Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Practitioner Research Fund

Produce an original piece of school-based research on a global learning/ school partnerships theme. This will involve looking at academic literature, designing a research project, collecting and analysing data and writing up the findings into a report.

Final reports will be between 3000-7000 words long. They will include a written account of the study and its findings and also look at the implications of the research for future studies. 

Research Fund studies will be made freely available on the British Council and UCL Institute of Education website to anyone interested in global learning. They are intended to support the CCGL in terms of CPD, programme and resource development, as well as teachers’ practice at school level.

Information and guidance on conducting a study and writing the final report is provided in the CCGL Guide to Carrying Out a School-Based Research Study.

Educators working in state-funded schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have signed up to the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme can apply. Some educators may already have formal research skills training, such as through a Masters’ programme, but this isn’t a pre-requisite to applying. An interest in research, a well-thought through research proposal and the time to complete is more important.

A study might be supported by an individual or provider external to the school, but the award money must go through the school and their relationship with the external provider should be managed by the school. If you are thinking of working with an external provider please give detail of the proposed arrangement and roles in the application form.

The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Practitioner Research Fund has small amounts of money available for these studies. Each study can be funded up to £2,000, in exceptional cases more funding may be allocated to slightly larger, more ambitious studies. Smaller amounts of funding may also be considered to convert relevant Masters’ theses into Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning reports, where there is a Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning connection. 

Please see the CCGL Practitioner Research Fund Introduction and FAQ as well as the Guide to Carrying Out a School-Based Research Project documents for further details How many studies will be funded?

We will support up to 20 studies during the lifetime of the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning. 

Complete the application form and send it to ccglresearchfund@live.ucl.ac.uk If you want to discuss your application before formally submitting your application form, please contact the DERC research team. 

Please see the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Practitioner Research Fund Introduction and FAQ as well as the Guide to Carrying Out a School-Based Research Project documents for further details of the process.

DERC researchers, Frances Hunt and Nicole Blum, will provide support to commissioned Research Fund studies. We will provide guidance and feedback on:

• research design
• identifying key literature
• draft data collection tools
• writing a draft report

We suggest contacting Fran and Nicole at ccglresearchfund@live.ucl.ac.uk to discuss your initial research idea before formally submitting your application. 

The subject of your research is up to you. Here are some examples of research subjects: 

• The impact of a global learning or school partnerships on learning
• The relationship between global learning and school partnerships
• The relationship between global learning or school partnerships in and a particular subject area or topic
• Global learning or school partnerships in a special school
• Look at how global learning can support pupils literacy and numeracy 
• How IT can be used with global learning; 
• What in-house CPD might look like
• Global learning or school partnerships in different schooling contexts and geographical areas 
• The career journey of teachers
• Southern-based accounts of school partnerships.

The time commitment involved in carrying out a research study is substantial and people often underestimate the time needed to pursue the research and write up the findings. It is important time is considered in advance and support from school leaders is gained if necessary.