Does dissemination mode for research make a difference to reaching in-service primary teachers?

Aim:- How can relevant education research reach in-service primary teachers? This paper evaluates the effectiveness of online and face-to-face dissemination modes for a key resource developed during the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project, using King’s (2003) three levels of dissemination for education research. Content:- King (2003) suggests there are three levels of dissemination for the outputs of educational research. The first, dissemination for awareness, is considered least likely to result in long-term changes to practice, but yields the greatest potential audience. Online dissemination is an example of this. The second level, dissemination for understanding, results in more changes to practice but requires time and human resources to implement. The third level, dissemination for action, involves practitioners using the resource to change their practice in some way and requires the greatest investment of time and energy. The TAPS pyramid is a resource for primary teachers and school leaders to evaluate and improve their assessment practice (Earle et al., 2016). It was disseminated via an online downloadand face-to-face dissemination events. Dissemination for awareness is analysed through total downloads data for the resource, and also at country, county and local level. Dissemination for understanding is analysed by plotting known dissemination eventsagainst location download data. A strong relationship is demonstrated at a national level and county level. An online survey for teachers attempting to use the resource closes in March 2017. Inferential statistics generated from non-parametric analyses of this data will demonstrate the relationship between dissemination mode and subsequent use in more detail. Contextual factors enabling or obstructing a teacher’s intention to use the resource are also presented in the context of dissemination for action, King’s third level of dissemination. The implications of the analysis for colleagues’ research dissemination strategies are summarised at the end. Thinking deeply about teacher education:- What dissemination strategies should be considered when disseminating education research on a limited budget to in-service teachers? What contextual factors might obstruct or enable in-service teachers to act upon research outputs, and to what extent can these be mitigated? The country/ies to which the presentation relates:- The data for this paper come from a mixed methods study of primary schools mainly based in England. However, the internet is an internationally available resource, and effective dissemination of research findings is a perennial issue faced by researchers from all countries.