Teacher/Practitioner Research: Reflections on an Online Discussion

There is growing interest in educational research conducted by teachers and other practitioners in learning environments. There is also a growing willingness among educators to discuss such research in environments that are open and online. However, for some of those engaging with such forms of inquiry in such online spaces, puzzles remain. For example, for it to count as ‘research’, does teacher/practitioner ‘research’ have to be shared? Can this happen in non-academic ways, and why is this bene0icial? In what ways is teacher/practitioner research valuable in itself as an activity? What forms of such research are open to teachers, how are they similar and how do they differ? What are the de)ining characteristics of one of these forms, ‘exploratory practice’, and what does it look like in practice? What kinds of support are required so that teacher/practitioner research is a more viable activity for both teachers and their learners? These were some of the questions raised in a recent online discussion involving teachers and academics from all over the world. It provided dialogic learning opportunities and encouraged a sharing of insights from educators working from different perspectives but united in the common cause of supporting deeply ethical, empowering teacher/practitioner research. This article represents the moderators’ re4lective summary of the discussion, produced with a view to disseminating current ideas on this topic and stimulating further debate