Menter et al (2011) defined Practitioner Enquiry as being a ‘finding out’ or investigation with a rationale and approach that can be explained or defended. It is usually undertaken in collaboration with others, for teachers this will most commonly be with other teachers in the same school.
The group of teachers will share a common research question and they will then investigate it in different and unique ways. Through doing this and sharing their experiences, they will enhance their knowledge. In order to have an impact on their practice, and ultimately their pupil’s experiences, they must evaluate their practice and then reflect upon it. This should eventually lead to the teacher having a better understanding of their practice and, through working collaboratively with others, they will find ways in which to improve it.
For teachers, being an enquiring practitioner is about developing knowledge, skills and understanding that is required in order to become the kind of teacher that is able to question, challenge and have a deep understanding of teaching and learning.
An enquiring professional is:
- Adaptive
- Open to change
- Engages critically with their context and practice
Enquiry is about knowing deeply. This is knowing what, knowing why and knowing how. Teachers involved in enquiry will become critically informed, this will lead to transformative learning.
Practitioner enquiry has many benefits and challenges.
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Benefits |
| Practitioner Enquiry empowers teachers and encourages them to challenge and transform education.
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| It provides a way for teachers to monitor and develop their own practice
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| Teachers will begin investigating new strategies and initiatives
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| It will increase their knowledge of teaching and learning. Therefore enabling them to make judgements that are more professional.
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| It will enhance the teacher’s self-esteem and their professional identity. |
| Enable teachers collaboratively to enhance the curriculum. |
However being an enquiring practitioner can have challenges. As it involves lots of collaborative working amongst teachers, they may find that they have opposing views which, in time, could cause friction amongst the group. This could turn into disagreements and end up not benefitting or having any positive impacts on their classes.
As a student teacher, practitioner enquiry is hugely beneficial. It will allow me to discover and adopt professional opinions while also questioning them in order to increase my knowledge. When on placement, and when qualified, I will be able to build on these existing skills and knowledge in order to better practice.
