Designing the Classroom Curriculum Designing the Classroom Curriculum | Page 137

Lynch, Smith, Howarth
In this chapter we examined the concept of assessment and introduced the notion of “teacher as
researcher”. In simple terms ‘teacher as researcher’ is an articulation of a set of higher order professional
skills that enable the teacher to identify solutions and to answers question in relation to learning and
classroom based problems. The fundamental understandings outlined in this chapter have to do with the
centrality of assessment in teacher decision-making and how assessment based data can be interrogated
through research-based methods. The chief goal in the teacher as researcher agenda is for the teacher to
improve their teaching performance and in turn enhance the learning outcomes of all students. The status
of teacher and the premise of school renewal are captured in such processes.
1. The ‘Teacher as Researcher’ premise is new to the teaching profession.
Why might this be so?
2. How does teacher based research inform the work of the teacher/ teaching?
3. What does it mean to conduct research in schools/ classrooms as a teacher?
4. What are the logistics of conducting research in a classroom?
5. When conducting research into student learning normed and standardised
tests are recommended. What are they and why?
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