Teaching and Learning Research Program - Article Example

Action Research - Teacher Learning and the Development of Inclusive Practices and Policies: Framing and Context – Table of Contents I. Summary of the Article …………………………………………… 3 II. Critique of the Article …………………………………………….. 3 a. Strength and Weaknesses of the Research ……………… 3 b. Efficiency of Methodology ………………………………. 4 c. Limitations of the Research Study ………………………. 5 d. Implication of the Findings ……………………………… 5 e. Writing in General ……………………………………….. 5 III. Personal Insight ………………………………………………….. 6 References ………………………………………………………………….. 7 Summary of the Article The purpose of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Teaching and Learning Research Program is to give importance in the understanding and developing inclusive practices in schools. It is believed that an active teacher learning is the way to develop inclusive schools. Teacher learning barriers is one aspect that hinders the development of inclusive practices in schools. For this reason, institutional changes with regards to learning barriers of the school teacher(s) are necessary to improve the educational system in England and Wales. In order to determine these learning barriers, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Teaching and Learning Research Program conducted a research study with 25 primary, secondary, and special schools including the different views of more than 100 teachers that are involved with the project, pupils, parents, and governors to determine the factors that needs to be changed in order to enable the schools function based on inclusive system. Based on the research study, the team found out that learning barriers could arise from the national policy imposed on education, problems will start to flow in case of raising the school practices standards particularly on those student who do not easily learn using the standard and prescribed school practices, and social acceptance among the students among others. Critique of the Article Strength and Weaknesses of the Research The strength of the research article includes the joint interpretation of the research study by a group of researcher. The collaboration of their idea provides us with a rough idea concerning some areas that needs to be changed within the school system in order to be able to successfully develop and implement an inclusive practice within each school. Researchers included some examples and scenarios. This helps the readers understand the main points of the author. The weakness of the study is that all results were not done quantitatively. There were no measurements used to provide the readers a better understanding on how one factor affects the other. Another weak point is the fact that it is merely impossible to compare and contrast two schools with different cultures, type of students, etc. The result of the test could still be inaccurate because the findings in one school may not be applicable to another school. The whole study does not seem to provide a ready solution on how we could develop inclusive practices in school. Efficiency of Methodology Carrying out a research study by comparing and contrasting the findings that was derived from 25 schools with different cultural and historical setting does not seem to be the best way of identifying the features of teacher learning in school to become inclusive. The method used in this research study is not efficient. It is similar to comparing ‘apples with oranges.’ The method of the research study is purely based on the actual observation, school visits, and interviews. Even if the researchers were able to quantify the result of this study, the outcome of the result would still need to be based on a case-to-case analysis of the school internal (i.e. students’ performance in class, teachers’ acceptance with regards to participating in the inclusive practices in school, the active learning of teachers, etc.) and external variables (national education policy, parents’ reaction with regards to inclusive practices in school, the action of the urban Local Education Authorities, etc. ). Limitations of the Research Study The framework derived from this research article is not enough to enable schools to change according to the researchers’ desire to create inclusive practices within the educational systems in school. However, it can be used as a basis for future research studies that could offer the readers a more detailed and concrete information concerning the necessary changes in the educational system in England and Wales. Implication of the Findings The findings in this research report are not readily applicable to any schools. It should still go through further study concerning its application within a specific school. For example: School A could be experiencing lack of participation among the school teachers with regard to the development of inclusive practices in schools. On the school B will encounter difficulty in the implementation of inclusive practices in schools because they are providing education specifically for special child with learning difficulty. It is most likely that school C will have a different set of concerns. It would be best if the author have quantified the result of the findings and written a summary using tables and charts. This will allow the readers to easily understand and adapt with the suggestions, key points, and remarks of the author instead of having the readers go through 17 pages of research article. Writing in General The article was properly written however it fails to define some words such as ‘inclusive.’ Readers who has not much idea with regards to the teaching methods would have a hard time determining what the author means by ‘inclusive practice in school.’ The word is just too broad. The author should be more specific when discussing some major points regarding this topic. There are parts in the article wherein the author wrote the ‘conversation between the staff from two schools.’1 I honestly do not see any relevance of this conversation with the entire research study. The author did not writer the paper direct to the point that makes it even harder for the readers to comprehend the author’s main idea. Readers do not have all the time in this world to read on unrelated writings in the article. Therefore, it is advisable for the author to consider writing short report of the research studies they have conducted for this topic. Using charts, tables, graphs, and figures will also help in attracting the attention of the readers. Personal Insight I suggest that the researcher should divide the research on these schools into two divisions: the private schools and the public schools (government-owned or supported schools) aside from the level of education. More or less, the system that runs within two different public schools under the same level of education is likely to be the same as compared to making a comparison between the private and the public schools. There should be a classification applied to these schools. For example: private, public, international schools, and schools for disabled children. The classification of these schools would narrow down the differences between each educational institution. Based on the future research results on classified schools, it will be easier for each school to determine exactly the factors that hinders the progress in the development of inclusive practices in schools. References: 1 Howes, A. et al. (2005) ‘Teacher Learning and the Development of Inclusive Practices and Policies: Framing and Context’ Research Papers in Education. June 2005;Vol. 20, No. 2:133 – 148. p. 144. Read More