Professional Learning through Action Research: can practitioner research add value to other 'investments' in education?

Professional Learning through Action Research: can practitioner research add value to other ‘investments’ in education?
In June 2016 the States of Guernsey announced the introduction of a new curriculum intended to prepare children and young people for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. Similar to curriculum developments elsewhere, the policy is intended “to develop all children as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors”. The policy was launched with an explanatory video filmed across schools and colleges in Guernsey.
The new curriculum recognised digital empowerment as one of the central elements in children’s lives and states that learning with digital technology should be integral to all aspects of education. To this end Guernsey invested in technology, teacher training and professional development. Substantial investment was made into the technology infrastructure for schools; a commercial education consultancy provided training on new resources such as Google Classroom; a project run in partnership with the University of South Wales provided professional learning opportunities for teachers to research technology enhanced learning and teaching. The professional learning offer was a 60 credit Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education delivered in Guernsey by tutors from the university. Teachers undertook Action Research into a aspect of practice of their own choice but linked to a common theme: technology enhanced learning and teaching.

The teacher researchers were drawn from twelve of Guernsey’s eighteen state-funded schools and included participants from primary, secondary and special schools. It was felt that the combination of infrastructure investment, teacher training and professional learning could provide a unique opportunity to derive new and useful insights into the effective use of technology to support learning.
This session will present some of the outcomes of the Action Research projects and highlight some of the challenges involved in a project of this nature.