Action research as a Model for the Professional Development and Learning of Teachers: A case-study of the implementation of the R&D Programme in an Essex independent school

Abstract

This thesis explores the use of action research as a method for the professional development and learning (PDL) of teachers. There are several reported benefits to practitioners engaging in action research and as a teaching practitioner, I experienced these benefits first hand when conducting action research within my own classroom. However, neither in my practice or in the existing literature did I find much advice on how to implement a whole school PDL programme underpinned by action research. As such, this study aims to investigate the barriers and enablers to the implementation of just such a programme. To explore this topic, I completed a systematic review of the existing literature. I followed the PRISMA protocol to identify relevant literature and Reflexive Thematic Analysis to synthesise their findings. This provided a breadth of understanding of the current state of knowledge in this field. To gain a depth of understanding and explore the intricacies of how an action research model for PDL can be implemented, I also completed a case study of the implementation of a programme of action research for PDL in the school in which I was working. My case study adopted a single, embedded case design and I used Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify themes in the interview, survey and field note data sets I collected. As a practitioner-researcher, reflexivity was key throughout the completion of my research to ensure its trustworthiness, transparency, and ethicality. I identified several items which, depending on how they are managed, could be either a barrier or an enabler to the implementation of action research for PDL in a school. Action research can be a powerful tool for PDL, but close attention needs to be paid to implementation to ensure its sustainability and efficacy. Through considering existing frameworks for implementation in conjunction with the barriers and enablers identified through my research, practitioners can use the knowledge I present in this thesis to inform the design, development, and implementation of their own action research model for PDL.