In order to understand what it means to be an Enquiring Practitioner, it is important to be aware of what the term actually means. From reading the “Practitioner Enquiry” section on the GTC Scotland website, I understand Practitioner Enquiry to be an investigation carried out by a professional in their own field in order to expand their knowledge in this area. This investigation is hugely effective as it allows us, as teachers, to reach our highest standard and provide the best experience for our pupils. This can be done both in groups and individually, each coming with potential benefits and difficulties.

Practitioner Enquiry has many benefits for teachers who are trying to develop their own knowledge of their practice. These include:

• Empowering teachers and encouraging them to challenge the current status quo of education. Through this, they can transform the way that education works.
• Providing a method for teachers to monitor their own practice. By monitoring this they are able to critically analyse their teaching methods and develop them, ultimately bettering their performance as a teacher which impacts the learning experience for pupils.
• Developing their knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning. This new knowledge helps teachers make more professional judgements as well as enhancing their own self-esteem and professional identity. This, in turn, can have a direct impact on the way that teachers deliver their lessons to the class.
• When working collaboratively with fellow professional, people are able to learn from one another and essentially broaden their horizons of thinking regarding teaching education. Through this, barriers are broken and teaching can become more of a team effort which can better the learning experiences for pupils.
• Collegiate working with fellow teachers can help develop ideas and strategies until they come up with the best solution. This can then be carried into lessons to provide the best learning experience possible.

Below is an image taken from the GTC’s website which highlights the key elements of Practitioner Enquiry:

Overall, Practitioner Enquiry is hugely beneficial to teachers as it can help to broaden their knowledge and understanding of their own field through being critical and analytical. This new knowledge can then be passed on to pupils and/or colleagues to improve their learning experience within the classroom, or in the case of colleagues, improve their own practice within the classroom. Practitioner Enquiry is also beneficial in helping teachers to develop new teaching strategies through being critical of their own practice and picking out the strengths and weaknesses of past teaching experiences. As a student teacher, I believe that Practitioner Enquiry will play an important part in my development as it is important that I constantly reflect on my own practice to ensure that I am able to provide the best learning experience possible and obtain a wide knowledge of the teaching profession.