’The Village and the World’: Research With, for and by Teachers in an Age of Data

It has been argued that too much research is conducted for the ’world’ of education research, and not enough for the ’village’ of particular educational institutions like schools. In this edited book, the authors reflect on what it means for teachers to be engaged in and with educational research. What is happening in the ’village’ of schools, and how is that related to what is happening in the ’world’ of educational research? What might the distinction between the ’village’ and the ’world’ mean today, and is it still a useful one?

The chapters in this book explore the prospects of teacher research in an age in which educational data proliferates, often used for accountability and surveillance purposes, and in which instrumentalist notions of ’evidence-based practice’ dominate. They consider contexts ranging from Initial Teacher Education through to ongoing teacher professional learning in schools.

This volume concludes with an argument for turning the conversation from research as an ’add-on’ to something that can be, should be, and arguably is, a central feature of the everyday work of teaching. It aims to envision positive futures for the kinds of ’villages’ and ’worlds’ that may be possible when enabling meaningful and rich research with, for and by teachers.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal, Teaching Education.

Martin Mills is Research Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at QUT in Brisbane, Australia. His work focuses on social justice issues in education including teachers’ work and pedagogical practice, alternative education, and gender and education.

Nicole Mockler is Professor of Education in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her research interests focus on the relationship between policy and practice in teachers’ work; media representations of teachers; and teacher professional learning and development.

Meghan Stacey is Senior Lecturer in the UNSW School of Education, in Sydney, Australia, researching in the Sociology of Education and Education Policy. Taking a particular interest in teachers, her research considers how teachers’ work is framed by policy, and the effects of such policy for those who work both with and against it.

Becky Taylor is Principal Research Fellow in the Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society in London, UK. Her research interests are focused on how the processes of education can be made more equitable, and the impact of educational research on policy and practice.