Being a practitioner today means trying to do the best for your students while keeping up to date with assessment, evaluation and record keeping. Often there is little time to think about 'how' and 'why' we teach in a particular way, how curriculum may relate to certain policies, or what will be the literacies of the future. Each of these questions may be viewed from a number of perspectives which include philosophical, ethical and moral dimensions. In this session, some of these issues will be addressed briefly in order to provide some background for the main topic which will focus on how research can contribute meaningfully to professional practice. It is proposed to draw on data from nationally funded research studies both in Australia and overseas for examples of this nexus, as well as to explore the potential of conducting small action learning projects. The aims will be firstly, to show the relationships among policy, practice and research, and secondly, to encourage practitioners to participate in social research either within their communities or through critical reflection on the practices in their classrooms.