Kate Wall
@katewall.bsky.social
Professor of Education
Strathclyde Institute of Education
Professional learning, primary/EY, democratic ed, voice, visual methods & pedagogies for thinking. #StrathSTL #StrathEdD #StrathEduPGR
Strathclyde Institute of Education
Professional learning, primary/EY, democratic ed, voice, visual methods & pedagogies for thinking. #StrathSTL #StrathEdD #StrathEduPGR
Enquiry answers are usually partial and temporal: will that thing work in same way for same content for similar class in 5 years? Almost definitely not. And so enquiry breeds enquiry. We need to strive to understand by asking questions but accepting the non-simple answers/8
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Enquiry answers are usually partial and temporal: will that thing work in same way for same content for similar class in 5 years? Almost definitely not. And so enquiry breeds enquiry. We need to strive to understand by asking questions but accepting the non-simple answers/8
So we need to take the pressure off ourselves that worthy research has simple yes/ no answers and admit education is almost defintely more complex than that. We need to report areas of clarity in enquiries, but also the caveats we have observed and what we are not sure about /7
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
So we need to take the pressure off ourselves that worthy research has simple yes/ no answers and admit education is almost defintely more complex than that. We need to report areas of clarity in enquiries, but also the caveats we have observed and what we are not sure about /7
Rather we're looking for part of a jigsaw puzzle. Enquiries tend to lead to partial answers at best. But they will always lead to more questions to fuel your next cycle(s). You may get your jigsaw piece but where it fits and what it is next to will remain worthy of exporation /6
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Rather we're looking for part of a jigsaw puzzle. Enquiries tend to lead to partial answers at best. But they will always lead to more questions to fuel your next cycle(s). You may get your jigsaw piece but where it fits and what it is next to will remain worthy of exporation /6
Therefore when engaging in an enquiry project we need to accept our question (if useful) is unlikely to have a simple or definitive answer. Its just unlikely to work the same for all children, for every time or across all curriculum learning. Share the doubt and the complexity /5
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Therefore when engaging in an enquiry project we need to accept our question (if useful) is unlikely to have a simple or definitive answer. Its just unlikely to work the same for all children, for every time or across all curriculum learning. Share the doubt and the complexity /5
Learning is a complex, non-linear process where sometimes learners need to go back to go forward. Some children will be going forward at pace, while others are stuck or unravelling concepts, all at the same time, and with the same input. Neat processes are few and far between./4
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Learning is a complex, non-linear process where sometimes learners need to go back to go forward. Some children will be going forward at pace, while others are stuck or unravelling concepts, all at the same time, and with the same input. Neat processes are few and far between./4
One of the joys (and challenges) of being a teacher is that we're constantly having to dance on our toes and react to the unexpected. Things sometimes go to plan, but often they don't. Sometimes the learning is predictable and sometimes its not. Enquiry has to acknowledge this/3
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
One of the joys (and challenges) of being a teacher is that we're constantly having to dance on our toes and react to the unexpected. Things sometimes go to plan, but often they don't. Sometimes the learning is predictable and sometimes its not. Enquiry has to acknowledge this/3
Last week I talked about the importance of the outlier and this is part of why simple answers don't work. Yes, that thing might have worked for the majority on that day in February when it was raining, but did it work for all equally and would it work again in the same way?/2
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Last week I talked about the importance of the outlier and this is part of why simple answers don't work. Yes, that thing might have worked for the majority on that day in February when it was raining, but did it work for all equally and would it work again in the same way?/2
Be wary of thinking that 'proper' research only speaks to big ideas that work for most of the population. We also need to share those groups and individuals or even subjects or times of day, when it doesn't work so well and normalise it. These are where next questions come from/7
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Be wary of thinking that 'proper' research only speaks to big ideas that work for most of the population. We also need to share those groups and individuals or even subjects or times of day, when it doesn't work so well and normalise it. These are where next questions come from/7
One of a teacher's most fundamental and important skills is being able to differentiate and support all learners in their classroom. This is often done thoughtfully and carefully with deep seated social justice aims. So when sharing your practitioner enquiry do the same. /6
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
One of a teacher's most fundamental and important skills is being able to differentiate and support all learners in their classroom. This is often done thoughtfully and carefully with deep seated social justice aims. So when sharing your practitioner enquiry do the same. /6
Similarly, when you're reporting enquiry outcomes, be wary of just talking about majority big findings to detriment of the ones for whom it didn't go as expected. We need to report warts and all. For another teacher to take your approach into their classroom they need to know/5
