English Language Teachers' Conceptions of Research

Abstract

This article examines the conceptions of research held by 505 teachers of English from 13 countries around the world. Questionnaire responses supplemented by follow-up written and interview data were analyzed to understand teachers' views on what research is and how often they read and do it (and why or why not in each case). An understanding of these issues is central to the development of informed policies for promoting teacher research engagement, but relevant systematic evidence is lacking in the field of English language teaching (ELT). The study shows that the teachers held conceptions of research aligned with conventional scientific notions of inquiry. The teachers also reported moderate to low levels of reading and doing research, with a lack of time, knowledge, and access to material emerging as key factors which teachers felt limited their ability to be research-engaged. Teachers engaged in research reported being driven largely by practical and professional concerns rather than external drivers such as employers or promotion. Overall, the findings of this study point to a number of attitudinal, conceptual, procedural, and institutional barriers to teacher research engagement. Understanding these, it is argued here, is an essential part of the broader process of trying to address them and hence to make teacher research engagement a more feasible activity in ELT.

Towards Understanding EFL Teachers’ Conceptions of Research: Findings From Argentina

“…In contrast, in the present study 40% of the 622 participants had between 20-30 years of experience. A small percentage of the participants did not hold any teaching degree, and that unlike the Borg (2009) study (see also Nassaji, 2012), only a small proportion held ma degrees.…”

“…For example, Borg's (2009) study, the pillar of this investigation, was based on data collected from 505 teachers from 13 countries. A high proportion of respondents showed limited engagement in and with research due to a lack of time and, secondly, little knowledge about research.…”

“…With an international sample of 13 countries, Borg (2009) published an article on English language teachers' conceptions of research (also Borg, 2013) to promote teacher research engagement. In my identity as a Latin American teacher-researcher I noticed that the Borg report did not include countries from the Americas, and that most of his 505 respondents had less than 10 years of teaching experience.…”

TEFL teachers’ and non-TEFL teachers’ perceptions on the relationship between SLA research and language pedagogy

“…The number of research investigating the perceptions of L2 teachers about the relationship between SLA research and language pedagogy is less than the number of research advising teachers how to conduct it (Borg, 2009). To address this shortage existing between the relationship of SLA research and language pedagogy, one can stick to the dichotomy that made by Nassaji (2012).…”

“…In different studies, among them there were some international studies, Borg considered this issue. Borg (2009) examined the conception of research by 505 language teachers in 13 countries by using a questionnaire and a follow up interview. His study showed that "teachers held conceptions of research aligned with conventional scientific notions of inquiry" (p. 358).…”