The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Teacher Pat Orr reviews art with Alternative School student.

Red Deer Public introduces the Knowledge Institute

By nature, teachers are inquisitive about learning. Through experience, reflection, professional development and sometimes even luck, they gain insight into what does and does not work to support teaching and learning in their classrooms.

But how do teachers know if what they are doing works? How does one move from an educated hunch to understanding why something is really making a ­difference?

To create a culture that supports original inquiry and applied research among professional educators, Red Deer Public Schools has implemented the Knowledge Institute. “Our goal is to expand knowledge and improve practice within our profession,” says Jay Hetherington, district psychologist and project coordinator. “We recognize that our classrooms are data-rich environments that can support applied research. This initiative encourages, supports and promotes research projects undertaken by our teachers.”

The challenge is to make sense of all the information in the classroom so the educator can then understand what key variables can be manipulated to enhance the effectiveness of classroom practice. The goal is to improve the educational outcomes of students.

“The Knowledge Institute is valuable because it promotes a research frame of mind in understanding the classroom,” says Stu Henry, deputy superintendent.

By promoting professional collaboration with educators at the postsecondary level, the Knowledge Institute provides teachers with support to ensure ethical and sound research practices. “We can assist with methodology, research procedures and statistics to ensure the academic rigor necessary to provide acceptable levels of certainty in the results produced by the research,” says Dr. Troy Janzen, with the department of educational psychology at the University of Alberta. Janzen assists Knowledge Institute ­participants through professional mentorship and guidance.

The projects are wide and varied; some are connected to graduate work, while others are undertaken out of professional interest and curiosity. Featured here are three of this year’s projects.

Pat Orr, a counsellor in Alternative School Programs, is completing “Alternative Art: Strategies for Counselling Interventions,” using the art curriculum to support counselling and cognitive learning strategies.

Jamie Rawlusyk, a science teacher at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School and a doctoral candidate, did applied research on subject-specific test-taking strategies and their influence on student achievement.

Gord Strowbridge, a math teacher at Westpark Middle School, focused on math test anxiety and new understanding about the way the brain learns mathematics.

The district hosts an ­annual symposium to showcase the researchers and their projects. Participants are also recognized as Fellows of the Knowledge Institute and receive support for PD.

“We are really interested in the research being undertaken right here in our own classrooms.  Research-based instructional practices are a priority in Red Deer Public. It’s exciting when you can support the passions and interest of professional educators and expand the field of knowledge within our profession,” explains Henry.

Article and photo provided by Red Deer Public Schools.