| Summary: | This project aimed to investigate how engaging teachers in research through learning research groups (LRGs) can serve as a viable form of continued professional development (CPD). Teachers signed up to one of four LRGs and throughout the year shared articles pertaining to a specific topic. Participants then undertook their own practitioner research, completed an article for inhouse publication and presented their findings to governors in a poster conference. Three research questions were posed, 1) Does engaging in research through LRGs improve practice? 2) Is engaging in research through LRGs a useful form of CPD? 3) What is the school leadership’s perception of an LRG approach to CPD becoming a whole school practice? A mixed methods approach was taken, involving questionnaires and interviews. Findings indicate that 1) participation in the LRG has improved the practice of those involved. 2) Engagement in the LRG has met the criteria for good CPD outlined in the literature review, and 3) the leadership of Riverside College see the LRG as having value as a sign, benefits outweighing its costs and would support its expansion. It is concluded that the LRG is a valuable way to engage teachers in research for CPD and that this approach contributes, when considered in the context of similar case studies, to our understanding of the key features and benefits of research engagement as CPD.
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