Abstract:
This paper discusses the interim findings of a work-in-progress concerned with educators’ use of research and theory to inform their teaching practice. The project examines relationships between research and teaching by studying educators' access to, and use of, research and theory relating to a sample of six professional development courses in which the educators participated during the first half of 1999. The educators were either school teachers or school principals. The paper utilises data collected from observations at professional development courses, interviews with the providers of these courses, and questionnaires for the educators who participated in the courses. These questionnaires were administered at the time of the course. Follow up interviews are being conducted with the educators in December 1999 to investigate the extent to which they have used the educational theory and research presented at the respective course in their teaching.
The experiences from this research to date, suggest that, in order for educators to use research findings and theory, this information needs to be made accessible to educators both physically and conceptually. This was not necessarily the case with all the courses studied. The course providers themselves had varying access to research-based information with providers based in universities and colleges of education appearing to have greater access (through libraries attached to their place of work) than private providers. The school-based educators had some access to a range of information sources, but not to comprehensive libraries normally available, for instance, to tertiary educators, nor to trained staff on-hand to assist them to access information. Most course providers attempted to give the educators access to research-based information by directly presenting such information to them, or by encouraging the development of a professional reading culture within the educators’ school; and, at least to some extent, course providers made links between the research or theory presented and the educators’ practical environments.
The experiences from this research to date, suggest that, in order for educators to use research findings and theory, this information needs to be made accessible to educators both physically and conceptually. This was not necessarily the case with all the courses studied. The course providers themselves had varying access to research-based information with providers based in universities and colleges of education appearing to have greater access (through libraries attached to their place of work) than private providers. The school-based educators had some access to a range of information sources, but not to comprehensive libraries normally available, for instance, to tertiary educators, nor to trained staff on-hand to assist them to access information. Most course providers attempted to give the educators access to research-based information by directly presenting such information to them, or by encouraging the development of a professional reading culture within the educators’ school; and, at least to some extent, course providers made links between the research or theory presented and the educators’ practical environments.