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Similarly, when you're reporting enquiry outcomes, be wary of just talking about majority big findings to detriment of the ones for whom it didn't go as expected. We need to report warts and all. For another teacher to take your approach into their classroom they need to know/5
Practitioner enquiry is useful for finding out about that thing that Prof What's-her-face suggested as having an impact but in the context of your group of learners. Your purpose is to find out what elements of the approach are useful in your classroom and for whom. /4
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Practitioner enquiry is useful for finding out about that thing that Prof What's-her-face suggested as having an impact but in the context of your group of learners. Your purpose is to find out what elements of the approach are useful in your classroom and for whom. /4
I am wary of one size fits all approaches, of people who think they've THE answer, of rolling out and scaling up. The real educational world is more complex. Even the best ideas need to be adapted to context, to learner need. That's why we need practitioner enquiry to explore /3
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
I am wary of one size fits all approaches, of people who think they've THE answer, of rolling out and scaling up. The real educational world is more complex. Even the best ideas need to be adapted to context, to learner need. That's why we need practitioner enquiry to explore /3
Obviously the learning of majority is important and I'm not discounting useful research with generalisable outcomes. But as teacher researchers who work in real classrooms, we know that for every trend or big idea, there is a group or individual for whom it doesn't work as well/2
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Obviously the learning of majority is important and I'm not discounting useful research with generalisable outcomes. But as teacher researchers who work in real classrooms, we know that for every trend or big idea, there is a group or individual for whom it doesn't work as well/2
Use terms that work for you and don't be crippled by a feelings of what might be 'proper'. But don't brush this aspect under the carpet, consider quality in a way that speaks to your type of enquiry, remembering you're a teacher first, so addressing learner need is priority/8
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Use terms that work for you and don't be crippled by a feelings of what might be 'proper'. But don't brush this aspect under the carpet, consider quality in a way that speaks to your type of enquiry, remembering you're a teacher first, so addressing learner need is priority/8
So quality is a contested term and too often I see it used to undermine teachers enquiry activity. You do need to consider quality in your work - why is that the best evidence for answering that question? But quality is not something you have (or not), rather it is a dynamic/7
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
So quality is a contested term and too often I see it used to undermine teachers enquiry activity. You do need to consider quality in your work - why is that the best evidence for answering that question? But quality is not something you have (or not), rather it is a dynamic/7
In practitioner enquiry realm then context and pedagogical appropriateness are just as important as these other research terms. How does the research process fit with target learners' needs (capabilities/ experiences/ understandings)? How does it evoke a real life context?/6
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
In practitioner enquiry realm then context and pedagogical appropriateness are just as important as these other research terms. How does the research process fit with target learners' needs (capabilities/ experiences/ understandings)? How does it evoke a real life context?/6
Within practitioner enquiry, which is different again, the close to practice nature of teacher-researchers requires further considerations of quality. Teachers with expertise, insight and access that others don't, as well as responsibility to prioritise children's outcomes/5
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Within practitioner enquiry, which is different again, the close to practice nature of teacher-researchers requires further considerations of quality. Teachers with expertise, insight and access that others don't, as well as responsibility to prioritise children's outcomes/5
Even in research world generalisability, validity and reliability are not universally agreed as they miss importance of trustworthiness associated with credibility, reflexivity, dependability, and transferability. It is a contested space and you can consider what works for you/4
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Even in research world generalisability, validity and reliability are not universally agreed as they miss importance of trustworthiness associated with credibility, reflexivity, dependability, and transferability. It is a contested space and you can consider what works for you/4
It's therefore impossible to apply a single set of quality terms to all types of enquiry. We need to be careful about presuming, especially if applying unthinkingly the words from research to the other types of activity. Practitioner enquiry is multifaceted and so is quality/3
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
It's therefore impossible to apply a single set of quality terms to all types of enquiry. We need to be careful about presuming, especially if applying unthinkingly the words from research to the other types of activity. Practitioner enquiry is multifaceted and so is quality/3
Enquiry encompasses a lot of different research activities for the purpose of professional learning: small scale research projects (quant, qual and mixed method), reading literature, scholarship on teaching and learning, as well as maintaining an enquiry stance to your practice/2
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Enquiry encompasses a lot of different research activities for the purpose of professional learning: small scale research projects (quant, qual and mixed method), reading literature, scholarship on teaching and learning, as well as maintaining an enquiry stance to your practice/2