Teachers-as-Researchers: A Community of Practice for Public School Early Educators, Hertz Hausman, Spring 2026

Course Description

This course invites early childhood preK-2nd grade educators to engage in the practice of classroom-based observation as a powerful tool for professional growth, reflective practice, and improved student outcomes.

Inspired, in part, by the work of educators in Reggio Emilia and the Documentation Process as a Cycle of Inquiry by Goldhaber and Gandini, the focus of this course will be in supporting children in developmentally appropriate, play and inquiry based learning in the public school context.

Grounded in the idea that teachers are knowledge-builders within their own communities, this course supports educators in designing, conducting, and sharing action research projects that address questions arising directly from their daily experiences in the classroom.

Through a blend of synchronous learning, asynchronous modules, and applied classroom work, participants will explore all stages of the research process: forming questions, gathering and analyzing data, reviewing relevant literature, and sharing findings with a wider audience. This collaborative learning community will strengthen educators’ capacity for inquiry, reflection, and leadership within their schools.

Audience: PreK-2nd Grade Educators with an earned Bachelor's Degree

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals:

• Cultivate teachers’ identities as researchers and reflective practitioners.
• Foster collaboration and professional dialogue within a community of practice.
• Deepen teachers’ understanding of developmentally appropriate, play or inquiry based practice.
• Support educators in sharing research to influence broader professional communities.

Course Objectives:

• Design and refine a classroom-based research project by forming meaningful questions grounded in their teaching practice.
• Apply strategies for systematic data collection and analysis to generate insights into children’s learning and classroom dynamics.
• Critically connect classroom findings with relevant educational literature to deepen understanding of play, inquiry, and developmentally appropriate practice.
• Engage in collaborative reflection and dialogue within a community of practice to support professional growth and shared learning.
• Communicate research findings in accessible formats that contribute to professional communities, schools, and broader audiences.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Orientation

• Course overview, norms, collaboration structures
• Brainstorming possible inquiry questions with peers

Week 2: Framing and refining research questions

Week 3: Building documentation routines and structures

Week 4: Interpreting first documentation samples and building theories

Week 5: Reflection and next steps

• Planning, responding, and projecting

Week 6: Break

Week 7: Literature review

• Connecting inquiry to other research and readings

Week 8: Revisiting documentation with new perspectives from the literature

Week 9: Deepening analysis

• Identifying themes, patterns, and tensions across documentation

Week 10: Collaborative interim sharing of findings; revising inquiry directions

Week 11: Reflection and next steps

• Planning, responding, and projecting

Week 12: Synthesizing literature and documentation to refine research focus

Week 13: Final week of documentation gathering

Week 14: Break

Week 15: Sharing research, reflection, and next steps. Exploring formats for sharing teacher research with wider audiences.

Week 16: Drafting research narratives or presentations

Week 17: Peer review and feedback

Week 18: Final sharing, course reflections, and celebration

Week 19: Final Project Due

Required Readings/Resources

Cost for required resources, if any, are not included in the course tuition.

Broderick, J. T., & Hong, S. B. (2020). From children’s interests to children’s thinking: Using a cycle of inquiry to plan curriculum. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Lanzi, D. (2024). The relationship between theory and practice as a “dance of knowledge.” Innovations in Early Education: The International Reggio Emilia Exchange, 31(3), 6–9.

Agogliati, L., & Jackson, H. (2025). Actions of play: Weaving play schemas into inquiry-based learning and project work. Routledge.

For additional course information

Christine Hertz Hausman

(802) 274-9164

For additional registration information

Center for Schools Team
(802) 468-1325

Register Now!