The Literature and "best practice".

A Critical Review of the Literature and Examples of Best Practice

By the end of this unit you should be able to:
•    Construct a critical review of the literature in your chosen field
•    Identify the components of best practice.
•    Develop a generalizable model of effective practice.
•    Develop this model into exemplar materials

 Introduction

A critical review of literature should be seen as a practical activity in identifying what is known about effective practice in your area of study.

The review should be the foundation for informing and justifying what you do in practice. This might be called best (known) practice. Any research that follows ought to be based upon best kn own practice in the field.

A critical review of the literature allows you to add through your own experiences and data your new perspectives and insights at a later point in the action enquiry and distinguish these from what everyone already knows.

A literature review might enable you to show MA criteria such as:
•    In-depth knowledge of best practice, research and theory in your field.
•    The isolation, analysis and evaluation of the key concepts.
•    Analysis and evaluation of what is said by different people about your topic.
•    The possible tensions between policy, guidance, theory and your practice (or your experience).

The “literature” you should consult will include:
•    Policy and guidance literature
•    Descriptions of effective practice.
•    Theoretical explanations and implications for practice.
•    Research findings about practice.

A. Review of Policy Documents:

Construct a review of policy documents on your focus and using the DfES websites, and other material. This may be in placed in your needs analysis section, in your context statement or in the review of literature.

In the review:

• Show knowledge of policy
• Analyse key ideas.
• Look for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
• Undertake Gap Analysis
• Compare and Contrast.

The definition of “policy” will include:
•    DFES statute, guidance
•    Guidance by governmental agencies (QCA, Ofsted, LEAs, Strategies)
•    Guidance by non-governmental agencies such as GTC, NCSL, Specialist School’s Trust.
 

B. Review of the Literature, Theory, and Models,

Construct a review of the literature, key concepts and theoretical models in your area of work. (Examples of models are 1.here and 2.here). You can design similar based upon what you have read.

You must do more than list material, catalogue authors and their views, and much more than just describe what you have read. (Look at this material on "Critical Thinking" and this material on MA criteria )You should:

•     Show in depth knowledge (of the key authors in your field)
•     Identify and analyse key concepts.
  
•     Compare and contrast different views, perspectives and evidence
  
•     Evaluate:    
  
• How good is the evidence?
• Does it make sense?
• Does it really happen as described?
•  Could it be applied to practice?
• How important or significant is it? (To you, to learners, to examiners)

You should show what definitions are there and what different meanings there are in your field. Above all you must show what we  already know and understand and indicate what gaps there are in our knowledge, thus justifying your piece of research as a contribution to the field

C. Sources of Literature

Much of what you need is now on the Internet,

• Use Google www.google.co.uk,
• Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/
• The Electronic Learning Resources http://www.lr.mdx.ac.uk/lib/emedia/index.htm

Your school will have a number of useful policy documents and guidance material.

Use the University library or buy your own copies of material in your area. (Which you can often obtain online)

You will be very disadvantaged if you are unable to show your knowledge of easily available material on google, or what has been sent to schools, for example the Assessment for Learning, and Pedagogy and Practice Material. Your module tutor can advise on the key works of this nature.

Developing Exemplar Materials

By the end of this part you will be able to show:

•    Application of best practice research theory to practice

•    In depth understanding of practice.

•    Critical engagement in practice

Having shown your knowledge of the field you must apply this to practice by preparing some activities, which apply the best ideas from the research and literature.

These might be called “exemplar” models, as they are the best examples of practice

In research terms you have to demonstrate clearly that your practice is the best that can be achieved to investigate the field. For example, you cannot research “questioning” in the classroom if the teacher asks poor questions (or non at all!)

Exemplar models might be combinations of

•    Materials

•    Activities

•    Lesson plans

•    Schemes of work

•    Units of work

•    Agenda, plans, instructions etc

There is an advantage to the MA researcher in showing the direct link between the theory and application in the portfolio of evidence. This might involve annotation, labelling or headings.

Suggested Process of Constructing a literature review

1.    Brainstorm key search words for the Literature in your field.
2.    Produce a list of literature in your field
3. Keep a reading journal noting

• Harvard Reference
• Topics Covered  
• Critical Commentary (comparisons, contrasts, practicalities, contradictions, relevance, importance)

4. Synthesise the  reading journal by using a grid

5. Mind map the key concepts and processes operating.

6. Use the grid as the basis for a plan for writing the review.

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