ABSTRACT
Using research can carry risks because it can challenge existing practice. As one person said: Teachers are not happy taking risks in any lesson where they are going to be observed, or where that is going to be written up in any format, or where there is going to be an outside person coming in to see them. If research engagement does lead to more challenge, experimentation, openness and autonomy, this needs to be balanced with the responsibility for staff to be mutually respectful, accepting of mistakes and accountable to colleagues. It is easy for teachers to misunderstand or misapply research, despite their best intentions. One prominent example of this occurred when teachers in the USA misunderstood research into 'cooperative learning', which occurs when students work in small groups to help one another to develop their knowledge or skills. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
