Journal Club: A mechanism for bringing evidenced based practice into school?

Abstract

Supporting the teacher to consider the value of using evidence based practice, and the contribution to this of the school-based Journal Club, this paper provides an account of an examination of teacher perceptions within one case study school.  The examination, undertaken in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Masters in Education degree, revealed there to be a gap between conceptual understanding and teaching practice, and that that gap was argued to be the consequence of the circumstances in which the teacher found themselves operating.  Identified influences included the pressure of work, particularly the issue of the availability of time; but the extent to which the teacher had previously had involvement with research activities was also noted.  Highlighted is the risk that a Journal Club can be perceived as little more than a 'talking shop'; specifically that there is a fear that the potential a Journal Club has to support the individual to adopt an evidence based approach to their teaching may not be revealed and that the presence of that fear has an inhibiting influence on engagement.