Research is an essential component of professional practice. Whether it be action research in a specialist subject or a more formal empirical study, research can improve the quality of teaching and and enhance professional development. This text is a guide to a range of approaches written specifically for teachers and trainee teachers in the Further Education and Skills Sector.

The text covers all aspects of research and explores how research through day-to-day investigations can enhance practice. In all chapters, examples and real-life scenarios from the Further Education and Skills Sector are included, helping the reader to link theory and practice. Whether you need to complete a research project for your teaching qualification, or you need to understand how action research can support your professional development, this text will give you the essential, focused guidance you need.

Why Do It? How Doing Research Can Support Teaching and Learning
Research Ethics and How We Apply Them in Further Education and Training
Choosing and Planning Your Research Project
Looking in the Mirror: Action Research as Reflective Practice
Getting on the Case: Case Studies and Insider Research
Questions and Answers: Questionnaires and Focus Groups
Watching and Listening: Observations and Interviews
Paper Chase: Exploring Policies and Other Documents
What Does It All Mean? Analyzing Your Findings
Sharing Your Findings: Writing up a Project or Making a Presentation
Putting It All Together and Writing Your Research Assignment
Index

Susan Wallace is Professor of Continuing Education at Nottingham Trent University. She previously taught for ten years in Further Education and has worked in a local authority advisory role for post-16 education. She is the author of a number of books, including Teaching, Tutoring and Training in the Lifelong Learning Sector and Managing Behaviour in the Lifelong Learning Sector.