The British Council’s Action Research Foundation Course gave educators from across our Partner Schools the chance to engage in teacher-led research. In this context, Generation’s School in Pakistan stood out. Under the leadership of Ghazala Sajjad, an exceptionally high number of teachers not only enrolled but completed the course.
Ghazala was involved in the British Council’s Action Research Grants programme when British Council Partner Schools introduced the Action Research Foundation course led by Sirin Soyoz on the Online Support for Schools in response to demand. Ghazala immediately saw the possibility to help more educators develop inquiry-based approaches to classroom challenges.
In this article, we share some of Ghazala’s experiences and insights from leading the Action Research Foundation Course at her school and what made it such a success.
“Many believe that research is mostly theoretical and rarely put into practice,” Ghazala explained, “However, my experience with the British Council’s Action Research programme proved to me otherwise.”
Ghazala first became involved in Action Research through the British Council’s Action Research Grants programme, an initiative designed to help educators explore and improve their teaching practices through structured research. Her action research explored the benefits of structured learning walks where educators observe each other to foster a more collaborative school environment. As she worked on the grant, she saw firsthand how research could be a practical tool for professional growth rather than just an academic exercise.
When the Action Research Foundation Course started, Ghazala recognised its potential to engage more teachers in reflective, inquiry-based development, and brought it to the staff at Generation’s School. Within the week, ten teachers had enrolled and more had expressed their interest. Twenty ended up joining the course, including Ghazala herself.
“Generation’s School already had a strong culture of learning and inquiry,” said Ghazala, “We have a robust professional development programme grounded in the belief that investing in educators is key to creating lasting impact. Yet, seeing so many of my staff enrolling in the Action Research Foundation course and submitting their work — it was incredible!”
Photo: Ghazala Sajjad
Encouraging staff to enrol in the Action Research Foundation Course was only the first step. Ghazala knew that ongoing support would be key to ensuring everyone submitted all their work and successfully completed the programme. “Support is essential for anyone who takes on a course,” she said, “Especially teachers, because they’ve got such a heavy workload — they’ve got corrections, they’ve got assessments, and countless other responsibilities.”
To ensure staff had the capacity to complete the course, Ghazala took a hands-on approach and directly mentored them through the following initiatives:
Ghazala emphasised that “for mentoring to be successful, you have to win over hearts and minds.”
While online professional development courses often see high dropout rates, Generation’s School’s result was a resounding success. All 20 participants, including Ghazala herself, completed their research and submitted their articles, demonstrating the effectiveness of structured mentorship in keeping educators engaged.
Many staff had doubted their ability to conduct meaningful research while balancing their other duties. The research had seemed intimidating and inaccessible at the start. However, with consistent feedback and support, they not only completed the course but gained confidence in their abilities to conduct surveys and focus group interviews, analyse data and develop other research skills.
The impact went beyond course completion. Some teachers also presented their research at a conference so other schools could benefit from what they’d discovered and apply it to their own learning context. Ghazala quoted from the handbook by Richard Smith, that teacher-research can follow some rules of its own, and 'doesn't need to mimic academic research'. She added, "Indeed, I think that’s one of the reasons why the course is doable. It was research, but of its own kind."
When asked why she thought Generation’s School had seen such amazing results, Ghazala said it was down to the following factors:
Ghazala felt the Action Research Foundation Course added to the Generation’s already rich culture of learning and exploration. “It truly feels like we have cultivated a community of researchers,” she said, “Generation’s has been buzzing with focus groups, surveys, and interviews, making the experience all the more dynamic and enriching.”
Ghazala and Sirin’s leadership shows that structured mentorship can make professional development more impactful. When teachers feel supported and encouraged, they’re more likely to complete training and apply their learning in the classroom.
Schools looking to implement their own action research projects can learn from Ghazala’s success in supporting teachers with mentorship rather than relying on self-taught learning.
If you’re interested in conducting action research at your school, the British Council offers resources through its Online Support for Schools (OSS) platform. Watch our series of e-recordings filled with expert tips and practical takeaways and download our digital handbook on how to conduct exploratory research.