Inquiry As Stance

In this long-awaited sequel to Inside/Outside: Teacher Research and Knowledge, two leaders in the field of practitioner research offer a radically different view of the relationship of knowledge and practice and of the role of practitioners in educational change. In their new book, the authors put forward the notion of inquiry as stance as a challenge to the current arrangements and outcomes of schools and other educational contexts. They call for practitioner researchers in local settings across the United States and around the world to ally their work with others as part of larger social and intellectual movements for social change and social justice. Part I is a set of five essays that conceptualize inquiry as a stance and as a transformative theory of action that repositions the collective intellectual capacity of practitioners. Part II is a set of eight chapters written by eight differently positioned practitioners who are or were engaged in practitioner research in K–12 schools or teacher education. Part III offers a unique format for exploring inquiry as stance in the next generation—a readers’ theatre script that juxtaposes and co-mingles 20 practitioners’ voices in a performance-oriented format. Together the three parts of the book point to rich possibilities for practitioner inquiry in the next generation. Contributors: Rebecca Akin, Gerald Campano, Delvin Dinkins, Kelly A. Harper, Gillian Maimon, Gary McPhail, Swati Mehta, Rob Simon,and Diane Waff “Cochran-Smith and Lytle once again prove themselves to be among the best at melding theory and practice. Instead of merely making the case for practitioner inquiry they go the next step to show us exactly what this genre brings to our field—rigor, relevance, and passion. The interplay of conceptual clarity and powerful exemplars make this a text we will read well into the next decade.” —Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin–Madison “Once again, Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Susan Lytle point the way to new and hopeful understandings of practitioner research. Rather than blame teachers for all that is wrong with education, they and their fellow authors remind us that if school reform is to have any chance of fulfilling its stated goal of equal opportunity for all students, teachers must have a significant voice in research, policy, and practice. With its focus on social justice and its view of practitioner research as transformative, this is a powerful and welcome sequel to their classic Inside/Outside.” —Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst “Inquiry as Stance should be a blockbuster. This brilliant sequel re-calibrates relationships between practitioner inquiry and social justice.” —Carole Edelsky, Professor Emerita, Arizona State University “This optimistic and generous book is sure to become a central reference for teacher-researchers in K–16 schools and their colleagues and supporters throughout the system.” —Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Director, National Programs and Site Development, National Writing Project, University of California, Berkeley “This view of the intellectual and personal work of teaching is a major counter to the contemporary emphasis on testing and packaged curricula.” —Cynthia Ballenger, reading specialist, Cambridge Public Schools “Once again Cochran-Smith, Lytle, and their colleagues bring us an invaluable book on the enormous possibilities of practitioner research.” —Luis C. Moll, College of Education, University of Arizona

This groundbreaking volume encourages today’s educational leaders to reposition the way they think about leadership and its challenges. Experienced school and district leaders reveal how they conceptualize their roles, how they learn by posing and solving problems of practice, and how they cope with increasing expectations and complexity in their work. This compilation of compelling narratives demonstrates the power and efficacy of what can happen when school, district, and other educational leaders position themselves as inquirers, bringing forth broader social justice and equity implications. Readers see how leadership can illuminate and improve many aspects of institutional life and create intellectually demanding and rich learning environments for both adults and children. At its heart, Repositioning Educational Leadership is an invitation to practitioners and scholars to make space for new critical questions and perspectives. This book nurtures an expanded discourse about leadership, generated by leaders themselves, and arising from some of the most vexing and often invisible aspects of their important work. “This book unpacks a smorgasbord of real-life work situations that will allow the reader to reflect on these experiences and extract the best practices of leadership.” —Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA “Provides invaluable insights into what the complex work of leading from an inquiry stance looks like in different contexts.” —Irma Zardoya, NYC Leadership Academy “This book is a key contribution to the reinvention of the field of educational leadership, and it is crucial for preparing future leaders.” —Michael A. Copland, deputy superintendent, Bellingham (WA) Public Schools

This book is about learning to use inquiry and self-study as ways of thinking about, understanding and developing one's practice and one's teaching. It has been shown to support teachers' continued inspiration and resilience to teach all children well in the face of very challenging circumstances.

