Towards an analysis of the teacher as researcher

The purpose of this study has been the examination of the role of the 'teacher as researcher' and the analysis of, the participation of teachers in research in their own classrooms. This has involved a study of two projects - the Humanities Curriculum Project and the Ford Teaching Project - which introduced the idea of teachers examining their own practice, and an analysis of action research from the perspectives of John Elliott and Stephen Kemmis. Three recent projects: (a) Leicestershire Classroom Research In-Service Education Project (b) A Register of Self-Evaluation Schemes compiled with the Open University (c) A Schools Council Programme 2 Project: Leicestershire Network were analysed to determine what happened when teachers engaged in self-evaluation and research in their own classrooms. The results show that there are only a small number of teachers actively engaged in self-evaluation and they experience difficulty in starting their research because they lack experience of monitoring techniques and how to fit these procedures into the routines of teaching. Creating time to engage in self-evaluation is a major inhibiting factor. The need for a support structure to help teachers is clearly identified and-the role of co-ordinators to bring teachers together to share ideas is essential for the development of this work. At the present moment the teachers have taken the first step in acquiring competence and confidence. Many of the teachers expressed the view that self-evaluation had enabled them to learn more about their teaching, about pupils, and about their own subject.