In various scientific domains protocols provide procedures that ensure faithful replication of an experiment or medical treatment. As a professional development technique it seems to have strong impact in the teachers´ reflective practice (Easton, 2009; McDonald et al., 2007). However, protocols weren´t used in Slovak schools so far, rather teachers tended to underregulated talking about their instructional practice.

Paper discuss the research methodological issues linked to the process of implementation of protocols into every-day practice. The main question is what are the key elements affecting its successful attainment, what does exactly represent the success of the process from the participants´ point of view, and how to operationalize these variables into measurable factors.

Twelve elementary and low secondary schools in Slovakia were invited to participate in project focused on the reflective protocols implementation. Based on design thinking approach the schools were encouraged to implement the reflective protocols into their professional development practice although having only simple introductory knowledge. The current pattern of the protocols use is considered to be the prototype for further critical analysis and development during the upcoming year of practice. During this prototypical phase (which began in Nov 2020 and is going to finish in June 2021) the process is qualitatively observed to precise the research methodology of implementation. 

The key strategy of the research is framed in Design-Based Implementation Research (Fishman et al., 2013) which aims to relate research and practice that is collaborative, iterative, and grounded in systematic inquiry. Directors (n=12) and teachers (n=435, 86.9% females) from twelve elementary and low secondary schools in Slovakia are engaged in the project. During the protocols teaching staff of an individual school is divided into small groups (5-6) for 60 mins sessions (50 mins of protocol practice and 10 mins for reflection of the protocol practice). All the sessions are organized in online environment of MS Teams application, and are video-recorded. Session recordings, additional interviews with directors, and their implemenation reports are going to be analysied through grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1997). The school culture as condition for succesful implementation is measured through the set of instruments: MLQ (Avolio & Bass, 2004) adapted to Czech form (CLQ, Procházka, Vaculík, Smutný, 2016), translated to Slovak with forward-back translation method of three dual-language translators; Proactive Coping Inventory, Greenglass et al., 1999; and Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire OCDQ-RS (Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) adapted to Czech form (KUZ, Chvál & Urbánek, 2014), translated to Slovak with forward-back translation method of three dual-language translators.

The qualitative description of the protocols implementation process into teachers´ reflective practice is expected to result in defining levels of the quality protocols use for future quantitative operationalization (e.g. indicators of the deepened argumentation during discussions etc.).

Allen, D. (2004). The Facilitator's Book of Questions: Tools for Looking Together at Student and Teacher Work. New York: Teachers College Press. Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor leadership questionnaire. Redwood City: Mind Garden. City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E., & Teitel, L. (2009). Instructional Rounds in EducationA Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. Chvál, M. & Urbánek, P. (2014). Klima učitelského sboru: úprava dotazníku OCDQ-RS pro podmínky českých škol. Pedagogicka orientace, 24(5), 778–803. Coburn, C.E., Penuel, W.R., & Geil, K.E. (January 2013). Research-Practice Partnerships: A Strategy for Leveraging Research for Educational Improvement in School Districts. William T. Grant Foundation, New York, NY. Coburn, C. E., Russell, J. L., Kaufman, J. H., & Stein, M. K. (2012). Supporting Sustainability: Teachers’ Advice Networks and Ambitious Instructional Reform. American Journal of Education, 119(1), 137–182 Easton, L. B. (2009). Protocols for professional learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Fishman, B. J.; Penuel, W. R.; Allen, A.-R.; Cheng, B. H.; Sabelli, N. (2013). Design-Based Implementation Research: An Emerging Model for Transforming the Relationship of Research and Practice. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, v112 n2, 136-156. Fowler-Finn, T. (2013). Leading Instructional Rounds in Education: A Facilitator's Guide. Instructional Rounds Series. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. Keamy, R. K. & Selkrig, M. (2013). The Effectiveness of Protocols when Pre-Service Teachers Engage in Online Collaborations: An Exploration. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(2), 102-117. McDonald, J. P., Mohr, N., Dichter, A., & McDonald, E. C. (2007). The power of protocols: An educator's guide to better practice (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press. Prochazka, J., Vaculik, M., & Smutny, P. (2016). Czech leadership questionnaire: The development of a Czech questionnaire of transformational leadership. Conference: Hradec Economic Days 2016 At: Hradec Kralove. Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1997). Grounded Theory in Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.