teacher-research
Filtering by topic teacher-research(1)Clear all filters
- PaperERIC — ELT & TESOL1 Jan 2026
Teacher Research in TESOL
Jason Anderson, Richard Smith
Proposes a reconceptualization of teacher research in TESOL, distinguishing teacher priorities from academic ones. Introduces four continua from 'researching-in-practice' to 'research-on-practice' to validate diverse inquiry activities. Argues for revitalizing teacher research as a distinct form of inquiry central to professional development.
Original abstract
This article offers a state-of-the-art, critical discussion of teacher research as characterized in TESOL, applied linguistics, and wider educational literatures. We offer a reconceptualization of teacher research that recognizes teacher priorities and perspectives as distinct from academic ones. Four continua are proposed to enable teachers to locate and validate their own research activities on a spectrum ranging from "researching-in-practice" to "research-on-practice," allowing for a wider range of inquiry-oriented activities to be recognized as teacher research than previously conceptualized. Several examples of teacher research are provided (including from "TESOL Quarterly") to illustrate how the framework may be employed. The article concludes by proposing four future tasks that, we argue, will revitalize teacher research as a form of inquiry in its own right (and not subservient to academic norms), thereby enabling it to be better recognized as central to TESOL teacher development and expertise in the twenty-first century.