Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: A Guide for Teachers

by Keith Taber

Overview

'This is an exceptionally strong book.It is packed with interesting and valid arguments and shows a great understanding both of classrooms and of educational research' - Michael Reiss, Institute of Education, University of London

Invaluable for anyone undertaking teacher education courses and other graduate courses involving an element of educational research, this text equips the reader with the necessary knowledge and skills to be confident in appreciating the nature, limitations and possibilities of small-scale classroom research, and critically reading the research of others. It includes case examples and pedagogical features throughout to enable the reader to fully engage with the issues surrounding teaching and learning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412923231
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	06/17/2007
Edition description:	Teachers G
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Keith Taber trained as a graduate teacher of chemistry and physics, and taught sciences in comprehensive secondary schools in England. He moved into further education where he taught physics and chemistry to A level, science studies to adult students, and research methods on an undergraduate education programme. He acted as the mentor for trainee science teachers on placement at the college. Whilst working as a teacher he earned his masters degree for research into girls under-representation in physics and his doctorate for research into conceptual development in chemistry. He joined the Faculty of Education in 1999. Please refer to Keith Taber's web pages.

Dr. Taber was the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) Teacher Fellow for 2000-1, undertaking a project on Challenging Chemical Misconceptions (http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/miscon2.htm). He was the CERG (Chemical Education Research Group) Lecturer for 2000. He wrote a column (Reflections on Teaching and Learning Physics) for the journal Physics Education over a period of 6 years. He led the Cambridge project on teaching about ideas and evidence in science for the National KS3 Strategy (http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/casestudies/cs_sc_ideas).

Dr. Taber is the moderator of an international electronic discussion list on learning in science. This list is intended as a forum for discussion among teachers, researchers and others who are interested in aspects of this topic. You may join the list at:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/learning-science-concepts/

Table of Contents

PART ONE: LEARNING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
The Professional Teacher and Educational Research
What Is this Thing Called Educational Research?
How Do Educational Researchers Think about Their Research?
What Strategies Do Educational Researchers Use?
PART TWO: LEARNING FROM EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Teachers Evaluating Research Quality
Teachers Evaluating Research Relevance
PART THREE: LEARNING THROUGH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Teachers Planning Research
Teachers Collecting Evidence through Research
Teachers Interrogating the Evidence from Classroom Studies
Teachers Making the Case through Reporting Research