Teachers Leading Change: Doing Research for School Improvement (Leading Teachers, Leading Schools Series)

`Their book will be of interest to teachers who wish to be proactive rather than reactive. It will be important reading for anyone who wishes to undertake school-based research' - Times Educational Supplement `This is a book which places teachers at the heart of inquiry for improvement. The realism, experience and optimism of each of the writers, shines through each page of the text. It is a "can-do" book which combines discussion of principles, practices and contexts with practical examples of exercises - recommended reading for those wishing to reflect upon the challenges and joys of engaging in teacher-led change' Christopher Day, Professor of Education and Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Teacher and School Development (CRSTD), The University of Nottingham This book shows how to support teachers' leadership of school change. Within a theoretical and policy context, the authors: give practical guidance for integrating inquiry with practice; show how to encourage collaboration and critical dialogue within and between schools; focus strongly on pupil, teacher and organizational learning. The book includes tried-and-tested ideas for aspiring and experienced teacher leaders and researchers. This book bridges theory and practice quite deliberately in the knowledge that there is much work to be done to improve communication and understanding between teachers and others working in schools, policymakers and the academic and research communities. It provides both a theoretical and a practical rationale for teachers' leadership of change through enquiry. The authors offer opportunities for teachers and headteachers to engage with the interacting school improvement, school leadership and methodological discourses. Equally importantly, they provide insights into the world of schools and classrooms through their experience as teachers, tutors, advisors and consultants. This book contains the following six chapters: (1) Teachers as Leaders of Learning; (2) Unlocking School Cultures; (3) Teachers Research--and Beyond; (4) Enquiry to Support Teachers Leading Changes; (5) Teachers' Stories of Change; and (6) Towards New Ways of Working. Following a bibliography and an index, appended materials include: (1) An audit of professional development activity; (2) Some definitions of leadership; (3) The impact of teacher-led development work; (4) How can headteachers support teachers leading change?; (5) What can teacher leaders do to build capacity?; and (6) Has your research taken full account of ethical issues?

Durrant (education, Canterbury Christ Church U.) and Holden (Kent Local Education Authority, Canterbury Christ Church U., U. of Cambridge, UK) offer ideas for school improvement based on the idea that teachers should take an active approach to change, using engagement, support from headteachers, and school-based research. They argue that schools need to be recultured, using research done by the teachers themselves and describe different types of research, including work done by three teachers, activities, case studies, ethical considerations, gathering evidence, and students as researchers. Distributed by Sage Publications. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Within a theoretical & policy context, the authors offer practical guidance on integrating inquiry with practice, show how to encourage collaboration & critical dialogue within & between schools, & focus strongly on pupil, teacher & organizational learning "Packed with helpful advice and ideas, this book will help you to participate in your school's improvement by gathering and using evidence from your own classroom experiences to create innovative strategies for positive change."--Jacket Judy Durrant And Gary Holden. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web.