OUR BIG QUESTIONS 2025

DETERMINING THE BEST QUESTION FOR THE QDAI PROCESS

The QDAI process starts with a question. How do we collaborate with our staff and community to ensure that we have the best question?  Will the question we choose generate hope, engagement and creative action? Have we considered it carefully to ensure that it is really relevant for our students? Have we looked at it critically to ensure that we haven't embedded incorrect assumptions about our community or the focus curriculum area?
"The Art of Powerful Questions"  is a great place to start. Download here. And here is a short summary
In a recent short article, John Hattie emphasises that we should focus on impact. "I now think we have to change the questions we ask about teaching. A lot of research focuses on teaching strategies that have a high probability of being effective .... But we need to stop just looking at the strategies teachers are using, and instead look more closely at the impact we have on students and how they learn best." Click here for the full article

WHAT DATA WILL WE PLAN FOR AND COLLECT?

One of the key challenges in using data is how to measure what we value (instead of valuing what is already measured). The steps in the Jim Tognolini PL session, "Measuring What We Value" are a good starting point.  Download here Check out the rubric that Granville East PS devised to measure agency.

Another is drilling down from the satellite data to determine exactly what aspects of teaching and learning you need to pinpoint for the students in your school.  Read the brief summary of "street data" here.

HOW SHOULD WE select the next steps? WHAT RESEARCH SHOULD WE TAP INTO?

Whilst, there is a body of work that details effective teaching techniques, the following two articles advocate for teachers to be their own researcher building an evidence-informed, knowledge creating profession. Ann McIntyre in "Collaborative Learning for Impact" recommends that teachers collaboratively plan and assess impact and work together to analyse the effectiveness of various teaching techniques. Download here:  A similar approach is reflected in the AITSL document, "Disciplined Collaboration" which has been designed with impact in mind and a model of collaborative enquiry."  Download here

How can teachers navigate the world of educational research? AITSL has some great advice at this webpage: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/informing-teaching-navigating-and-translating-education-best-practice
My own practice is only look at research/ educational papers that cite at least 8 other recognised education. researchers. When publishing documents, it is both lazy and deceptive to only reference your own organisation when making claims about what works best.