3a- What's it all about ? We want to know. (others will do too)

Just thinking about the above questions in order

You have a class - I don't You have, at least a job in school. - no I don't except admin. assistant to my wife (Head of Learning support).
The school wants you to develop something Well yes they do but they publically think that what they do already is pretty good except there are really big rumblings from all the staff including the new Head that all is not well.

 I also have access, and sight of in action, all the protocols associated with the children with learning difficulties. I have the opportunity to support the school in a variety of ways so that the children are used to me and know that I am not an inspector but there to help them and the school. I am publically not an employee of the school so nobody will expect me, and I won't be, succumbing to the desired outcomes of the school.

I therefore have had the opportunity to go back to basics and I have done some preconception free observations to find out what is really happening. I can allow the children, staff and anybody else to speak freely about what really matters to them about the learning environment. They all know that I am interested and non judgemental (at least in their eyes).

I have therefore chosen to examine the sources of evidence that they use to guide their teaching strategies i.e. Ed. Psych reports and specialist teachers and examine whether the teaching reflects this advice and whether this response is effective. I am really concerned at the moment about the research instruments that will provide the best evidence to assess the guidance that has been given.

I too like you Peter have no classroom per say but I do teach voluntarily, assist in group drama activities and observe at chicken shed an inclusive theatre group. This will give me much observation time, reflective journaling,conversations with staff, and my own experiences with my drama sessions and getting information from the staff around me to help me with my focus.

The literature on inclusive theatre is limited but I can still use much of the above options for my research while incorporating other literature information to the focus and analysis.

It all looks like you have a good environment for your research.

Just picking up on your point here Jessica regarding a *good environment* - it might be considered easy or blasé to say this I know ...because I am not fully conversant with everyone's personal and professional working places but please do consider this point - every environment is 'good' to support research - there is no such thing as a 'bad' environment to research but what can happen is that the research can appear thin / poor or lacking if it isn't properly or fully considered. Every place is different, has different opportunities and can deliver different results but the questions being asked can be poor.
I once had this discussion or similar with my own supervisor regarding 'research questions' and his answer always remained prominent.

He said 'there is no such thing as the wrong/poor data to investigate but there can be the wrong questions being asked of that data'