Persuading teachers to adopt academic theories (or deontological perspectives in professional motivation to translate academic theories into praxis). Developing a communications epistemology by action research

Thody, Angela (2008) Persuading teachers to adopt academic theories (or deontological perspectives in professional motivation to translate academic theories into praxis). Developing a communications epistemology by action research. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 36 (3). pp. 415-433. ISSN 1741-1432

Full content URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1741143208090597

Documents
Persuading Teachers to Adopt Academic Theories
A comparison of styles of academic writing to see which is appropriate for influencing teacher practice
[img] PDF
Thody_Research_Writing_Repository_2008..pdf
Restricted to Repository staff only

327kB
Item Type:Article
Item Status:Live Archive

Abstract

This article is to encourage debate about the challenges for academics wanting to see our theories translated into practice in schools. Conventional academic articles do not provide information ready for immediate download into daily school practice. Should academics therefore publish in alternative formats and styles as exemplified in the ‘newspeak’ first title for this article? Such formats can catch attention but can over-simplify carefully wrought cautious research. Finding a compromise between these two extremes so that theory can indeed be linked to praxis is part of the debate engendered by the post-modernist disaspora in research methodology. Pluralism in research methodologies has become accepted but pluralism in the ways in which research can be reported is much less common. The article discusses, and provides examples of, professional, traditional and alternative formats and the ethical issues that can arise from these. The traditional and alternative formats roughly divide along modernist/post modernist lines.

Keywords:academic writing, communicating research, modernism, postmodernism, research writing, research method
Subjects:X Education > X210 Research skills
X Education > X200 Research and Study Skills in Education
X Education > X370 Academic studies in Education (across phases)
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Education
ID Code:1639
Deposited On:25 Sep 2008 15:13

Repository Staff Only: item control page