How engagement with research changes the professional practice of teacher-educators: a case study from the Welsh Education Research Network

Learning to teach well is a complex task. Teacher-educators have a significant role to play in enabling students to reflect critically and analyse their own practice. However, there is a danger, as a result of funding pressures and other contrary factors, that many institutions that provide teacher education will become separated from their research base. The Welsh Education Research Network (WERN) is a pilot project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council in Wales and the Economic and Social Research Council with the aim of developing educational research capacity in Wales. This paper provides an analytical account of one research group of teacher-educators funded by WERN. The case study describes the research activity of the group and the views of its members on its impact for their professional practice. Finally an analysis of the findings concludes that engagement with research has resulted in positive changes to the knowledge, skills and critical awareness of the teacher-educators which has in turn brought benefits to the learning of their students.

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Learning to teach well is a complex task. Teacher-educators have a significant role to play in enabling students to reflect critically and analyse their own practice. However, there is a danger, as a result of funding pressures and other contrary factors, that many institutions that provide teacher education will become separated from their research base. The Welsh Education Research Network (WERN) is a pilot project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council in Wales and the Economic and Social Research Council with the aim of developing educational research capacity in Wales. This ...  [+] Show more