Self-Study Activities

Review: 5 mins

Read the case studies on this module’s topics, or the one or two that are most relevant to the evaluative question you are investigating. As you read, reflect on:

1. how similar this scenario is to your own situation
2. how, despite any differences there may be to your own context, this case study may still be relevant to you
3. what lessons there might be for the way you conduct your own inquiry

Plan: 5 mins

Action planning

Take a few minutes to plan how you will use your self-directed study time this week. Think about:

• what evidence you already have e.g.

  • the evidence you have been deliberately collecting all along
  • the counter-evidence i.e. that which might point you to negative outcomes of your inquiry

• what evidence you still need to collect e.g.

  • overhead evidence – you didn’t collect this deliberately, but it was there
  • unexpected evidence – for outcomes you did not anticipate

So, this week you might divide your time between collecting this wider evidence and making inferences from it (such as you did in your mentor meeting last week), and analysing the broader impacts of the inquiry on yourself. Remember, the evidence you should look for first is that which is near to hand.

Theory to practice: 40 mins

1. Practical exercise

Remember, in your mentor meeting last week, you updated your claim using this matrix.

Deliberate	Overheard
The evidence you collected in a systematic, planned way for outcomes you anticipated	The evidence that fell into your lap, for example chance conversations with colleagues and pupils
Unexpected	Counter
The evidence for outcomes you did not anticipate	The evidence, possibly negative, which sits at odds with your overall claim

In making ‘reasonable inferences’ keep this in mind:

• know the detail of what you altered in your practice
• observe the changes in outcomes/ behaviours for your pupils
• is it fair to infer that the outcomes were caused by the alterations to practice?

Some things you might do to actively collect the wider evidence:

• interview briefly the pupils or colleagues you overheard
• analyse the data for the outcomes you were not anticipating, e.g. take in another set of books
• speak to/look again at the work of the pupils who appear not to be progressing in the way you hoped

2. Self-assessment

Engaging in practitioner inquiry is a powerful form of professional development. It can have a direct impact upon your…

Practical knowledge – the fluency with which you use your expanded repertoire Beliefs – in yourself and your pupils Workload – by learning to do less of what doesn’t (and more of what does) work Professional relationships – what you learn from each other

It is important to recognise the impacts that your inquiry has had on you. Where should you look?

• your Learning Log
• your Module 8 audit
• the ECF statements for the standard you have focused on (but look across the ECF too)
• your colleagues – what have they noticed about how you have developed?
• take another look at the featured case study teachers – what did they notice about their beliefs, workload and professional relationships?

3. Rehearsal

Next week your mentor is going to ask you about the impact your inquiry has had on you.

Spend a few minutes this week rehearsing what you are going to say to them.

Next Steps: 5 mins

Bring your self-assessment of the impact upon you of your inquiry to your mentor meeting next week and be ready to discuss this with them.

In that meeting, you will also talk about how you will present your final inquiry findings. Come with your own ideas!