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This research project will explore how to make university-based research and evidence on autism education more accessible for teachers seeking to develop their practice.
This project runs from September 2021 to September 2026.
Background
The question of how teachers can access and make use of evidence which comes from university-based research has been of growing interest in terms of both policy and practice.
Various models have been proposed and the development of sets of evidence resources, such as by the Education Endowment Fund in England or the What Works Clearing House initiative in the US has shown the importance to schools and teachers of developing practice based on evidence. Yet teachers are very busy professionals, with many calls on their time. As such, the best approach that would allow them to engage with and make use of research so that it can inform their practice remains an open question.
In this project, running over a number of years and in different stages, we have been trialling and promoting the use of a particular model called Making Autism Research Accessible to Teachers (MARAT), which is based on the Research Learning Community model of practice development, which itself is an adaptation of the Professional Learning Community model.
Methodology
We have been trialling this approach with schools in London for a number of years and continue to explore and evaluate the model. You can read more about the model works and our evaluations of it in the Outputs section.
We have also developed a theory of change model, based on MARAT, for aiding the implementation and evaluation of ‘evidence-informed’ interventions or practices in working with marginalised groups.
Research aims
We argue that making use of university-based research is of particular relevance for autism education, given the significant research activity in this field from neuroscience to pedagogy, including critical research which interrogates and challenges concepts of difference in the classroom.
Team
Project leads
- Dr Joseph Mintz, Department of Learning and Leadership
- Dr Amelia Roberts, UCL Centre for Inclusive Education
Additional information
Outputs
- For an overview of the MARAT model and teachers' insights into it: Evidence informed practice for autism, special educational needs and disability in schools: Expanding the scope of the research learning community model of professional development, Support for Learning
- More about the team's ideas on Theory of Change: Prospects for applying a theory of change model to the use of research evidence in autism education, Frontiers Special Education
- Watch Dr Joseph Mintz's UCL Lunchtime lecture on the project: How can 21st century research on autism empower London’s teachers?
- Download the project presentation slides for schools
If you would like to here more about the project, please contact Dr Joseph Mintz <j.mintz@ucl.ac.uk>
If you are interested in finding out more about using MARAT as a model to develop evidence-informed practice in your school, please contact Dr Amelia Roberts at <amelia.roberts@ucl.ac.uk>