Best practice researched: teachers' expectations of the impact of doing research in their classrooms and schools

This article will draw on an investigation of teachers' research in a small-scale project involving 19 schools in the North West region of England. The teachers engaged in the research were funded by a government initiative, the Best Practice Research Scholarships Programme, and were mentored and tutored by university staff. The sample is very small and the teachers elected to participate in the data collection. From analyses of questionnaires and semi-structured interview data emerge teachers' expectations and reports of the impact of doing research in classrooms and schools. Common themes in investigating good classroom practice and professional development can be explored and identified. Issues discussed include the development of teaching strategies, pupil achievement, teacher collaboration and school improvement, mentoring and support roles undertaken by tutorial staff in the university in support of teachers' research. Finally, a number of issues will be discussed which have implications fo...