CAS
    Service Learning
    Inquiry-based learning
    Concept-based teaching and instruction
    Global engagement
    Collaborative Learning
    Differentiation
    Formative assessment
    Communication
    Mother tongue
    Academic honesty
    Culture and identity
    Risk taker
  • Use the Genius Hour protocol to allow colleagues to research and report back on their inquiry question.

Research-engaged schools

The IB have produced a short and good introduction to action research which is available in English, French and Spanish. The resource looks at approaches to action research in general before looking at ways to align with your IB programme.
English: https://lnkd.in/eZj9zTn
Spanish: https://lnkd.in/ev3JniQf
French: https://lnkd.in/eNjymgsg

 

Action research ideas and approaches align closely with at least three key features of the IB programmes: 

·       teaching and learning based on a "cycle of inquiry, action and reflection—an interplay of asking, doing and thinking" (IBO, 2019: 6) 

·       self-study as part of programme evaluation with the potential to provide new insights for the school community that can lead to positive benefits for students (IBO, 2022b: 16) 

·       focussed programme development…using an inquiry, action and reflection cycle approach…that results in the school expanding its capacity as a learning community (IBO, 2022a: 11) 

Action research could support development in each of these features of the IB programmes, at personal, team and community levels.

In 2003, Graham Handscomb and John MacBeath proposed that schools could become research-engaged by placing research and inquiry ‘at the heart of the school, its outlook, systems and activity’ (Handscomb and MacBeath, The Research Engaged School, Chelmsford, Forum for Learning and Research Enquiry (FLARE), Essex County Council, 2003).

Becoming a research-engaged school means making a commitment to using evidence and research throughout the school.  A research-engaged school is one that:

  • investigates key issues in teaching and learning
  • uses enquiry for staff development
  • turns data and experience into knowledge
  • uses evidence for decision making
  • promotes learning communities

“A range of indicators suggests that we are progressing very well. In order to improve further, we must become more focused about how and why we do things. Research engagement offers the prospect of reinvigorating our collective professional identity and self-esteem.” (Primary school headteacher)

The NFER team identified key features of successful practice. These have the following action implications for school leaders.

  • Be prepared to commit resources to research – especially staff time. Time is needed for planning the research, collecting data, analysis, reflection and sharing results.
  • Identify an appropriate topic and focus for research. The school improvement plan can be a good starting point to help identify a research topic. The research question is central to the success of the research project. This will identify what the research project is and what it is not about, guide the methodology and keep the research team focused.
  • Form a research team and enable them to work collaboratively. Research teams benefit from diverse membership, bringing enthusiasm, expertise and fresh insights to bear. It is important to have a member of the leadership team involved, either as part of the team or in a mentoring role, or both
  • Provide support, including mentoring and research expertise.
  • Create a supportive learning culture throughout your school. The school leader has a key role to play. For example: When someone makes an assertion, ask them why they think so – what evidence do they have to support their thinking? | Make space for professional dialogue, for example in staff meetings. | Encourage staff to share and reflect on their practice, for example through observation and mentoring. | Demonstrate that you value research yourself: refer to research findings and show that you are using evidence in your own decision-making. | Make a commitment to listen to and act on the results of research, even if they challenge existing views and practices
  • Make a commitment to embed research engagement in your school.

“Having done things from a research angle, our perceptions of how to do things have changed. Rather than saying: “We’re going to look at target-setting”, we can ask: “Does setting targets with children enable them to improve their performance?”” (Primary school deputy headteacher)

Professional inquiry is at the heart of collaborative working within a professional learning community. So how can you utilize professional inquiry to develop collaborative working?

Below is a summary of research-engaged schools - you can use it as a thought piece with your staff.

Enquiry as a way of being

Teachers and leaders require time and opportunities to adopt enquiry as a regular practice. This approach involves constantly reflecting on and evaluating the best strategies to meet learners' needs in specific contexts.

“Enquiry as a way of being – can be understood as a habit or muscle that needs to be developed and exercised on a day-to-day basis, in every interaction, all of the time. 

It needs to be worked on, strengthened and demands:

  • vigilance, really taking notice and being alert to what is going on
  • privileging questioning and thinking
  • authentically listening to learners
  • always seeking to understand things better
  • having rationales for action, and always being prepared to develop them
  • taking the time to draw on external/alternate viewpoints and ideas to challenge your own thinking and ways of working
  • a willingness to see afresh what is really going on for all learners as a result of your practice
  • being prepared and proactive in taking contingent action.”

Working with staff to support them to develop and maintain enquiry as a way of being can be a paradigm shift, and while it is of value, it is not a quick fix or an easy thing to do.

(Milton E and Morgan A (2023) Enquiry as a way of being: A practical framework to support leaders in both embracing the complexity of and creating the conditions for meaningful professional learning. Professional Development in Education 49(6): 1072–1086.)

Case Study

Christopher Bartlett, the MYP coordinator at Mercedes College, Adelaide, Australia,produces a fornightly MYP newsletter which encourages colleagues to engage in research and professional inquiry. I am very grateful for his permission to publish an example.

What works? Great summaries of research

The Education Endowment Foundation’s Guidance reports offer practical, evidence-based advice to schools on a wide range of topics. They include clear recommendations, and are accompanied by tools, resources, and training to support their implementation. Reports on:

  • Leadership
  • Literacy
  • Assessment and feedback
  • Learning behaviours
  • Life skills

They can be found HERE.

Resources

Resources

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