A practical guide to action research and teacher enquiry : making a difference in the early years / Amanda Ince and Eleanor Kitto.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / by Dr. Guy Roberts-Holmes -- Aims and objectives -- Organisation of the text and how to use it -- Facilitated action research in the early years participant comments -- part I. Action research-theory and practice. What is action research? -- Why engage? -- part II. What is in it for me? Professional development-professional learning -- Team development -- Children's development -- Evidence-based practice -- Making the difference : planning your project with impact evolution -- Ethical considerations -- The phases of action research -- Identifying a focus-ask a question -- Collating information-check assumptions, investigate the reality -- Planning and implementing a change-innovate -- Evaluating impact -- Considering the future -- part III. The projects. Introduction -- Project 1: mindful yoga in a nursery school -- Project 2: developing the outdoor area to support early numeracy -- Project 3: storytelling -- Project 4: CPD policy -- Project 5: personal, social and emotional development at lnchtime -- Project 6: talking partners in primary -- Project 7: parental engagement -- Project 8: early writing -- Project 9: promoting a love of reading -- Project 10: 0-2 year old room.

"This accessible guide will be an invaluable resource for early years practitioners looking to make a positive difference in their settings by using action research or teacher enquiry. Guiding readers through the practical steps, issues and potentials of conducting research in a variety of early childhood settings, the book will increase practitioners' confidence, enabling them to bridge the gap between recognising room for improvements, and instigating necessary changes. Divided into easy-to-follow sections, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry offers clear definitions and explanations of action research along with explanations of how it can be applied in early years settings to effectively and efficiently improve outcomes for children. Chapters outline a clear rationale for engaging in action research, highlight purposes and potentials of various approaches, and provide a helpful step-by-step discussion of the different stages of enquiry. Ten examples of best practice are used to clearly illustrate the action research cycle in a variety of settings, and in relation a range of topics and age ranges, thereby providing readers with a wealth of tried-and-tested ideas for application in their own settings and projects. These are supported by a range of downloadable resources which can be used as tools to support the planning, reflecting and evaluation of practitioners' research activities. Informative, inspiring and highly relevant to practice, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry will support and scaffold the research activities of early years practitioners, managers, and students"-- Provided by publisher.