Research School Network: Five simple ways to get involved with research Here’s a roundup of five opportunities to have your voice heard in education research

Here’s a roundup of five current opportunities to have your voice heard in education research. 

1. What should EAL researchers prioritise?

The EAL Research Priority Setting Partnership brings together educators, parents, and young people who are invested in the education of pupils who use English as an additional language (EAL), to decide what research on EAL should be done next.

People who do research are not usually the people who use research. It is important, therefore, that the people who use research tell the people who do research what kinds of questions they think those researchers should try to answer. In a priority setting partnership (PSP), research users work together to identify questions about teaching EAL learners that they want answers to, then to tell researchers and research funders what those questions are.

Find out more.

2. What’s the role of teaching assistants during Covid?

A team from UCL are hoping to find out. The study aims to explore any dilemmas faced or lessons learnt that can help shape what happens next in education. They are looking for teaching assistants, and people working in similar roles, to complete a survey.

Find out more.

3. How and why do teachers engage with research evidence?

That’s what a team from Durham University want to find out. They are looking for teachers to complete their survey. As a Research School, we are particularly keen to see the results as we think research evidence has enormous potential, but it can be challenging to use it effectively in the busy reality of school life.

Find out more.

4. The big lockdown-learning parent survey

Do you have a child learning at home? What about your pupils? We’re all guessing what’s going on in 8 million homes during lockdowns – but we don’t actually know! How can we find out? We ask!

The Education Endowment Foundation, Teacher Tapp and Parent Ping are working together to understand what learning is (or isn’t!) happening in pupils’ homes while they are unable to attend school in the normal way due to Covid-19. Parents will be asked to download the free Parent Ping app and answer a few simple questions each day, in exchange for opportunities to win Chromebooks and vouchers.

Find out more.

5. Teacher Tapp

If you’re not already using TeacherTapp, take my phone (as Bill Bryson might have said). Here’s how it works:

• Answer 3 Questions. At 3:30pm, the app buzzes and thousands of teachers answer three quick multiple choice questions about their day or their opinions on teaching
• See results. After you’ve answered the questions you get the chance to see yesterday’s results. Find out what thousands of teachers around the country are thinking! Every week on Monday, you get a deeper analysis of how different types of teachers responded to the questions.
• Ongoing CPD. Everyday you’ll also get an expertly selected blog post or article to read. The selections are short, clear and relevant to teaching.
• Win prizes and badges! As a thank you for lending your voice, you’ll win badges on the app, frequent prizes and raffles, and vouchers for useful products such as books and other awesome stuff.

Find out more.