ABSTRACT
The meeting of the Validation Group engaged in a lengthy discussion which ranged widely over a number of possible criteria of improvement; there were many conflicting points of view and many pieces of advice were offered to the researcher. In his explanation of his educational influence as a professional development tutor, Martin traced the history of one full action/reflection cycle in which Sue attempted to resolve two particular problems that she had encountered in her work with historical artefacts. First, there was her need to establish effective ways of promoting the development in her children of lively inquiring minds and the ability to question and argue rationally. Second, there was her concern to provide opportunities for children to relate the artefacts to an historical context and in so doing to promote her other aims. Martin encouraged Carol to sort out a ‘sense of chronology’ with the historical artefacts of a Roman amphora an eighteenth century book and a cobbler’s last.
