Sara Hennessy
Biographic Data
| ID | 5398731 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sara Hennessy |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sara |
| FAMILY NAME | Hennessy |
| SIGNATURE | HENNESSY S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9050-4995 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 8 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Design‐based implementation research for digitally enabled education reform
Design‐based implementation research (DBIR) offers a promising approach for refining and theorising the implementation and scale‐up of education interventions. However, integrating technology into national education reforms in resource‐constrained contexts adds complexity, involving multiple government bodies, implementers and researchers with differing institutional cultures. We examine how DBIR approaches can be enhanced to adapt to the complex…
Understanding the linguistic, conceptual, cultural, and professional considerations in the translation and localisation of teacher professional learning resources about educational dialogue
This study examines the process and considerations involved in translation by educational practitioners of a teacher professional development resource from English to eight languages (Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). The Toolkit for Systematic Dialogue Analysis (T-SEDA) is an open-access resource designed for practitioners interested in developing dialogic teaching practice through systematic inquiry. The t…
Thinking fast, slow, and ahead
Teacher contingent responsiveness, defined as teachers’ adaptive expertise to respond to the dynamic flow of student ideas in the moment, is crucial for fostering student sense-making in science classrooms. This study investigates the mechanisms through which a professional development program enhanced by mixed-reality simulation supported in-service teachers to enhance their contingent responsiveness during whole-class science discussions. Using…
An analysis of the forms of teacher-student dialogue that are most productive for learning
Dialogic approaches based on active student participation, open, respectful discussion, exploring and critiquing different perspectives are increasingly found to support student learning. However, the specific productive forms of teacher-student interaction have rarely been studied systematically. A recent large-scale project explored the relationship between dialogic forms of interaction and learning outcomes for students aged 10–11 in primary s…
Disciplinary dialogues
There is a large literature on the types of classroom dialogue that are theorised to be productive for learning; however, there is very little evidence for whether these forms of dialogue are more common, applicable or impactful in certain subjects. This mixed-methods study explored how dialogue unfolds in different curriculum contexts. Classroom dialogue was examined through naturalistic observations of English, mathematics and science lessons i…
Exploring dialogic education used to teach historical thinking within the cultural context of East Asia
Empirical evidence suggests that dialogic education is an effective way to develop students' higher order thinking and reasoning skills. In history education, curriculum goals share these aims, especially in Taiwan's latest national curriculum reform. It is then important to explore whether and how dialogue is being used to this end in history classes and the form that dialogic education takes in this East Asian cultural context. This study explo…
Developing dialogic classroom practices through supporting professional agency
Classroom dialogue is considered productive for learning but rarely observed, and practitioner professional development is needed. This study investigated how 67 teachers across educational phases in six countries contextualised the T-SEDA inquiry toolkit to conduct classroom inquiries and develop new practices. Surveys and inquiry reports yielded insights into how practitioner agency was further developed, with implications for sustainability. C…
Trialling open educational resources for technology-supported teacher professional development in rural Zimbabwe
This study reports on the adaptation and outcomes of a teacher professional development (TPD) programme in a rural Zimbabwean secondary school. The programme incorporated Open Educational Resources (OER), specifically OER4school materials, that were provided via tablet computers for teachers and students. A mixed-methods case study was employed to explore teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, experiences of interactive learning and teaching in relati…
Technology Use for Teacher Professional Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Educators as creators
This paper explores possible affordances of technology and online professional learning to develop and support communities of practice in which educational practitioners develop, share and build on one another’s reflections and learning. Evidence is presented from a design-based research study that iteratively designed and developed a mechanical MOOC on educational dialogue for local facilitators. Local facilitators are practitioners who take on …
The relationship between educational television and mathematics capability in Tanzania
Previous studies have often demonstrated that educational television can have a positive effect on learning outcomes in low‐income countries when delivered in controlled settings. However, existing research in low‐resource contexts has scarcely considered the association between child outcomes and viewing in usual environments (ie, at their home, a friend’s home or a relative’s home). This lack of research is striking, as evidence from controlled…
OER4Schools
