Research-practice Partnerships for School Improvement: The Learning Schools Model

Thereis an increasing focus on research-practice partnerships that adopt research designsaimed at improving educationalpractice while advancing research knowledge. There is now a need for books thatprovide a theoretical and practical account of successful research designs thathave been tested and replicated over time and contexts. This book addressesthis need by providing thefirst comprehensive account of the Learning Schools Model (LSM), a design-basedresearch-practice partnership that has been tested over 15 years and across contexts and countries(n=5). This model has successfully built teacher and school capacity andimproved valued student outcomes for primarily indigenous and ethnic minority students from lowersocio-economic communities.

Thequality of research into the model has been recognised locally andinternationally. The International Literacy Association reprinted a paper onthe original model in their volume “Theoretical models and processes of Reading(6th Ed)”. The authors won the University of Auckland’s Research ExcellenceAward (2015), awarded for research of demonstrable quality and impact,for their research into the Model.

This book addressesseveral gaps in the existing literature on research-practice partnerships. Firstly, understanding applications incontexts beyond the USA where much of the seminal work is located adds to ourcollective understanding of contexts in terms of constraints and enablers. Secondly, we provide a theoretical accountof partnership development and demonstrate how these are practically developedin situ to address the known need for stronger theoretical understandings of partnershipdevelopment and better training in developing partnerships. Finally, our bookdemonstrates how research can be both responsive to context and yet have robustand replicable research designs that improve valued student outcomes over timeand contexts. This in turn provides an alternate research approach forcountries where randomisedcontrol trials are often the “gold standard” for interventions.

Associate Professor Mei Kuin, Lai is an Associate Director at the Woolf Fisher Research Centre, The University of Auckland. Her research focuses on research-practice partnerships to improve valued student outcomes, in particular, how collaborative analysis of data in professional learning communities and networks contribute to these improvements. She was the joint-recipient of the University of Auckland’s Research Excellence Award (2015), awarded for research of demonstrable quality and impact, for her work in co-designing and co-testing the Learning Schools Model. She has published in journals like Teaching and Teacher Education and Reading Research Quarterly, where her first authored article was selected for inclusion in the International Literacy Association’s edited book, Theoretical models and processes of reading (6th Edition). She consults nationally and internationally, and has led or co-led large-scale and regional projects in New Zealand.

Stuart McNaughton (ONZM) is a Professor of Education at the University of Auckland and the former Director of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre. He is also New Zealand’s Chief Education Scientific Advisor. He has published extensively on children’s literacy and language development, the design of effective educational programmes for culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and cultural processes in development. He is a recipient of research prizes, consults on curricula and educational interventions nationally and internationally, and has a position as Distinguished Overseas Professor at East China Normal University (Shanghai). He is a member of the International Reading Hall of Fame for sustained contribution to literacy research, literacy leadership and the preparation of leaders in the literacy field through teaching. He was the joint-recipient of the University of Auckland’s Research Excellence Award (2015) for his work in co-designing and co-testing the Learning Schools Model. His publications have featured in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ).

Associate Professor Rebecca Jesson is Associate Head of School (Research) at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, and an Associate Director at the Woolf Fisher Research Centre, The University of Auckland. Rebecca’s research interests centre on the literacy learning, and on developing effective instruction for all students that leads to advanced literacy skills. Most recently this focus has extended to investigating teaching and learning processes in Pacific Nations and within digital interventions in New Zealand. Rebecca has led or co-led large Learning Schools Model projects reaching over 200 schools across three Pacific nations and in New Zealand. She was the joint-recipient of the University of Auckland’s Research Excellence Award (2015) for her work in co-designing and co-testing the Learning Schools Model. She has published in journals like Teaching and Teacher Education.

Dr Aaron Wilson is Associate Dean (Research) at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, and an Associate Director of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre, The University of Auckland. He researches and writes mainly about literacy, particularly disciplinary and adolescent literacy, as well as about teacher professional learning and development. He was the joint-recipient of the University of Auckland’s Research Excellence Award (2015) for his work in co-designing and co-testing the Learning Schools Model. He presents and consults both locally and internationally, working with practitioners, policy-makers and researchers including the NZ Ministry of Education, and has led or co-led high profile large-scale projects. He is currently a department head for the literacy leadership department of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. He has published in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ).