Research Literacy and Teaching: The Peculiar Case of Research about Teaching about Research

Abstract

In recent times, the relationship between research and teaching has often been framed in terms of experimental investigations demonstrating what are effective pedagogical techniques. However, this is only one of several influential models of that relationship. While research literacy plays a key role in all of them, these models vary according to the type of research knowledge and skill felt to be of value to teachers, and in how teaching and education are conceptualised. This can be illustrated by the diverse forms of educational action research, and by different interpretations of “reflective practice”. To further explore the role of research literacy, I examine the case of research on teaching about research methods, addressing the following questions: What role does pedagogical research play in research methods teaching? What might this tell us about the relationship between research and teaching more generally? What does it say about the notion of research literacy?