School Based Research

Research Foundations

My research career spans two decades, exploring how collaboration, creativity and innovation shape effective teaching and learning. I investigate how educators work together within complex systems to design learning environments that are human‑centred and future‑focused. This work underpins my thinking as an education systems architect, where clarity, coherence and human dignity guide every decision.

Human‑Centred Evidence

My approach to data analysis is holistic and grounded in context. I combine rigorous quantitative methods with qualitative insights to understand school performance in ways that honour the whole learner. Students are never treated as data points; they are individuals with unique developmental pathways. This balanced methodology ensures that evidence‑informed decisions genuinely enhance teaching, learning, wellbeing and school values.

Applied Research in Schools

My applied research focuses on how real classrooms, real teachers and real learners interact within the systems that shape their work. I examine how curriculum, assessment, professional learning and school culture operate together — and where these systems create friction, coherence or opportunity. This work reveals what is actually happening in practice, not just what is documented.

I analyse how teachers interpret curriculum, how students engage with learning, and how leadership decisions influence classroom practice. The goal is always the same: to generate insights that support practical, sustainable improvement. Whether reviewing documentation, analysing learning data or observing practice, my focus is on clarity, coherence and human‑centred design.

Why I Analyse School Systems

My research examines how curriculum, assessment, professional learning and school culture interact in real practice. I study the patterns that shape teaching and learning — not to provide a service, but to understand how systems support or constrain educators’ work.

This analysis helps teachers and leaders see their practice more clearly, recognise the conditions that enable creativity and collaboration, and identify where coherence or friction emerges. By making these patterns visible, research becomes a tool for professional growth, collective inquiry and sustainable improvement.

My goal is not to diagnose schools, but to illuminate the architecture around teaching so educators can strengthen it themselves.

Developing Teacher Research Practitioners

A significant part of my work involves coaching teachers and leaders to become research‑informed practitioners. I support educators to build their own inquiry capability — developing praxis, strengthening professional judgment, and learning to interpret evidence in ways that are meaningful for their context.

This work is grounded in the belief that research is most powerful when it is owned by the people closest to learners. I help educators design questions, analyse patterns, interpret data, and translate insights into practical action. Over time, they develop the confidence and capability to conduct their own school‑based research, collaborate with colleagues, and use evidence to shape teaching, learning and leadership.

My goal is always the same: to build collective capability so schools can sustain inquiry, innovation and improvement from within.

Why I Write About School‑Based Research

I write articles for educators — teachers, middle leaders, school leaders and system professionals, who want research that is accessible, contextual and grounded in real practice. My writing translates complex evidence into clear, meaningful insights that support capability, alignment and student growth. These pieces are designed for everyday educational work, not academic journals.

Research Expertise

I bring extensive experience in research design and analysis across higher education, public pedagogies, and P–12 school settings. My expertise includes:

  • Mixed‑methods (quantitative and qualitative) and multi‑method qualitative research

  • Collaborative and practice‑based inquiry

  • Ethnographic and case study approaches

  • Action research and school‑based evaluation

  • Arts‑based and phenomenological methodologies

  • Advanced discourse and linguistic analysis

A full list of academic research outputs is available on request.

Academic Qualifications

    Lee, Ingrid Halina (2022) Teacher educators work in collaborative, creative, and innovative ways to facilitate pedagogies in higher education. PhD thesis, Victoria University.

    Liska (nee Lee), Ingrid Halina (2013) A pedagogic analysis: middle years of schooling and the role of creative practice. Research Master thesis, Victoria University.

     Lee, I. H. (1997). Action research in alternative curriculum and assessment strategies when implementing: Philosophy for Children and metacognitive learning strategies for Primary Schools [Honours minor thesis, Victoria University].