What does it mean to teach for human dignity? How does one do so? This practical book shows how the leaders at four urban public schools used a process called Descriptive Inquiry to create democratic schools that promote and protect human dignity. The authors argue that teachers must attend to who a child is and find a way to create classrooms that allow everyone to feel safe and express ideas. Responding to the perennial question of how to cultivate teachers, they offer an approach that attends to both ethical development and instructional methods. They also provide a way forward for school leaders seeking to listen to, and provide guidance for, their staff. At its core, Descriptive Inquiry in Teacher Practice champions a commitment to schools as places in which children, teachers, and leaders can learn how to live and work well together. Book Features: 679;;Illustrates how to take an inquiry stance toward the difficult issues that educators face every day. 679;;Examines how themes regularly addressed in foundations can be used to improve schools. 679;;Includes engaging portraits of progressive urban schools that showcase the qualities of the leaders that guide them. 679;;Demonstrates the power of a progressive and humanistic education for children of color and for those from lower-income backgrounds.

Practitioners are experts in their field and this book introduces research methods that help to make that expertise explicit. There is worldwide recognition of the importance of high quality, reflective practice that both engages with existing research evidence and engages in the production of new evidence. Research Methods for Understanding Professional Learning demonstrates how the knowledge about what happens in a practice context and the skills used to succeed there can be used as the building blocks for developing research methods and tools to best investigate practice. The experienced author team introduce a framework for understanding practice and for designing research about practice using a wealth of real research examples across all phases of education. This practical guide provides suggestions of a unique mix of research methods and tools, moving beyond just action research methodology, allowing the reader to engage with research design and assess how well the data gathered will answer their research question.

"A tool box overflowing with ideas that will help every staff developer craft a school culture hospitable to adult and student learning." —Roland S. Barth, Author, Lessons Learned "The book speaks to many audiences, including instructional coaches, PLC leaders, action researchers and group leaders, and university professors working with action researchers and PLCs." —Gail Ritchie, Coleader, Teacher Researcher Network Fairfax County Public Schools, VA "A terrific resource for connecting teacher networks and action research to create powerful professional development opportunities. This book is a joy to read." —Ellen Meyers, Senior Vice President Teachers Network Powerful tools for facilitating teachers′ professional development and optimizing school improvement efforts! Professional learning communities (PLCs) and action research are popular and proven frameworks for professional development. While both can greatly improve teaching and learning, few resources have combined the two practices into one coherent approach. The Reflective Educator′s Guide to Professional Development provides educators with strategies, activities, and tools to develop inquiry-oriented PLCs. Nationally known school reform experts Nancy Fichtman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey cover the ten essential elements of a healthy PLC, provide case studies of actual inquiry-based PLCs, and present lessons learned to help good coaches become great coaches. With this step-by-step guide, readers will be able to: Organize, assess, and maintain high-functioning, inquiry-oriented PLCs Facilitate the development of study questions Establish the trust and collective commitment necessary for successful action research Enable PLC members to develop, analyze, and share research results Lead successful renewal and reform efforts By combining two powerful training practices, coaches, workshop leaders, and staff developers can ensure continuous, robust school-based professional development.

"The most important work of the school leader is to promote profound levels of learning in students and faculty, but only principals who know how to promote their own learning on the job can foster the learning of others. Here′s how!" —Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals′ Center "Finally, a book for administrators that validates their role in the area of action research! All administrator preparation programs should use this book." —Margarete Couture, Principal South Seneca Central School District, Interlaken, NY Become the "head learner" in your school by engaging in action research! While much has been written about the effectiveness of action research for improving the practice of teachers, few resources exist for leading principals through the process to strengthen their professional development and their role in school improvement efforts. Best-selling and award-winning author Nancy Fichtman Dana guides principals in identifying and exploring areas of interest for research, including staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, community/culture building, leadership skills, building management, and school performance. With a step-by-step approach, this resource: Helps principals develop a question, collect and analyze data, and share the results of their inquiry with school faculty, the district, and the broader education community Includes numerous examples of actual principal inquiry to illustrate each step of the research process Provides exercises to guide principals through their own inquiry projects Use this proven method of professional development to continually cultivate your craft and improve school performance!

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme stands in a proud tradition of reflective educators incorporating best practice into international schools. For the PYP to maintain relevance in education today, inquiry has to be rethought, refreshed and reapplied. Taking the PYP Forward does exactly that. Raising many questions and recognising the new challenges facing educators, this collaborative work brings together voices from both within and outside of the PYP. Intending to broaden our view of inquiry and circulate fresh thinking about the relevance of the PYP for all areas of learning, this is an essential contribution.