The purpose of practitioner enquiry is to ask questions that will provide useful information about learners to inform our classroom practice and the support strategies implemented.
As a teacher it’s important to use professional reflection to ask questions about what is working and why. Teachers are on a journey of career long professional learning and it is part of our practice to reflect on the effectiveness of our teaching opportunities and learning environments, to consider what is working that we can replicate and what isn’t working well and could be improved.
Professional enquiry bridges research and pedagogy for teachers, by enabling them to improve their teaching practice and the outcomes for learners by embedding critical reflection and questioning into our professional dialogue and investigation by building on a process of plan, do, review, continue. With an emphasis on sharing the findings of an enquiry with pupils, teachers, the school community and beyond.
I absolutely agree. Practitioner enquiry is such a good time investment that can positively impact pupils, teachers and the wider community. It has a real ripple effect!
I like the comment in your blog about practitioner enquiry being the bridge between pedagogy and research and also your comment that it can be about looking at why something is working well. It is not always about looking at a problem or something that is not working and it can be a very valuable exercise to consider why something is working well in your classroom,
I agree with the above comments and I found it helpful that you highlighted that we can “consider what is working well so that we can replicate” this is definitely something that I can often overlook. I (and I’m sure many others) can be very self critical and focus on what’s not working and forget to celebrate what is working well.
Thanks all for your feedback it’s much appreciated. I think since taking up my EAL support role which meant working with individuals and small groups, circling back over early acquisition English, I started to notice patterns of positive and I think because I worked with IEPs across stages I became more aware of what I did that really worked and I did again and again!