I have co-authored three books about education. Two describe how neuroscience and, and how it cannot relate to education the third focusing on using scientific method in the classroom.
Teacher-led Research:
Teacher-Led Research by Richard Churches and Eleanor Dommett provides a wealth of valuable examples of how teacher-led research can support the development of classroom practice and contribute to school improvement and attainment through rigorous experimentation. The book describes a series of new and innovative approaches which were led by teaching schools analogous, Churches and Dommett argue, to teaching hospitals. They see this as a way to develop teaching practice in the same way that clinical practice is tested in medicine. The aim is to describe and support school-improvement focused research work by undertaking classroom-based micro-trials. The book shows how teachers working in other schools could apply similar approaches in collaboration with others. The book is a timely and valuable contribution, explaining how to design small-scale fair tests of ideas about changes to practice, which are driven by teachers own questions about what is effective. It sets out the principles behind scientific testing, guides the development of a testable question, considers what data to collect and provides support in the analysis and communication of findings. This book will be of interest to anyone who is involved in practitioner research in schools, or teachers and schools who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in this area and extend their research-based repertoire of tested practical approaches. It contains a wealth of practical examples which are interesting, sometimes even challenging, but then this is exactly the point. Are you brave enough to put your beliefs and assumptions about what is effective to a rigorous test? --Professor Steven Higgins, School of Education, Durham University
Richard Churches has worked very closely with teachers on the Closing the Gap project and knows how to guide them through the research process. The success of the Closing the Gap research rested on us all following good scientific method and being confident in our conclusions. Teacher-Led Research, which offers a clear structure to work through and accessible explanations, will be equally useful to the inexperienced teacher researcher and the more experienced leader guiding a group. Running a randomised controlled trial in my own classroom led me to realise the value of teaching approaches I had thought were relatively ineffective, so I recommend the process described in this book. I never thought that I would spend my Saturday evening reading about inferential statistics but found the explanations here much more accessible than in standard texts. Even if you think you have a reasonable understanding, there is much to learn from this book. With a bit of experience, you can dip in and out of this book to clarify and develop your thinking. However, I would recommend that, first time through, you follow the guidance to the letter. --Liz Samuel, Head of Sixth Form, The Queen Katherine School
With the increased interest in school-based research as witnessed by the growth in popularity of TeachMeets and researchED, amongst others, and the focus given to randomised controlled trial (RCT) techniques by organisations like the EEF the publication of Teacher-Led Research is certainly very timely. This is a great book for teachers and school leaders who are interested in RCTs and want apply these techniques in their own schools. Teacher-Led Research takes the reader logically through the basics of research methodology and explains RCT techniques using a clear and systematic approach. As well as providing relevant and practical examples, you are encouraged to design and develop your own RCT as you progress through the book s chapters. Gathering data, understanding its significance and being able to draw accurate conclusions are essential to both the credibility and further application of any school-based research and the well-illustrated sections on statistics remind us how to use different techniques it s comprehensive without being too complicated. I particularly liked the way the book is organised with its Brain Boxes (containing extension ideas) and Learning Zones (for developing understanding). At the end of each chapter there is an opportunity (if you wish!) to test your own learning through a series of self-assessment questions. Teacher-Led Research is accessible, well-illustrated and informative highly recommended for those engaged in, or planning, school-based research. --Dr Jane Doughty CBE, Education Consultant
Neuroscience for Teachers:
Written in a clear and engaging way, Neuroscience for Teachers avoids the trap of overgeneralisation which is so commonly observed when neuroscience is taken outside of academia. The authors introduce the key neuroscience topics relevant to education and describe in detail the evidence available in order to help teachers reflect on how this may benefit their practice. In addition to expanding their knowledge about the brain and cognition, it will also develop teachers research literacy and improve their ability to assess neuroscientific findings more critically. I believe 'Neuroscience for Teachers' may become a key reference for teachers desiring to better understand and apply neuroscience to their practice. --Dr Florence Ruby, Researcher, Nurture Group Network
The marriage of neuroscience and education is a partnership that is full of potential to improve young people s learning and development outcomes. Drawing upon their experience of collaborating with educators, Churches, Dommett and Devonshire have produced a book that combines the very latest research with useful rules of thumb for teachers and provides examples of how these ideas might be converted into classroom practice. 'Neuroscience for Teachers' unfolds in such a way that newcomers can stay on the path with just the core ideas, while readers with more experience in neuroscience and education can take side roads and explore the research in more detail. The authors also help teachers avoid pitfalls by pointing out the common and newly emerging misinterpretations and neuromyths that readers might encounter elsewhere. I am sure that all educators will find some ideas in this book that are affirming, some that are challenging, and others that will inspire creative twists on their existing practice. --Martin Westwell, Director, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century
