Research comes in many forms, and all teachers have used research in some way, shape, or form as they engage in professional development. Large studies with long-range timelines and tens of thousands of participants certainly have their place, but what if teachers could do their own research with their own students to improve practice?
Experiments designed and conducted by individual teachers for the purpose of studying the relationship between their actions in the classroom and specific student outcomes can be considered a viable form of research. In fact, such focused studies might contribute as much, if not more, to advancing a scientific approach to classroom instruction than experiments designed for maximum generalizability.
Marzano Research just completed its first full semester partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education to give teachers across the state access to the Teacher as Researcher professional development series. Over 150 teachers from 25 schools participated in six professional development sessions and two instructional improvement cycles.
Teachers who go through the professional development series come away with these key takeaways after going through the instructional improvement cycle:
- How to choose an evidence-based teaching strategy
- How to conduct a quasi-experimental study using the evidence-based teaching strategy
- How to determine if the strategy was effective with students
Marzano Research paired education improvement specialists and researchers to give teachers the best professional development opportunity that combines best classroom practice and a foundational understanding of statistics. This combination of teaching and research fuels a more solid understanding of how a teacher’s practice impacts students.
This collaboration between Marzano Research and the South Carolina Department of Education also includes technology company, EdAnalytics, which provides a web-based application for teachers to input their research. The app aggregates the effect sizes of all South Carolina teacher studies to determine what is working in the state for student learning.
In true Marzano Research fashion, we’re keeping a close eye on our impact on teachers throughout the process, and 84% of teachers would recommend the Teacher as Researcher professional development series to other teachers! If you’re interested in joining in, contact us today by emailing sc-tar@marzanoresearch.com.
