Research Capacity Building in Teacher Education: Scottish Collaborative Approaches

Source: Journal of Education for Teaching, Volume 35, Issue 4 November 2009, p. 337 - 354.

This article examines the context for education research, including teacher education research, in Scotland. Concerns about research capacity are shared with other parts of the UK. However, the distinctive context for teacher development and engagement in practitioner research create fertile ground for developments in teacher education research.

Schemes such as 'Research to support Schools of Ambition' provide evidence of a shared commitment to teacher research. The national project, 'Applied Education Research Scheme', funded by the Scottish government and the Scottish Funding Council, included a thematic network on learners, learning and teaching.
Drawing on activities of this sort, the article suggests that a key element of effective capacity building lies in collaborative approaches.