Abstract
Teacher research has become an important aspect of the teaching profession. However, in both national and international literature, it is unclear how teacher research is characterized and how this type of research differs from other types of educational research or good teaching. This literature review aimed at providing insight in the characteristics and benefits of teacher research in the context of primary and secondary education, taking into account the various goals of practitioner research. Regularly used educational research databases were systematically searched for articles on teacher research published between 2009 and 2012. Based on an analysis of 160 articles, four most common types of teacher research are discussed: Action research, Lesson-study, Self-study and Design-based research. In addition, examples of these practices are provided. Also, conditions are discussed for rendering teacher research more effectively. The results show that primary and secondary teachers conduct research mainly to improve their own individual practice or to develop as a professional in a more general sense. Explicit contributions to a knowledge base of teaching still seem rare. This so called 'scholarship of teaching and learning' could, however, be a promising solution with respect to the proverbial 'gap' between educational research and practice.
| Translated title of the contribution | A closer look at teacher research: A review study into the nature and value of research conducted by teachers |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 131-148 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Pedagogische Studiën |
| Volume | 92 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |