Research Papers in education can result a good medium for educators to express, share debate, and discuss experiences with colleagues

Teachers can nowadays share not only their experience but also their problems regarding students´ behaviour, classroom management, a great number of students in the classroom among others. These issues may influence positively or negatively in their development as regards professionals affecting their teaching practices as well as their relationship with their students. For that purpose, teachers can exchange their experiences in a variety of ways. Writing Research Papers (RPs) is probably an effective medium to do so. “Teachers need opportunities to participate in professional communities that discuss learning theories and various teacher materials and pedagogy” (McLaughlin & Talbert, 1993, p. 15).  By means of writing RPs, teachers can share their experiences with colleagues providing or receiving suggestions, ideas or different possibilities to deal with particular problems they may face in their everyday lessons. Working together in a community of teachers may allow them to have a variety of opportunities to discuss experiences with colleagues. Teachers “should consistently be situated in active learning roles with ample opportunity to discuss new and difficult educational ideas and to apply their learning in their respective classrooms to improve what they do” (Wenzlaff & Wwiesseman, 2004, The Mesh between Progam Design and Teachers´ Learning Processes section, para. 2). Particularly important it is for teachers as members of a community to share the same writing skills as well as follow certain guidelines provided by specific sources in order to write RPs in an academic style. Kutz (1997) defines communities in terms of  ”the words that are used, the ways they are pronounced, the subjects talked about” (Kutz, 1997, p. 24).  One of the most important sources is the American Psychological Association (APA) manuals. These manuals offer writers, in this case teachers, the latest guidelines and conventions so as to create a good piece of writing. Teachers may publish their RPs in specific places designed for that purpose as well as reflect upon particular issues that may worry or interest them.  
It is very important for teachers to share their positive or negative experiences with other colleagues, as well as it is also important to share their experiences following the same conventions and guidelines offered by well-known manuals. Teachers need other teachers not only to improve their professional skills but also to learn from their colleagues. RPs may be a good way to do so.

References

Kutz, E. (1997). Language and literacy: Studying discourse in communities and classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers

McLaughlin,M., & Talbert, J. E. (1993). Contexts that matter for teaching and learning: Strategic opportunities for meeting the nation´s educational goals. Stanford, CA: Center for Research on the Context of Secondary School Teaching, Stanford University.

Wewnzlaff, T. L., & Wieseman, K. C. (2004). Teachers need teachers to grow. Teacher Education Quarterly. Retrived March 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/aticles/mi_qa3960/is_200404/ai_n9349405