Engaging with Educational Change: Voices of Practitioner Inquiry

Including narratives of practice across diverse Australian settings, Engaging with Educational Change fills a gap in the current educational change literature. Building on the experience of the authors and their colleagues, this book illustrates the power of practitioner inquiry to facilitate positive, practice-improving change and suggests how others might use this methodology to extend current thinking and evaluation. The book includes the voices of practitioners and academics working with a diverse range of age groups and settings across public and private educational contexts, including primary schools, preschools and childcare centres. This multi-perspective real research helps inform and inspire people from a range of backgrounds and expertise who want to facilitate practitioner inquiry initiatives themselves. The book begins by introducing practitioner inquiry, exploring the principles of inquiry-based practice and issues of data alongside the landscapes of educational change. Chapters in part two then offer real-life case studies highlighting experiences of using practitioner inquiry or supporting those working with these methods to improve educational practice and ultimately the outcomes for children. The chapters include case studies of pedagogical leadership and the exploration of issues related to sustaining educational change. The final section concludes the book by critically reflecting upon practitioner inquiry and providing guidance for those interested in this change methodology. Investigating issues that arise during implementation of practitioner inquiry initiatives, Engaging with Educational Change provides both critique and assistance for students and practitioners applying the process in their own settings.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors List of Illustrations List of Tables Preface Part I: Exploring Practitioner Enquiry 1. Landscapes of Educational Change 2. Principles of Enquiry-Based Practice 3. Gathering and Building on Data Part II: Illustrating Enquiry Initiatives 4. Redesigning Pedagogy in the Early Years of Primary School: An Employer Speaks, Franceyn O’Connor 5. Stories from School: When Things Go Well 6. Stories from Schools: When Issues Arise 7. Embracing the Unexpected: Professional Enquiry as a Source of Inspiration 8. Stories of Pedagogical Leadership: Collaborative Professional Learning, Fay Hadley, Katey De Gioia, Sheila Degotardi, Kate Highfield, Sandra Cheeseman, Debra Clarke 9. Sustaining Practitioner Enquiry Projects: Frustrations and Achievements, Anthony Semann and Rod Soper Part III: Critical Reflections 10. Facilitating the Facilitators: Working Together for Change 11. A System Change Process: Practitioner Enquiry as a Social Practice, Kate O’Brien 12. Professional Learning through Practitioner Enquiry: Springboarding the Future Glossary Index References

About the Author :
Alma Fleet is Associate Professor at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, Australia. Katey De Gioia is Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, Australia. Catherine Patterson is Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, Australia. With contributions from Sandra Cheeseman, Debra Clarke, Sheila Degotardi, Fay Hadley, Kate Highfield, Kate O'Brien, Franceyn O'Connor, Anthony Semann and Rod Soper.

Review :
Practitioner inquiry, as presented in this book, opens up possibilities for deep engagement in early childhood settings in authentic ways. This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the what, how and why of embarking on practitioner inquiry. The stories explored within various chapters capture readers’ interests in subtle ways, and before you know it, you will be hooked and delighted that you chose to read this book. It will stimulate you and stretch you in the way you approach pedagogical decision-making, organisational change, and educational leadership in early childhood settings. The book contains well-ordered chapters which make engagement with educational change come alive by using recent and relevant case studies. This helps the reader to understand how professional inquiry can improve what goes on in practice. Each chapter illustrates the purposefulness of using particular methods of inquiry and suggests how the process requires a demonstration of wide ranging personal and professional qualities including reflection about what goes on and why. It reveals the way educators take responsibility for their actions and make carefully considered choices about refinements to practice. The book therefore illustrates how engagement in those choice making activities promotes critical engagement with practice. A really useful resource for students and tutors.