Researching Practice 5-18 (Primary & Secondary Schools)

Teacher as researcher and school students

Part time, two year, blended learning route.

Also open to PGCE graduates of Cambridge University as the second year of their MEd route.

This route is intended for all teachers who have an interest in developing their own practice through a teacher research route. It takes as its starting point teachers researching their own practice and relates these findings to relevant national and international literatures. The route is premised around the concept of teacher as researcher and this perspective, with an exploration of the theoretical and practical implications, informs the route design. You will be researching within your own subject area and/or phase area and your thesis can be on any area of interest to you in education. The route asks teachers to engage with the debates surrounding research as professional development, and offers the opportunity to explore in depth an area of professional interest to them.

Route Aims

The route seeks to introduce teachers into the debates and ideas surrounding the development of teachers as researchers: to understand international and national policy and practices, engage with examples of teacher research in schools in the UK and beyond and to take part in their own school based research activities. Teachers will take part in a research methods course which will support their research activities and develop knowledge in this area.

This central aim can be broken down into eight component objectives.

The objectives of the route are to enable students to:

  1. understand and be able to discuss with confidence the debates surrounding teachers as researchers
  2. become familiar with an appropriate range of intellectual and methodological traditions within educational research
  3. become skilled and critical readers of educational research
  4. develop knowledge in depth of some substantive area of education and educational research
  5. develop their capacity to frame research questions and devise appropriate research designs
  6. develop confidence and competence in using a range of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence
  7. develop their skills in presenting research-based evidence and argument
  8. gain practical experience of educational research through conducting a small-scale investigation.

Route structure

The Researching Practice MEd is offered as a blended learning route. This means that the route will be offered online via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You will therefore take part in teaching sessions via CamTools (held on Thursdays between 5 and 7). Preparation for these teaching sessions will be via the course materials on the Researching Practice CamTools site. Weekly Faculty attendance will therefore not be necessary. You will be required to attend Saturday conferences will be an opportunity to develop and enhance the ideas you explore via the online component.

You will be allocated a personal supervisor and be entitled to the normal hours of supervision; but you might choose to have supervisions via email, Skype and telephone, as well as face to face.

Route programme

In term one, students will follow two strands: researching practice: teachers as researchers and research methods. The two strands are designed to complement one another and you will be asked to complete short research activities in your own school which will allow you to practice the research methods skills and knowledge. During this term you will also be offered a workshop on writing your essay or thesis.

In term two, you will continue with the research methods course but in addition you will have a range of electives to choose from. Electives currently on offer are listed below:

Other electives are being developed and an updated list will be available via this website.

Term three is largely given over to working on your thesis. Additionally, there are study skills support sessions available to help you with your thesis writing.

Course attendance

This blended learning course requires five Saturday conference attendances each year: two in Michaelmas Term, two in Lent and one in Easter term. You will also be part of an online learning group, with an allocated tutor who will be working with you and your group on the course materials and course online discussions on a weekly basis. These online discussions, which will reflect both course content and small research tasks which you will be asked to undertake, take place on Thursdays in term times and will be held between 5-7pm. You are required to be available to take part in these.

Additionally you will have a supervisor to support you with writing your thesis. Supervisions (online and face to face) are at times arranged by negotiation between yourself and your supervisor.

For further information, please contact Sue Brindley (sb295@cam.ac.uk)

Application process and Fees

For more information on the application process, fees and entry requirements please see the MEd pages.

Route co-ordinators: Sue Brindley and Mike Younger