1st Edition
A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry Making a Difference in the Early Years
This accessible guide will be an invaluable resource for early years practitioners looking to make a positive difference in their settings by using action research or teacher enquiry. Guiding readers through the practical steps, issues, and potentials of conducting research in a variety of early childhood settings, the book will increase practitioners’ confidence, enabling them to bridge the gap between recognising room for improvements and instigating necessary changes.
Divided into easy-to-follow sections, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry: Making a Difference in the Early Years offers clear definitions and explanations of action research along with explanations of how it can be applied in early years settings to effectively and efficiently improve outcomes for children. Chapters outline a clear rationale for engaging in action research, highlight purposes and potentials of various approaches, and provide a helpful step-by-step discussion of the different stages of enquiry. Ten examples of practice are used to clearly illustrate the action research cycle in a variety of settings, and in relation to a range of topics and ages, thereby providing readers with a wealth of tried-and-tested ideas for application in their own settings and projects. These are supported by a range of downloadable resources which can be used as tools to support the planning, reflecting, and evaluation of practitioners’ research activities.
Informative, inspiring, and highly relevant to practice, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry will support and scaffold the research activities of early years practitioners, managers, and students.
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes
Introduction
Part One: Action Research – Theory and Practice
Introduction
What is Action Research?
How did action research develop?
The development and application of action research in education
Why engage in action research in the early years?
What is in it for Me?
Professional development
Team development
Children’s development
Evidence-based practice
Making the difference: planning your project with Impact Evolution
Input- or output-based evaluation
Ethical Considerations
Summary
Part Two: The Phases of Action Research
Introduction
Identifying a focus
Ask a question
Planning and implementing a change
Innovate
Evaluating impact
How will you know you have been successful?
Considering the future
Summary
Part Three: The Projects
Introduction
Project 1: Mindful Yoga in a Nursery School
Project 2: Developing the outdoor area to support early numeracy
Project 3: Storytelling
Project 4: Continuing professional development policy
Project 5: Personal, social and emotional development at lunchtime
Project 6: Talking Partners at Primary
Project 7: Parental engagement
Project 8: Early writing
Project 9: Promoting a love of reading
Project 10: 0–2-year-old room
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Appendix I Identifying a focus
Appendix II Collating evidence
Appendix III Planning for impact
Appendix IV Planning for impact
Appendix V Evaluating impact
Appendix VI: Considering the future
Index
Biography
Amanda Ince is Programme Leader for the MA in Early Years Education and the MA in Primary Education programmes at the UCL Institute of Education, UK.
Eleanor Kitto is Programme Leader for the Early Years Initial Teacher Training programme at the UCL Institute of Education, UK.