Sustaining educational initiatives beyond short-term pilot projects is highly challenging in low-income countries. We describe the outcomes and implications of our iterative Design-Based Implementation Research conducted in Zambia. This focused on a unique, school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme for primary teachers: OER4Schools integrates interactive pedagogy, open digital educational resources and mobile learning. Teache…
Coding classroom dialogue
Teacher–Student Dialogue During Classroom Teaching
It is now widely believed that classroom dialogue matters as regards student outcomes, with optimal patterns often regarded as requiring some or all of open questions, elaboration of previous contributions, reasoned discussion of competing viewpoints, linkage and coordination across contributions, metacognitive engagement with dialogue, and high student participation. To date, however, the relevance of such features has been most convincingly exa…
Dialogue, thinking together and digital technology in the classroom
This article describes a continuing programme of school-based applied research. The basis of this research, which originated in a project called ‘Thinking Together’, lies in the relationship between language and cognitive development postulated by sociocultural theory. The research has developed and tested methods for improving the quality of classroom interaction amongst teachers and students, looking for improved levels of collaboration, reason…
Tablet use in schools
The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. We critically review the literature reporting use of tablets by primary and secondary school children across the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on learning outcomes. The systematic review methodology was used, and our literature search resulted in 33 relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria. A total of 23 met the minimum quality criteria and were examine…
Developing a coding scheme for analysing classroom dialogue across educational contexts
The research reported sought to develop a framework for systematically analysing classroom dialogue for application across a range of educational settings. The paper outlines the development and refinement of a coding scheme that attempts to represent and operationalise commonalities amongst some key theorists in the field concerning productive forms of educational dialogue. The team has tested it using video recordings from classroom settings in…
Pedagogic change by Zambian primary school teachers participating in the OER4Schools professional development programme for one year
Supporting and upskilling teachers are essential to enhancing the quality of learning in developing contexts – the focus of Education For All – yet little evidence exists concerning what kinds of teacher education are actually most effective and what changes in ‘quality’ are desired and feasible. This paper illustrates how a concrete, research-informed school-based, model of professional development in sub-Saharan Africa can address the quality a…
Sustainability, evolution and dissemination of information and communication technology‐supported classroom practice
This study took place in a climate of an intensified focus on approaches to whole school improvement through ‘embedding’ technology in teaching, learning and management. It examined the evolution over time of classroom practice supported by information and communication technology (ICT) and its wider implementation within and outside of subject departments. Three years earlier a group of teachers in five secondary schools in England had participa…
Teachers' developing ‘practical theories’ of the contribution of information and communication technologies to subject teaching and learning
This article examines teachers' ‘practical theories’ concerning the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT) to teaching and learning, as they are elaborated and refined in action. The study arose from a collaborative programme of 10 small‐scale projects through which participating teacher‐researchers aimed to develop a range of pedagogic strategies involving the use of computer‐based ICTs within their subject areas (Classi…
Teacher representations of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in secondary-school English, mathematics and science
Pupil perspectives on the contribution of information and communication technology to teaching and learning in the secondary school
This study explores pupils ’ views of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) within subject teaching and learning. Members of three year cohorts (Years 8, 10 and 12) in six English secondary schools took part in focus group interviews during the first half of 2000. The views elicited in the course of the 27 interviews are summarised in terms of six themes. Pupils saw computer-based tools and resources as helping not just to eff…
Teacher representations of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in secondary-school English, mathematics and science
Developing dialogic classroom practices through supporting professional agency
Classroom dialogue is considered productive for learning but rarely observed, and practitioner professional development is needed. This study investigated how 67 teachers across educational phases in six countries contextualised the T-SEDA inquiry toolkit to conduct classroom inquiries and develop new practices. Surveys and inquiry reports yielded insights into how practitioner agency was further developed, with implications for sustainability. C…
Pedagogic change by Zambian primary school teachers participating in the OER4Schools professional development programme for one year
