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- PaperTESOL Quarterly19 Jul 2026
Collaborative Development of a Research Agenda to Claim Language Teaching as a Site of Knowledge Production
Yoshiyuki Nakata, Xuesong (Andy) Gao
This paper argues for a collaborative approach to developing research agendas in TESOL, involving both researchers and practitioners. It outlines a six-step process for creating inclusive research agendas that strengthen the link between research and practice. The authors advocate for the agentic involvement of teachers and practitioners as knowledge producers.
Original abstract
The development of research agendas is a crucial component of the process of reclaiming teaching as a site of knowledge production in language education research. However, in the TESOL field, the research agenda (RA) has traditionally been defined in relation to a gap between research and practice. Researchers often justify their work by highlighting significant disciplinary knowledge gaps. Therefore, when developing an RA, we must ask ourselves: (1) Whose interests does the RA serve? (2) Who should be involved in setting the RA? And (3) how can the RA be created and promoted? Engaging proactively with these questions encourages collaboration with practitioners and strengthens the link between research and practice. This approach helps us establish inclusive research agendas that benefit knowledge producers, including teachers, students, policymakers, and researchers. An RA should emerge from a collaborative and consultative process involving both researchers and teachers as practice researchers. Collaborative RA development involves several steps: (1) understanding the needs of the educational context; (2) formulating a preliminary research design and questions that incorporate practitioners' perspectives; (3) conducting a literature review to help researchers and teachers as knowledge producers understand the research's significance; (4) selecting methods aligning with the research design and questions, ensuring consistency with the RA; (5) providing readers with detailed information about the RA to offer context; and (6) publishing in a medium and forum aligned with the RA. This article discusses these steps in detail, outlines strategies for their implementation, illustrating the collaborative process for developing research agendas in TESOL. From a practical perspective, this paper argues for the agentic involvement of both researchers and practitioners in developing RAs, highlighting the connections between their roles in the research process and raising researchers' awareness of research practices that foster a virtuous circle between research and practice.