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Teacher Research: Professional Inquiry

What is Professional Inquiry?

Practicioner professional inquiry is a systematic and intentional study of one’s own professional practice through site-based action research in order to effect change. Fairfax County Public Schools has a twenty-year history of providing support for staff and faculty engaging in inquiry through courses taught by TNLI MetLife Fellows and a Teacher Research:Professional Inquiry Conference held annually in May.

Inquiring professionals seek out and implement change by:

• Reflecting on their practice
• Posing questions which explore options and possibilities for change
• Collecting data to gain insight
• Analyzing their data
• Implementing changes in practice based upon their research
• Sharing their findings with others

Professional Inquiry Supports Student Learning

The Teacher Research:Professional Inquiry process positively impacts the individual participant, students and schools within FCPS and has the potential to effect change at the regional and national level as well.

Outcomes

• Impact teacher and student learning and/or student achievement through implementation of changes in practice based upon new research
• Support for revision of instructional practice based on new knowledge about teaching and learning gained through the inquiry process
• Increase dialogue, sharing, and collaboration about instruction and student learning across departments, disciplines, grade levels and schools
• Implement changes in practice based upon new research
• Enable development of priorities for school-wide planning and assessment efforts
• Contribute to the professional body of knowledge about teaching and learning
• Enhance communication between teachers and students
• Support teacher-designed and initiated professional development