A comprehensive and remarkably up-to-date account of the contributions that neuroscience and cognitive psychology are making to teaching practice. --Dr Tim Bliss, fellow of the Royal Society
Teacher-Led Research by Richard Churches and Eleanor Dommett provides a wealth of valuable examples of how teacher-led research can support the development of classroom practice and contribute to school improvement and attainment through rigorous experimentation. The book describes a series of new and innovative approaches which were led by teaching schools analogous, Churches and Dommett argue, to teaching hospitals. They see this as a way to develop teaching practice in the same way that clinical practice is tested in medicine. The aim is to describe and support school-improvement focused research work by undertaking classroom-based micro-trials. The book shows how teachers working in other schools could apply similar approaches in collaboration with others. The book is a timely and valuable contribution, explaining how to design small-scale fair tests of ideas about changes to practice, which are driven by teachers own questions about what is effective. It sets out the principles behind scientific testing, guides the development of a testable question, considers what data to collect and provides support in the analysis and communication of findings. This book will be of interest to anyone who is involved in practitioner research in schools, or teachers and schools who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in this area and extend their research-based repertoire of tested practical approaches. It contains a wealth of practical examples which are interesting, sometimes even challenging, but then this is exactly the point. Are you brave enough to put your beliefs and assumptions about what is effective to a rigorous test? --Professor Steven Higgins, School of Education, Durham University
Richard Churches has worked very closely with teachers on the Closing the Gap project and knows how to guide them through the research process. The success of the Closing the Gap research rested on us all following good scientific method and being confident in our conclusions. Teacher-Led Research, which offers a clear structure to work through and accessible explanations, will be equally useful to the inexperienced teacher researcher and the more experienced leader guiding a group. Running a randomised controlled trial in my own classroom led me to realise the value of teaching approaches I had thought were relatively ineffective, so I recommend the process described in this book. I never thought that I would spend my Saturday evening reading about inferential statistics but found the explanations here much more accessible than in standard texts. Even if you think you have a reasonable understanding, there is much to learn from this book. With a bit of experience, you can dip in and out of this book to clarify and develop your thinking. However, I would recommend that, first time through, you follow the guidance to the letter. --Liz Samuel, Head of Sixth Form, The Queen Katherine School
With the increased interest in school-based research as witnessed by the growth in popularity of TeachMeets and researchED, amongst others, and the focus given to randomised controlled trial (RCT) techniques by organisations like the EEF the publication of Teacher-Led Research is certainly very timely. This is a great book for teachers and school leaders who are interested in RCTs and want apply these techniques in their own schools. Teacher-Led Research takes the reader logically through the basics of research methodology and explains RCT techniques using a clear and systematic approach. As well as providing relevant and practical examples, you are encouraged to design and develop your own RCT as you progress through the book s chapters. Gathering data, understanding its significance and being able to draw accurate conclusions are essential to both the credibility and further application of any school-based research and the well-illustrated sections on statistics remind us how to use different techniques it s comprehensive without being too complicated. I particularly liked the way the book is organised with its Brain Boxes (containing extension ideas) and Learning Zones (for developing understanding). At the end of each chapter there is an opportunity (if you wish!) to test your own learning through a series of self-assessment questions. Teacher-Led Research is accessible, well-illustrated and informative highly recommended for those engaged in, or planning, school-based research. --Dr Jane Doughty CBE, Education Consultant
Neuroscience for Teachers:
Written in a clear and engaging way, Neuroscience for Teachers avoids the trap of overgeneralisation which is so commonly observed when neuroscience is taken outside of academia. The authors introduce the key neuroscience topics relevant to education and describe in detail the evidence available in order to help teachers reflect on how this may benefit their practice. In addition to expanding their knowledge about the brain and cognition, it will also develop teachers research literacy and improve their ability to assess neuroscientific findings more critically. I believe 'Neuroscience for Teachers' may become a key reference for teachers desiring to better understand and apply neuroscience to their practice. --Dr Florence Ruby, Researcher, Nurture Group Network
The marriage of neuroscience and education is a partnership that is full of potential to improve young people s learning and development outcomes. Drawing upon their experience of collaborating with educators, Churches, Dommett and Devonshire have produced a book that combines the very latest research with useful rules of thumb for teachers and provides examples of how these ideas might be converted into classroom practice. 'Neuroscience for Teachers' unfolds in such a way that newcomers can stay on the path with just the core ideas, while readers with more experience in neuroscience and education can take side roads and explore the research in more detail. The authors also help teachers avoid pitfalls by pointing out the common and newly emerging misinterpretations and neuromyths that readers might encounter elsewhere. I am sure that all educators will find some ideas in this book that are affirming, some that are challenging, and others that will inspire creative twists on their existing practice. --Martin Westwell, Director, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century
A comprehensive and remarkably up-to-date account of the contributions that neuroscience and cognitive psychology are making to teaching practice. --Dr Tim Bliss, fellow of the Royal Society