tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post1900586935721787466..comments2024-03-28T00:30:15.013+13:00Comments on Claire Amos: Where's the research? Why we need to stop looking in the rear vision mirror at longitudinal research and data.Claire Amoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10579894985450127837noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post-42686029835738837892015-05-20T11:28:52.676+12:002015-05-20T11:28:52.676+12:00"it's time to stop glorifying 'best p..."it's time to stop glorifying 'best practice' and talking 'better practice' instead." Yes. <br />And all of that in context for each school, teacher, and student. The hidden side to the 'easy answer' coin, is how badly we want there to be an answer we can all accept, to give us the feeling that we're doing it 'right'. The critique of new ideas is as much a critique of the huge singular investment some people make in the singular answer. Like you've said here, that's not the answer at all.<br /> Shaun, if best practice is the way we engage in the process of constant reflection and re-creation around the moving needs of students in a moving world, then yes, best practice is great, but that's not how everyone interprets the idea. <br />When we move to better practice in our contexts, and then sharing that process of inquiry and decision making, we move to a much more interesting conversation that could yield patterns of approach rather than interventions as stand alone answers to be debated. <br /><br />'iPads or netbooks?' No.<br /><br />'We consulted with our community, and ran a process that led us to the conclusion that we really needed our students to type so they could share through written language to an authentic audience as their primary focus. That's why we went with netbooks.'. Yes. We can relate to that, and the conversation is more interesting. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post-3590255408712782032015-05-20T10:14:40.145+12:002015-05-20T10:14:40.145+12:00Hi Claire
I appreciate your thought provoking comm...Hi Claire<br />I appreciate your thought provoking comments and agree that inquiry is an essential approach to learning (for both the teachers and the students - all learners). Unfortunately inquiry can also be misused (just like research outcomes can be) if the outcomes the inquiry is judged on is narrow - such as assessment results for formal tests or exams. Outcomes need to be focussed on the skills our students need for this rapidly changing world that we live in. We need to be looking at how their competencies have been developed, their collaborative skills, their mindsets (growth vs fixed), their critical thinking and problem solving (in authentic contexts - ie the broadest sense), how their sense of identity and sense of who they are as a learner is grown.<br />The other thing about research (something we haven't really faced in the past) is that even something done 5 years ago may not be relevant to our current situation. 5 years ago most schools were limited in terms of access to digital technologies for example. This will continue to be an issue going forward as the changes seem to be exponential. So the inquiry approach and the importance of us sharing within and beyond our school environments is very important. We need to share and collaborate more and you have inspired me to get out there and be part of that solution.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post-249205520401946922015-05-20T08:47:44.540+12:002015-05-20T08:47:44.540+12:00Hi Claire, research is not reactive; often it is a...Hi Claire, research is not reactive; often it is about making sense of actions, and then making sense of collective actions over time as shown in literature which has gone through a peer review process to ensure it is a rigorous representation of aspects of educational practice. (ie a synthesis like the Ministry of Education's former BES reports, or even Hattie's work). Without those kinds of reviews, we will never understand what accumulated action means. Shaun Hawthorne also made the point about the medical field- without research, understanding new and more effective practices might never happen. This is true for education too. By all means undertake practice-oriented research, but unless this is shared through the kinds of peer-reviewed processes that academic papers must pass through, there is no check to its validity. Dianne Forbes and I share a blog - we are very careful to have each other check it before it goes live, so we are always cognisant of each other's professional gaze and therefore aim for a high level to our expressions of opinion. (interrogatingeducatioNZ). <br />I would argue that unless we keep looking at where we've been, we'll never know where we can go to improve things. The documented trail is hugely important if we are to add to knowledge and grow. Research doesn't stifle innovation - it tracks it. This makes it possible for people like John Hattie to write the kinds of books you refer to that become influential about education practice and what has the greatest learning impact. Noelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05722399092974621433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post-8115233127298752772015-05-20T08:29:30.955+12:002015-05-20T08:29:30.955+12:00That was way more eloquent than my ramble and prob...That was way more eloquent than my ramble and probably says what I was actually trying to say - thanks Shaun. It's a shame more people don't focus on Hattie's message you stated rather than using his meta-analysis achingly selectively to either maintain the status quo or even worse....seemingly go back in time!Claire Amoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10579894985450127837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6044576021219205068.post-87109308517275526522015-05-20T08:09:16.532+12:002015-05-20T08:09:16.532+12:00Hi Claire,
I think the real question is how we fra...Hi Claire,<br />I think the real question is how we frame what we mean by 'best practise'. I would frame best practise as teachers engaging in the type of inquiry approach you advocate. That is - you identify a desired learning outcome and/or 'problem of practice', you investigate what existing research and 'best practise examples' from similar cases has to teach or say on the issue, you then make some decisions and apply some strategies/approaches/ interventions - and innovate if you see potential advantages for your students and context - and then evaluate the impact on achieving the learning goals you set... perhaps need to revise goals, further adapt or change the approach... iterative process. <br /><br />Hattie's main message has always been 'know thy impact' and 'be an evaluator' - which fits totally with this inquiry mindset. <br /><br />This inquiry approach is also the foundation of being 'professional'. Every doctor must keep up with latest research to be aware of what new findings and treatments are available to maximise benefits to patient outcomes. In the medical research lab and in research trials etc thousands of doctors are also continually looking for new and better approaches to advance the knowledge base - finding the 'next best practice'. Both work hand in hand together. However, if a doctor ignores good evidence that an approach doesn't work well or continues to apply an approach because 'it works for them' when ample evidence says perhaps other approaches are more efficacious then does s/he not have an ethical responsibility to try the 'better' approach?<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336988325323820302noreply@blogger.com