For a PhD study, there will be an expectation that you have added to our understanding of a topic in a modest, yet substantive (non-trivial) way. Often in a Master's dissertation, well-established theory or previously proposed innovations may be tested out within a specific context to see if it helps make sense of, or improve, practice in that context. Both for trainee teachers and teachers in service, it is important that any findings are also clearly linked to professional learning that can inform future practice. This is demonstrated in this comment from the report of Forbes' PGCE research project published in JoTTER: