Teacher as Researcher: Setting the Stage for a New Role

Abstract

While educational reformers have recognized that teachers need to move beyond the compliant technician role to that of the reflective practitioner if schools are going to achieve their mission, implementation of that new role is not easily realized. This article offers insights into how teachers could be assisted in moving from being intellectually aware of theories that are unrelated to practice to being empowered to contribute to the knowledge base that shapes their professional growth. The informants for this study were teachers who participated in a “Teacher as Researcher” course at Florida State University, and teacher researchers at the Florida State University School. This article details what happens to teachers when they engage in questioning, hypothesizing, investigating, reflecting, and working cooperatively on research topics that have meaning to them in their own classroom settings.