Join us on Bluesky with guest Aimie Brennan (@aimiebrennan.bsky.social) on Wednesday, 3rd December 2025 at 20:00 GMT

For many educators, research is something we associate with initial teacher education, postgraduate study, or the occasional school-based project that stems from specific policy/reporting requirements. But research shouldn’t end at graduation. In fact, staying curious, reflective, and research-engaged can become one of the most sustaining aspects of a long and fulfilling teaching career.

The education landscape increasingly recognises the teacher as researcher, reflective practitioner, and evidence-based practitioner. In Ireland, Frameworks such as the Teaching Council’s Cosán, Céim, Code of Professional Conduct, and the emphasis on reflective practice within Droichead all highlight that inquiry is not an optional extra, it is central to professional growth. It is the responsibility of everyone within the wider education system to ensure that teachers are supported to embrace both a teacher and researcher identity post-graduation. 

For many teachers, there’s a real question: How do you stay active as a researcher while balancing the genuine pressures of classroom life? The reality is that research doesn’t have to be a formal pursuit or a published article; it can be:

• testing a new approach to feedback
• gathering student voice
• reading a recent study
• collaborating with colleagues to solve a problem
• Working with assessment, attendance or other learner data 
• Using evidence to inform school improvement plans 

These are all forms of teacher-research.

Why Research Still Matters After Graduation

1. Research keeps practice adaptive

Irish classrooms are continually evolving with new curricula, increasingly diverse learners, evolving digital tools, and shifting societal expectations. Engaging in research, even in small ways, helps teachers stay responsive rather than reactive to change. Instead of simply applying best practices, research-active teachers examine what works (or doesn’t) in their own classrooms. This can lead to more thoughtful decisions about pedagogy, assessment, inclusion, and equity.

2. Research strengthens professional agency

When teachers engage in evidence-informed inquiry, they position themselves not only as implementers of policy but as shapers of educational practice. Seeing research as a powerful mechanism for giving teachers freedom, autonomy and agency can fuels confidence and creativity in the classroom. Research can empower teachers to be ‘agents of knowing’, not just passive recipients (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999). 

3. Research builds community and conversation

Irish schools increasingly adopt collaborative models such as School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and subject department inquiry. Research opens meaningful professional dialogue, moving beyond a “what works for me” question to a “what works, for whom, and in which context?” approach. In this way research has a broader impact on the whole school community and beyond. 

4. Research bridges theory and the realities of Irish classrooms

Importantly, practitioners bring something academics cannot replicate: the daily lived experience of the classroom. Teachers enrich Irish educational research by grounding it in real contexts, culture, and communities. When teachers systematically investigate their practice, they produce ‘local knowledge’ knowledge deeply rooted in their context that informs not only their own classrooms but can contribute to broader understandings of teaching and learning (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993). While this closeness to practice brings with it a series of ethical challenges, it can also lead to rich insights into learner experiences. 

Practical Ways Teachers Can Stay Research-Active post-graduation 

1. Join a Teacher Research Group or SIG. Many schools now facilitate inquiry-based groups or professional learning communities. Similarly, professional networks like ESAI, NEARI and T-Rex provide scope for teachers to join special interest groups free of charge. 
2. Use SSE as a framework for your classroom inquiry. The School Self Evaluation (SSE) framework available in the ‘Looking at our schools’ policy encourages data gathering, reflection, and action as core components of practitioner research. Follow this or a similar framework to simplify your approach to inquiry. 
3. Engage with the Teaching Council’s research resources. The Teaching Council of Ireland funds research, hosts conferences, and shares practitioner-focused materials via their online library. This is a great resource for teachers who want to access books and readings but don’t have access to a university library.
4. Present or attend Irish education conferences. Events from organisations like ESAI, SCoTENS, and Féilte festival offer entry points for teacher-researchers to present research. Similarly, STER provides an opportunity for graduates to publish a snapshot of their research post-graduation.
5. Conduct your own small-scale inquiries. Small projects, one class, one month, one question, can be powerful and manageable. Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? How do I know it works? Who benefits? Who might be excluded?
6. Collaborate with local universities or education centres Partnerships often welcome practitioner involvement in research projects or classroom trials.

Being a teacher-researcher doesn’t require a PhD, a journal publication, or hours of writing. What it requires is curiosity, a willingness to reflect, and a commitment to understanding your own teaching context. It means seeing your classroom as a place not just of teaching, but of learning (your learning, as well as your students). 

Free resources for teacher-researchers: 

http://www.ster.ie/ – The Student Teacher Educational Research Project. A graduate journal and conference for all educators within 3 years of graduation. 

https://www.t-rex.ie/ – teachers research exchange, connecting teachers, students, and other education professionals. 

https://esai.ie/ – The Educational Studies Association of Ireland. 

http://www.eari.ie/ – The Network for Educational Action Researchers 

References

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (1993). Inside/Outside: Teacher Research and Knowledge. Teachers College Press.

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (1999). “Relationships of Knowledge and Practice: Teacher Learning in Communities.” Review of Research in Education, 24, 249–305.

Teaching Council. (2016). Code of professional conduct for teachers (2nd ed.). Teaching Council of Ireland. https://www.teachingcouncil.ie

Teaching Council. (2017). Droichead: The integrated professional induction framework. Teaching Council of Ireland. https://www.teachingcouncil.ie

Teaching Council. (2020). Céim: Standards for initial teacher education. Teaching Council of Ireland. https://www.teachingcouncil.ie

Department of Education and Skills. (2016). Looking at our school 2016: A quality framework for post-primary/primary schools. Government of Ireland. https://www.gov.ie

Teaching Council. (2016). Cosán: Framework for teachers’ learning. Teaching Council of Ireland. https://www.teachingcouncil.ie

Guest Biography

Dr Aimie Brennan is Dean of Education: Policy, Practice & Society at Marino Institute of Education in Dublin, Ireland. She is the founder of the Student Teacher Educational Research (STER) project and Vice President of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland. Dr Brennan’s teaching and research explore how to support student teachers and practising teachers in embracing a teacher-researcher identity and engaging in rigorous and ethical research post-graduation. 

Questions and chat

Q1 –  Teacher researcher is different from postgraduate research. What kind of research or inquiry do you most engage with during your practice, if any?

Q2 –  Do you think engaging in research has strengthened your confidence and autonomy as an educator? How so?

Q3 – In your opinion, what are the challenges to staying active as a researcher, post-graduation?

Q4 – What resources have you found most helpful when trying to stay research active in your profession?

Q5 – Finding time and appropriate resources are often cited as the most common challenges facing teachers and educators. How do you balance your engagement in research with your everyday work?

Q6 – Going forward, do you think there are other supports or resources which could be put in place to help you be research active post-graduation? What are they and who do you think should lead this?