Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: A Guide for Teachers

'This is an exceptionally strong book. I learnt much of value from it, yet the text is accessible to PGCE students. It is packed with interesting and valid arguments and shows a great understanding both of classrooms and of educational research' - Michael Reiss, Institute of Education, University of London. Invaluable for anyone undertaking initial teacher training courses and other postgraduate courses involving an element of educational research, this text equips the reader with the necessary knowledge and skills to be confident in appreciating the nature, limitations and possibilities of small-scale classroom research, and critically reading the research of others. It includes case examples and pedagogical features throughout to enable the reader to fully engage with the issues surrounding teaching and learning.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: LEARNING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH The Professional Teacher and Educational Research What Is this Thing Called Educational Research? How Do Educational Researchers Think about Their Research? What Strategies Do Educational Researchers Use? PART TWO: LEARNING FROM EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Teachers Evaluating Research Quality Teachers Evaluating Research Relevance PART THREE: LEARNING THROUGH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Teachers Planning Research Teachers Collecting Evidence through Research Teachers Interrogating the Evidence from Classroom Studies Teachers Making the Case through Reporting Research

About the Author :
Keith Taber trained as a graduate teacher of chemistry and physics, and taught sciences in comprehensive secondary schools in England. He moved into further education where he taught physics and chemistry to A level, science studies to adult students, and research methods on an undergraduate education programme. He acted as the mentor for trainee science teachers on placement at the college. Whilst working as a teacher he earned his masters degree for research into girls under-representation in physics and his doctorate for research into conceptual development in chemistry. He joined the Faculty of Education in 1999. Please refer to Keith Taber's web pages. Dr. Taber was the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) Teacher Fellow for 2000-1, undertaking a project on Challenging Chemical Misconceptions (http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/miscon2.htm). He was the CERG (Chemical Education Research Group) Lecturer for 2000. He wrote a column (Reflections on Teaching and Learning Physics) for the journal Physics Education over a period of 6 years. He led the Cambridge project on teaching about ideas and evidence in science for the National KS3 Strategy (http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/casestudies/cs_sc_ideas). Dr. Taber is the moderator of an international electronic discussion list on learning in science. This list is intended as a forum for discussion among teachers, researchers and others who are interested in aspects of this topic. You may join the list at: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/learning-science-concepts/