Unlike traditional research conducted within universities or research centres, school-based educational research is grounded in the lived experiences of those directly involved in education. It is a collaborative process that often integrates teachers as practitioner-researchers and students as co-constructors of knowledge. This approach ensures that the findings are not only relevant but also actionable within the school context, maximising positive impact for students.

At its core, school-based research is about creating a feedback loop between practice and theory. By focusing on the day-to-day realities of teaching and learning, it allows schools to identify challenges, pilot solutions, and assess outcomes in real-time. For example, a school might investigate how different homework strategies influence student well-being or how integrating artificial intelligence tools supports independent thinking while maintaining academic integrity. The insights gained from such research can immediately inform teaching practices and curriculum development, benefiting both students and educators.

Beyond its practical benefits, school-based research has the potential to shape education on a broader scale. When schools systematically document and share their findings, they contribute to a growing body of knowledge that can influence policy and practice globally. Schools create for themselves opportunities to address universal questions—like how to foster flourishing in students or how to integrate technology responsibly—while providing contextually rich examples from their own communities. One of the many ways this is achieved at Barker is through the Barker Institute journal Learning in Practice. Annually published, Learning in Practice provides an avenue for members of the school community to share their research on a global scale, and to invite others to do the same.

One of the most compelling aspects of school-based research is its capacity to humanise educational discourse. By amplifying the voices of students and teachers, it reminds us that education is not just about systems and standards but about people. It bridges the gap between the abstract goals of education and the concrete realities of classrooms, creating solutions that are both innovative and deeply rooted in the needs of learners.

In an era where global educational challenges demand practical, scalable solutions, school-based research stands out as a potential model of how local insights can inspire global change. Whether through improving teaching practices, shaping policy, or contributing to the broader discourse on education, this form of research offers a dynamic way for schools to lead, learn, and grow.

School-based educational research isn’t just about answering questions; it’s about empowering school communities to be part of the answers. And that is what makes it all so exciting.

Dr Timothy Scott

Tim has held various leadership roles in schools in Australia and abroad for the past 24 years, alongside teaching history and modern languages. He is currently Research Principal at the Barker Institute, the school-based educational research centre at Barker College. His research interests include intercultural and interlingual learning and teaching, refugee education, and the role of student voice in improving educational practice. Tim believes embedding research informed practice has become increasingly important and is the mark of contemporary schools, empowering their teachers as experts and enabling their learners to thrive. He is one of the lead researchers for the Barker Institute’s ongoing, decade-long longitudinal study, the Barker Journey. Concurrently with his educational research responsibilities, Tim teaches History and Global Studies at Barker. Tim’s PhD investigated socio-political influences on contemporary German conceptions of history and archaeology.