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This is the heart of the matter: 'Teachers won't embrace research until it embraces me'

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:53 pm
by Debbie_Hepplewhite
Gosh - I read this 'Right to Read Project' post and concur with it completely:
TEACHERS WON’T EMBRACE RESEARCH UNTIL IT EMBRACES THEM

I understand why advocates, researchers, and policymakers who feel the urgency of our literacy crisis are frustrated when teachers don’t embrace reading science. But my entry into the world of reading research was difficult, and while I take pride in my determination to learn, I understand why other teachers might be deterred. If we want teachers to apply research, it may be helpful to think about why they aren’t. I’ll open my own experience up as an example.
https://righttoreadproject.com/2019/07/ ... aces-them/

I worry constantly when I note that, via Twitter, there are pioneering academics recommending notable books written by academics and researchers - urging teachers to read them.

Yes, but where is the practical information that teachers need - and are teachers supported well enough to be able to evaluate and compare different literacy programmes and practices?

I also defend teachers a lot - so much so that when I provide a full face-to-face inservice training day for the foundational literacy programmes I am associated with, half of the event is focused on giving background information and this includes explanations of why teachers and teaching assistants are teaching their hearts out in ways they have been trained to do, or from watching video footage of so-called good phonics provision - but I suggest that we need to 'build on' or 'move on from' at least some of these practices and provision.

Why?

Because it is common that despite the adults working really hard, the children themselves often don't get enough of the right kind of practice. Who realises this?

We need more research to actual practice and we need more actual practice to be examined and evaluated clearly enough. All this needs to be shared with the teaching profession - and specialists, like me, should be afforded opportunities to work with the teacher-training profession who may not have the specialism and experience required in the phonics domain - from working with real children!

Re: This is the heart of the matter: 'Teachers won't embrace research until it embraces me'

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:21 am
by Geoff Vaughan
I agree with you Debbie and, in my experience as a teacher and teacher leader for 25 years, nearly all teachers had no time at all to be able to engage with any level of current reading research and, if they did, what was researchable was indeed very confusing. I have now moved into the Higher Ed world and I see that the reverse may be the case. Extremely thorough and in depth research being used in the HE domain with very little link to what is actually and practically happening on the ground. Interestingly I am starting to see signs that this may not be so much the case in the area of second language English learning and this is the area where I am devoting my interests. What I think could be a very valuable solution to the difficulties of teachers having knowledge of relevant reading research is promoting their use of and membership of IFERI. In this way they have access to a wealth of information and relevant, challenging research and it would also provide them with a relevant platform to share their own experiences of the challenges and successes of reading with children in schools. It would be wonderful if the IFERI forum genuinely became the place to be for researchers and practitioners alike!

Re: This is the heart of the matter: 'Teachers won't embrace research until it embraces me'

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:24 pm
by Debbie_Hepplewhite
Geoff said:
It would be wonderful if the IFERI forum genuinely became the place to be for researchers and practitioners alike!
Indeed - that is the aspiration.

Add into the mix: policy shapers and makers, programme publishers and trainers - and parents/carers!