Discovering research: a teacher-friendly approach

1. Discovering research: a teacher-friendly approach Deborah Bullock

2. Overview • Introduction • attitudes: reflection and discussion • 2. British Council ELT Research Partnership scheme • aims, publications and projects in progress • 3. Your turn • activities, reflection and discussion • 4. Wrap-up and feedback

3. Engaging with research • How often do you read? What? • Important to you/your institution? Why/why not? • Benefits? • Barriers? • Accessibility factors?

4. What are the benefits of enagaging with research? • allows teachers to reflect on and review their teaching • keeps teachers fresh • allows teachers to question assumptions about language learning/teaching • helps teachers understand the reasons for their practices • makes teachers more informed practitioners

5. “I feel strongly about the value of research because I feel that too many EFL teachers … rely on their initial training (CELTA) and then DELTA to inform their decision making and do not question any of the assumptions about language learning/teaching that they were exposed to during those teacher training courses. This leads to a rather tired delivery of ‘the tricks of the trade’. However, when they do hear about/read about/get involved in some research they get into the critical and analytical thinking it requires and find it motivating. This then encourages an experimental approach which rejuvenates their planning/decision making and presence in the classroom.” • Borg, S. 2008. Research engagement and quality in English Language Teaching (Report for British Council)

6. What are the barriers? • sheer volume is daunting • ambiguous results • often too much jargon and statistics - difficult to understand • too theoretical and unhelpful or irrelevant • researchers not writing for practitioners • research which imposes models on teaching (challenge validity) • subscriptions and costs

7. What makes research accessible to teachers? • relevant to their needs and interests • provides practical insight, e.g. credible case studies • originates from rather than ends in classroom • sufficient time to absorb and act on • training in how to engage with research or help from a facilitator/expert to support and guide • “What I would really love is an email that pops up in my inbox occasionally, giving me a little précis (essentially findings & conclusions) of new research and what this could mean for classroom practice (all summarised in a line or two).” Tavakoli, P. and Howard, M.J. 2012. TESOL teachers’ views on the relationship between research and practice. European Journal of Teacher Education, 0(0): 1-14

10. BC ELT research partnerships – activity areas • Learning & teaching of English at younger ages • ICT and new technologies in ELT • Teacher education and training • English language testing and assessment and applications of the CEFR • English language programme evaluation • English for development: social, economic, political aspects of English, education, and language teaching

11. BC ELT research partnerships – some projects in progress • The transition from primary to secondary, Aston University • Inspiring state school English teachers, University of Leeds • English as a Lingua Franca in HE, York St John University • The use of learners’ L1 in ELT, University of Northumbria • Identity in ELT, University of York • Assessing Teaching Practice, University of Ulster • Global Survey of EYL teachers’ qualifications, experience and career path development, University of Essex • European vocabulary project, Manchester • Attitudes to English as a language for international development in rural Bangladesh, The Open University

12. Your choice.... • Investigating Global Practices in Teaching English to Young Learners (Aston University) • Perceptions and Strategies of Learning in English by Singapore Primary School Children with Dyslexia – a metaphor analysis (De Montfort University & DAS) • ‘Tanggap, tiklop, tago’ (receive, fold, keep): Perceptions of best practice in ELT INSET (Lancaster University & Manila University, Philippines)

13. Focus on the Intro.... • Identify the …… • purpose/main aims of the study • the setting/context relevant to the study • the justification/rationale for the study – what ‘gap’ in the literature is it seeking to fill?

14. Focus on the implications…. • Think about your own context….look at the recommendations/conclusions and consider the following: • how is the research relevant to you/your context? • what questions does it raise? • what would be worth following up/looking into/investigating? • Discuss

15. Your turn.... • Teachers of English often find research difficult to access, hard to understand and of no practical value. • Try to come up with 1 or 2 practical activities to support teachers in reading research e.g. • Letting them choose what to read (relevance): post titles and abstracts around the room, teachers stand by the 1 they’re most interested in and explain why • Providing questions to help them focus on particular aspects of the research • Helping them to identify links with own context • What else can you come up with? (see Contents)

16. Wrap up • What next? Make a mental note • Sign up for the freely available online articles list (+ bibliography and activity ideas) • Feedback • Thank you very much. Deborah.Bullock@britishcouncil.es