English language teachers’ research reticence: a collective-case study

Abstract

Teacher Research is generally acclaimed as a beneficial form of professional development. However, it is still an under-practiced activity in the field of language teaching. In this respect, this qualitative collective-case study research addresses this issue through the in-depth analysis of three teachers who have shied away from carrying out research in the preparatory school of a private foundation university where a Teacher Research project, as part of the Professional Development Unit, has been systematically conducted by an experienced in-house mentor since 2010. Reflecting on the in-depth analysis of semi-structured interviews and the researchers' affliction with the cases as an insider, the study revealed that context and belief-related factors played key roles in preventing teachers from conducting research for professional development, potentially resulting in research reticence.