Supporting and upskilling teachers are essential to enhancing the quality of learning in developing contexts – the focus of Education For All – yet little evidence exists concerning what kinds of teacher education are actually most effective and what changes in ‘quality’ are desired and feasible. This paper illustrates how a concrete, research-informed school-based, model of professional development in sub-Saharan Africa can address the quality a…
Teachers' developing ‘practical theories’ of the contribution of information and communication technologies to subject teaching and learning
This article examines teachers' ‘practical theories’ concerning the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT) to teaching and learning, as they are elaborated and refined in action. The study arose from a collaborative programme of 10 small‐scale projects through which participating teacher‐researchers aimed to develop a range of pedagogic strategies involving the use of computer‐based ICTs within their subject areas (Classi…
Pupil perspectives on the contribution of information and communication technology to teaching and learning in the secondary school
This study explores pupils ’ views of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) within subject teaching and learning. Members of three year cohorts (Years 8, 10 and 12) in six English secondary schools took part in focus group interviews during the first half of 2000. The views elicited in the course of the 27 interviews are summarised in terms of six themes. Pupils saw computer-based tools and resources as helping not just to eff…
Teacher representations of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in secondary-school English, mathematics and science
Teachers' developing ‘practical theories’ of the contribution of information and communication technologies to subject teaching and learning
This article examines teachers' ‘practical theories’ concerning the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT) to teaching and learning, as they are elaborated and refined in action. The study arose from a collaborative programme of 10 small‐scale projects through which participating teacher‐researchers aimed to develop a range of pedagogic strategies involving the use of computer‐based ICTs within their subject areas (Classi…
Sustainability, evolution and dissemination of information and communication technology‐supported classroom practice
This study took place in a climate of an intensified focus on approaches to whole school improvement through ‘embedding’ technology in teaching, learning and management. It examined the evolution over time of classroom practice supported by information and communication technology (ICT) and its wider implementation within and outside of subject departments. Three years earlier a group of teachers in five secondary schools in England had participa…
Tablet use in schools
The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. We critically review the literature reporting use of tablets by primary and secondary school children across the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on learning outcomes. The systematic review methodology was used, and our literature search resulted in 33 relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria. A total of 23 met the minimum quality criteria and were examine…
Developing a coding scheme for analysing classroom dialogue across educational contexts
The research reported sought to develop a framework for systematically analysing classroom dialogue for application across a range of educational settings. The paper outlines the development and refinement of a coding scheme that attempts to represent and operationalise commonalities amongst some key theorists in the field concerning productive forms of educational dialogue. The team has tested it using video recordings from classroom settings in…
Pedagogic change by Zambian primary school teachers participating in the OER4Schools professional development programme for one year
Supporting and upskilling teachers are essential to enhancing the quality of learning in developing contexts – the focus of Education For All – yet little evidence exists concerning what kinds of teacher education are actually most effective and what changes in ‘quality’ are desired and feasible. This paper illustrates how a concrete, research-informed school-based, model of professional development in sub-Saharan Africa can address the quality a…
Teacher–Student Dialogue During Classroom Teaching
It is now widely believed that classroom dialogue matters as regards student outcomes, with optimal patterns often regarded as requiring some or all of open questions, elaboration of previous contributions, reasoned discussion of competing viewpoints, linkage and coordination across contributions, metacognitive engagement with dialogue, and high student participation. To date, however, the relevance of such features has been most convincingly exa…
Dialogue, thinking together and digital technology in the classroom
This article describes a continuing programme of school-based applied research. The basis of this research, which originated in a project called ‘Thinking Together’, lies in the relationship between language and cognitive development postulated by sociocultural theory. The research has developed and tested methods for improving the quality of classroom interaction amongst teachers and students, looking for improved levels of collaboration, reason…
OER4Schools
Sustaining educational initiatives beyond short-term pilot projects is highly challenging in low-income countries. We describe the outcomes and implications of our iterative Design-Based Implementation Research conducted in Zambia. This focused on a unique, school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme for primary teachers: OER4Schools integrates interactive pedagogy, open digital educational resources and mobile learning. Teache…
