Abstract

Symposium title: Partner perspectives on building a global, accessible, hub for communities of educational practitioner inquiry
Presenters:
Alison Twiner, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge
Elizabeth Hidson, University of Sunderland, UK
Emma Fielding, Richard Huish College
Amanda Wright, nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs)
Geraldene Codina, University of Derby

Non-presenting contributors:
Kate Duffy & Lesley Deacon, University of Sunderland, UK
Patrick Carmichael, Pete Dudley and Ying Ji, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge
Sara Hennessy and Gosia Marschall, University of Cambridge
Sarah Marshall, Rachel Higginson, Lis Sherian, Amy Lees and Hannah Curtis, Richard Huish College
Noni Csogor, Sixth Form College Association
Sophie Lee, nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs)

Many educators conduct close-to-practice research. Despite laudable efforts by some, sustainability, access and reach of such contextualised professional insights remains challenging [AUTHORS, UNDER REVIEW].
In this symposium we outline work curating an online, global, open-access digital library ‘hub’ for communities of inquiry to publish, share and find teacher research, for individual educators and organisations. The hub uses a robust digital repository incorporating best practices in open research, and is enhanced by various tools including AI, to enable easier publishing and effective engagement.
Three hub partners report practices being embedded, and outcomes and impacts observed, in their distinct contexts: specialist professional development, Higher Education, and the 16-19 sector.
Collectively, we identify how the hub supports quality assurance, ethics, and accessibility of content, for co-ordination across hub partners and beyond.
Valuable insights from the classroom: Practitioner-led inclusive practice
Education settings should both consume and produce research: where practitioner research stimulates professional curiosity around approaches that work for learners with different needs (Codina & Robinson, 2024). However, educators can lack confidence teaching learners with SEND. Combining these lenses, practitioner research can empower teachers to try new approaches, embedding the graduated approach cycle in their professional practice (DfE & DoH, 2015).
In this presentation we highlight work capturing and sharing practitioner-led SEND practice, drawing directly on insights from classrooms and settings. We have developed a searchable online practice library through the digital ‘hub’: collating case studies, practitioner inquiry and examples of inclusive practice from settings across England. Case studies evidence a broad range of impact including inclusive culture, quality of teaching, early identification of need, pupil wellbeing, attendance, transitions alongside learning outcomes. Through such open-access sharing and easy search facility, these examples support schools to learn from those who have faced similar challenges: as a space to build teacher confidence, reduce isolation, promote collaboration across the sector, and support more consistent approaches to inclusive practice.

Building sustainable postgraduate research communities: a Reflective Action in Education model
Distance learning teacher education programmes face distinctive challenges in developing sustainable research cultures. Postgraduate students complete rigorous classroom-based research but often view this solely as assessment, taking valuable contextual knowledge with them upon graduation. Without physical co-location, building community and maintaining research engagement presents significant barriers (AUTHOR, 2024). Our Reflective Action in Education initiative addresses these barriers through an integrated conference, podcast, and open-access journal platform. Since 2021, it has published 40+ articles, produced 26 podcast episodes, and hosted four conferences. But these developments are still localised: requiring local funding and maintenance.
Collaboration within the teacher-research hub has proved transformational: embedding our initiative within a global infrastructure. From PGCE-focused origins, the collection now encompasses Master's research reports, staff scholarship, and school partnership research, creating a comprehensive practitioner-research ecosystem supporting staff and student research culture (AUTHORS, 2025).
By supportively tackling research anxiety and imposter syndrome, and positioning educators along a practitioner-research continuum, the initiative challenges traditional hierarchies whilst creating sustainable, accessible knowledge-exchange pathways. This presentation shares the vision, model and impacts so far.

Joint Practice Development – Building a Sixth-Form College Research Culture
Sixth-form staff face the same challenge as above: with professional insights from practitioner research frequently staying onsite; alongside limited academic research specific to the 16-19 phase.
Effective professional development requires a collaborative, co-constructive process (Hargreaves, 2011).  Nurturing a genuine community of practice through Joint Practice Development is a powerful and progressive approach, grounded in principles of collaboration, mutual respect, and continuous improvement; valuing contributions of all members of our diverse learning communities (Fielding, et al, 2005). Since 2021, our College has been growing a community of practice (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2002), with all student-facing staff researching their practice, sharing findings and innovations through an annual journal and marketplace event. Developing ourselves professionally through JPD has contributed to a significant increase in student progress, with value-added scores in the top 10% of England. JPD has supported the development of student voice, attracted strong reflective practitioners to the college, and enabled us to retain talented staff.  
Working with our professional organisation, we have established a 16-19 collection in the hub digital library publishing peer-reviewed reports of our research. Being part of the hub allows us to flourish, individually and collectively, contributing to an expanding community of practice driven by teachers: reaffirming our professional identity as practitioner-researchers committed to reflective practice.

Summary
Individuals can achieve great things, but by sharing professional learning, amidst squeezed budgets and timetables, we can avoid everyone starting afresh for every challenge encountered. Access to the hub for communities of inquiry - at individual, setting, specialism and system levels - represents a powerful tool for professional development, and through synthesis a means to impact policy.

Keywords: practitioner research, SEND, Higher Education, 16-19, communities of inquiry
References altogether (max 250 words)
Duffy, K., Hidson, E. & Deacon, L. (2025). Facilitating Practice-Led Research Culture in Initial Teacher Training: The Case of Agile Research Teams (ARTs). Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 12(3), 113-132. https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v12i3.1831
Hidson, E. (2024). Developing a Research Culture with Trainee Teachers on International Initial Teacher Training Programmes. Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 11(3), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v11i3.1527
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