Research and enquiry

Engagement in research and enquiry is a key contributory factor in driving school improvement and realising Curriculum for Wales. In order to develop as collaborative learning organisations schools need to develop a culture of enquiry and invest in the enquiry and pedagogic skills of all practitioners.

The National strategy for educational research and enquiry has four key objectives, one of which is to support the development of an evidence-informed profession in Wales where educational professionals use high-quality research evidence and are provided with opportunities to take part in robust professional enquiry.

A culture of research and enquiry supports schools in being innovative, self-evaluative and able to seek solutions to areas for improvement in an evidence-informed manner. This culture of enquiry in schools also supports the wider learning of the system as a whole as we work towards developing as a self-improving system.

In a learning organisation, practitioners are willing to take risks, experiment and innovate their teaching and this includes engaging in collaborative, reflective, enquiry to investigate and extend their practice. In order to do this practitioners need to develop enquiry skills that are appropriate to the nature of the task and support them in meeting the expectations of their professional learning entitlement.

To support schools to embed a culture of enquiry, leaders need to draw on a range of models and approaches which are appropriate to the context of the school, the needs of practitioners and are suitable for the development being undertaken.

Furthermore, in order to support practitioners in the initial engagement with an area of enquiry it is beneficial for them to access evidence and resources which can provide a springboard and scaffold the enquiry process. The evolving support for research and enquiry is provided by regional consortia and partnerships, universities, the National Academy for Educational Leadership and other partners.

The two key areas of support currently available are:

• the national professional enquiry project, which provides collaborative opportunities to develop the skills of enquiry. If you would like to get involved, contact your regional consortia or partnership
• the 'embedding research and enquiry in schools' pilot project is exploring a range of models to support leaders in developing a culture of enquiry. The findings of this pilot project will be made available to all schools

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