Coding classroom dialogue
The relationship between educational television and mathematics capability in Tanzania
Previous studies have often demonstrated that educational television can have a positive effect on learning outcomes in low‐income countries when delivered in controlled settings. However, existing research in low‐resource contexts has scarcely considered the association between child outcomes and viewing in usual environments (ie, at their home, a friend’s home or a relative’s home). This lack of research is striking, as evidence from controlled…
Technology Use for Teacher Professional Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Educators as creators
This paper explores possible affordances of technology and online professional learning to develop and support communities of practice in which educational practitioners develop, share and build on one another’s reflections and learning. Evidence is presented from a design-based research study that iteratively designed and developed a mechanical MOOC on educational dialogue for local facilitators. Local facilitators are practitioners who take on …
An analysis of the forms of teacher-student dialogue that are most productive for learning
Dialogic approaches based on active student participation, open, respectful discussion, exploring and critiquing different perspectives are increasingly found to support student learning. However, the specific productive forms of teacher-student interaction have rarely been studied systematically. A recent large-scale project explored the relationship between dialogic forms of interaction and learning outcomes for students aged 10–11 in primary s…
Disciplinary dialogues
There is a large literature on the types of classroom dialogue that are theorised to be productive for learning; however, there is very little evidence for whether these forms of dialogue are more common, applicable or impactful in certain subjects. This mixed-methods study explored how dialogue unfolds in different curriculum contexts. Classroom dialogue was examined through naturalistic observations of English, mathematics and science lessons i…
Exploring dialogic education used to teach historical thinking within the cultural context of East Asia
Empirical evidence suggests that dialogic education is an effective way to develop students' higher order thinking and reasoning skills. In history education, curriculum goals share these aims, especially in Taiwan's latest national curriculum reform. It is then important to explore whether and how dialogue is being used to this end in history classes and the form that dialogic education takes in this East Asian cultural context. This study explo…
Developing dialogic classroom practices through supporting professional agency
Classroom dialogue is considered productive for learning but rarely observed, and practitioner professional development is needed. This study investigated how 67 teachers across educational phases in six countries contextualised the T-SEDA inquiry toolkit to conduct classroom inquiries and develop new practices. Surveys and inquiry reports yielded insights into how practitioner agency was further developed, with implications for sustainability. C…
Trialling open educational resources for technology-supported teacher professional development in rural Zimbabwe
This study reports on the adaptation and outcomes of a teacher professional development (TPD) programme in a rural Zimbabwean secondary school. The programme incorporated Open Educational Resources (OER), specifically OER4school materials, that were provided via tablet computers for teachers and students. A mixed-methods case study was employed to explore teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, experiences of interactive learning and teaching in relati…
Understanding the linguistic, conceptual, cultural, and professional considerations in the translation and localisation of teacher professional learning resources about educational dialogue
This study examines the process and considerations involved in translation by educational practitioners of a teacher professional development resource from English to eight languages (Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). The Toolkit for Systematic Dialogue Analysis (T-SEDA) is an open-access resource designed for practitioners interested in developing dialogic teaching practice through systematic inquiry. The t…
Thinking fast, slow, and ahead
Teacher contingent responsiveness, defined as teachers’ adaptive expertise to respond to the dynamic flow of student ideas in the moment, is crucial for fostering student sense-making in science classrooms. This study investigates the mechanisms through which a professional development program enhanced by mixed-reality simulation supported in-service teachers to enhance their contingent responsiveness during whole-class science discussions. Using…
Design‐based implementation research for digitally enabled education reform
Design‐based implementation research (DBIR) offers a promising approach for refining and theorising the implementation and scale‐up of education interventions. However, integrating technology into national education reforms in resource‐constrained contexts adds complexity, involving multiple government bodies, implementers and researchers with differing institutional cultures. We examine how DBIR approaches can be enhanced to adapt to the complex…
Psychology (20 works) · Pedagogy (18 works) · Mathematics education (13 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Education and Technology Integration (9 works) · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods (8 works) · Medical education (7 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Professional development (7 works)