Help will be welcomed from every quarter: the work of William Boyd and the Educational Institute of Scotland's Research Committee in the 1920s

This paper discusses evidence, collected during an ESRC-funded project ('Reconstructing a Scottish School of Educational Research, 1925-1950'), of a remarkable vision to involve teachers in educational research in Scotland by the Educational Institute of Scotland in the 1920s through the work of its Research Committee. Led by William Boyd, the Committee thought that involvement in research was a crucial stepping stone towards achieving professional status for teachers. It conducted a number of detailed investigations involving teachers, thereby introducing research into the consciousness and practice of teachers. This paved the way for Scotland to make significant contributions to educational research on the international stage.