This is about evidence and finding out what happened as a result of change. It’s crucially important that the evidence you choose is valid for the issue you decided upon at the first stage.

There are a wide variety of methods to gather evidence such as:

• Learner conversations
• Leuven Scale: What Is the Leuven Scale and How to Use it (learningjournals.co.uk)
• Focus groups
• Your observations – this could be field notes, audio, video
  • Kathy Brodie - Making Observations
• Peer Observations – you might enlist support from a colleague
• Pupil/practitioner/parent interviews
• Questionnaires
• Tests/Assessments

It is important to decide on a method that suits your chosen approach and the learners you are working with.

Don’t forget to do the easy bit and actually document your enquiry plan. Build on your process diagram: this is all about the 'what' and 'when'.

Decide:

• when you’ll gather evidence
• when you’ll be changing your practice
• What will you be doing differently in your practice and when
• how you will measure results

Think about how you have decided to measure results:

1. Think about sampling in terms of learner conversations - do you want to talk to all of your learners or a small group?
2. What will your questions be if you are using a questionnaire, focus groups or interviews?
3. What will observers be doing when they visit? Would it be helpful to talk to them beforehand to let them know what you want them to focus on?
4. If some of your evidence will be quantitative when and how are you assessing learners?

When researching in real life we have to accept complexity. There are always unexpected and unknown factors which impact the situation we are exploring.

What if during the enquiry:

• the learners don’t respond to the change the way you hoped?
• something happens within your setting that makes you want or need to change direction?

The purpose of enquiry is to implement change which has meaningful impact for you and your learners. Don’t persevere with something if it isn’t working.

Have you come across, or can you find, another piece of literature (research, policy, article, video, blog etc) which further informs your thinking?

Is there anything else other than literature which has informed your thinking (events, conversations, etc)?

Remember to use the reflecting on what is known resources to access literature throughout your enquiring approach.

Take some time to step back and to reflect on your progress. It can be helpful to ask a colleague to help you to consider:

1. How have my reading, events in the classroom or professional conversations influenced my thinking?

2. What’s happening in my enquiry?

3. What’s working and what potentially needs a rethink?

4. What am I not sure about - who/what can help me?

You have been immersed in carrying out your intended plan and adapting where necessary. Now it is time to pause again and take stock of where your plan and thinking have taken you.

Further prompts for reflection

What did you plan to do and why?

What was your original question and plan? Think about the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when and why.

Why was this important for your context - how did you know it was an important focus for your enquiry?

How was your original enquiry backed up by policy and literature?

Where did your enquiry fit into the bigger, Scottish education picture?

What has happened in your enquiry?

Chances are your enquiry plan may not have progressed quite as you envisaged (this is perfectly normal and expected). Take some time to reflect on what you’ve actually done so far and with whom (colleagues and learners).

• To what extent did you manage to answer your enquiry question?
• What went well?
• What bumps in the road did you come across and how did you attempt to adapt?

What are the implications and next steps?

• What have you learned from the evidence you have gathered from your enquiring approach so far?
• What does this tell you about the learning or wellbeing of your pupils?
• What has the impact of taking this enquiring approach had on your colleagues and learning community (if any)?
• What are your intended next steps? Do you have more work to do on this area or can you see new enquiry areas opening up?
• How might this practitioner enquiry inform your practice going forward?

What impact has this had on your professional identity?

• What have you learned from the evidence you have gathered from your enquiring approach so far?
• What does this tell you about the learning or wellbeing of your pupils?
• What has the impact of taking this enquiring approach had on your colleagues and learning community (if any)?
• What are your intended next steps? Do you have more work to do on this area or can you see new enquiry areas opening up?
• How might this practitioner enquiry inform your practice going forward?