Research circles

Christer OhlinPh.D. Program Director, Special

Education, Kristianstad University

Research circle

A creative meeting place between researchers and practitioners in schools

Research circle

• can be regarded a new way for researchers and staff in schools to meet and learn about one another’s knowledge and experiences.

• It is a method of continuing professional development

Research circle

The starting point is the continuing dialogue between researchers and professionals which can provide the basis for the development of their own practice.

The research circle – a place for reflection on practice

• by offering teachers time and a place to examine their own practice– to produce knowledge and action useful for

teachers– to enable teachers to gain a deeper understanding

of their own situation through organizing their own knoledge

The purpose

• is to promote participation in the development of schools and universities by teachers seeking to resolve a problem which they themselves formulate.

Different kinds of research circles

1. With a given themeCooperation with parents, second languages, intercultural learning

2. A subject linked to didacticsDidactics for mathematics and

languages and didactics for history etc.

Different themes

3. Based on questionsWhat is the meaning of concept development?How can we develop students’ understanding of concepts

4. Certain categories of professionals circles for school leaders, assistants, related staff

Guidelines and preconditions

1. Number of participants2. Time3. Personal research4. Outcomes5. A collective production of knowledge6. The task of the circle leader7. Resources

The research process

1. The problem formulation process2. What do we already know?3. How will the investigation be

undertaken?4. Analytical concepts for interpretation5. Results and outcomes for school

development

How to start?

• Framework• Agreements with the employer• Extra resources?• Location for the cirle

Benefits of a research circle? Or?

•What are the benefits of a research circle?

A concrete example

The problem: the students do not understand basic concepts encountered in school books.

What can you do as a teacher do to help the students?

A concrete example

Step one: to formulate an overarching research question:

What support do the students need in order to understand and use concepts?

Step twoWhat do we already know?

A concrete example

A model for concept-building which can form the basis of teachers’ pedagogical practice.“To make thinking visible – concept based education”

Step threeHow will the investigation be carried out?

video-recodingthe students’ own diariesinterviews a number of selected students

A concrete example

Step fourAnalytical concepts for interpretation

Step five Results and outcomes for school development

THANK YOU!

christer.ohlin@hkr.se