Research
Bridging Research and Practice : Notes from the Researching Schools Conference
Jill Sarada and Katrina Bartow Jacobs at the Researching Schools Conference in Bielefeld , Germany
In September 2022 , Falk Laboratory School director Jill Sarada and Katrina Bartow Jacobs , Falk ’ s research coordinator and an associate professor of practice in Pitt ’ s School of Education , traveled to Bielefeld , Germany , to attend the Researching Schools conference , organized by LabSchoolsEurope . The conference ’ s theme was “ Bridging Research and Practice at Laboratory and University Schools ,” and Sarada and Bartow Jacobs were invited to present on Falk School ’ s approach to research .
Q : What did you present on at the Researching Schools conference ?
Katrina Bartow Jacobs : We did two presentations while we were there . One was a poster presentation that was a snapshot of Falk Laboratory School . It focused on our research but in the context of who we are and what our goals are . Then we did a presentation on our research fellowship model and on using teacher research and improvement science as a culture change driver and an aid in the professionalization of teaching . We presented on rethinking what research is and how that shifts the roles and possibilities of a lab school .
Q : What kind of response did you receive ?
Jill Sarada : One teacher came up to Katrina afterward and said a specific thank-you , that this was the most meaningful session .
Bartow Jacobs : They felt really centered in the work . Sarada : They felt seen as teachers .
Q : What kinds of ideas or meaningful connections came from the conference ?
Sarada : I remember one woman we talked to from Amsterdam — she called it action research . We were seeing connections between what we are trying to do as well as places for collaboration and places for extending the work .
Bartow Jacobs : I had some really great conversations with the German folks and some of the folks from Toronto about how to keep ensuring collaboration between the university unit and the school unit . How do you keep including teachers as central voices in that work ? And how do we continue to create space and time for teachers to be as involved as they want to be ? I think we are starting to do that this year , but it gave me ideas about what is possible .
Sarada : And we heard about the kind of research that ’ s happening other places and the questions that other schools are exploring . I ’ m thinking particularly about Michael Odell at the University of Texas at Tyler .
He ’ s done studies on their lab schools — one rural , one urban , and one suburban school . He ’ s done some research on the lab school experience for kids in these different places , and it ’ s yielding the same testing results no matter the setting , and he ’ s really intrigued by these test results .
Bartow Jacobs : I was excited to learn that we are not the only ones doing this work . We ’ re doing it differently than other schools , and I think our model has a lot to offer , but the Researching Schools conference was a collaborative space to learn how institutions are thinking about these connections and thinking about the roles of teachers as drivers of research . We shared struggles and left with a lot of thoughts and possibilities of stuff we can do immediately or dream toward .
Q : Did you come back reenergized ?
Bartow Jacobs : It was really rejuvenating to realize there ’ s this whole culture of lab schools internationally and there are people in similar roles to mine . And I learned so much about how we can grow this model and sustain it and really see it as part of a larger belief in the relationships between universities and schools .
Seeing lab schools growing in these countries is really amazing , because in the United States , we hear about more lab schools closing than opening . It was a really rejuvenating look at all these schools that are thriving , and most are government funded . These are countries where the government is really investing money in education .
Sarada : Being a lab school can be an isolating experience . We ’ re lucky to have three in Pittsburgh , but usually there ’ s just one in a particular city . So connecting with lab schools and doing the important work of demonstrating , researching , and teaching children in ways connected to universities and communities was reaffirming . As with any community , when you find a place and people with similar experiences , you have a sense of belonging . ■
26 EN AVANT | FALL 2023