ReSIG Event
ReSIG Pre Conference Event (PCE) 'Communicating and Learning from Research'
Monday 1 April 2019, Liverpool, UK
The Research SIG Pre Conference Event (PCE) 'Communicating and Learning from Research' will be held on Monday 1st April 2019 in Liverpool. The event features keynote speakers Anne Burns and Richard Smith; David Nunan as discussant; and poster presentations by students, teachers, educators and academics involved in research. We offer members one scholarship to attend this event. In exchange, the scholarship winner will contribute with a written report of the event to be included in ELT Research, the Research SIG newsletter. We’d like to congratulate Elis Constantinous who has won the scholarship this year!.
For more information on the schedule of the event, please visit the ITAEFL website at: conference.iatefl.org/pce_re
#iatefl #iatefl2019 #iateflresig #ReSIG #ELT
Venue: ECL Building (Room 18), linked to the main ACC Liverpool Venue (See map)
ReSIG Pre Conference Event (PCE) 'Communicating and Learning from Research'
Monday 1 April 2019, Liverpool, UK
The Research SIG Pre Conference Event (PCE) 'Communicating and Learning from Research' will be held on Monday 1st April 2019 in Liverpool. The event features keynote speakers Anne Burns and Richard Smith; David Nunan as discussant; and poster presentations by students, teachers, educators and academics involved in research. We offer members one scholarship to attend this event. In exchange, the scholarship winner will contribute with a written report of the event to be included in ELT Research, the Research SIG newsletter. We’d like to congratulate Elis Constantinous who has won the scholarship this year!.
For more information on the schedule of the event, please visit the ITAEFL website at: conference.iatefl.org/pce_re
#iatefl #iatefl2019 #iateflresig #ReSIG #ELT
Venue: ECL Building (Room 18), linked to the main ACC Liverpool Venue (See map)
Poster presentations
Ten dilemmas faced by teacher researchers: An academic researcher’s perspective
Gary Barkhuizen
[email protected]
I am an academic who is also a teacher educator and supervisor of graduate student researchers and teacher researchers. This poster will draw on this experience to share with the audience ten dilemmas I have noticed that teacher researchers face. The dilemmas relate to planning a study, collecting and analysing data, as well as reflecting on and disseminating the findings. The poster also includes real examples of these dilemmas from a narrative case study of teacher educators’ changing researcher identity as they embark on PhD study at a university in Colombia, South America. The narrative inquiry reveals tensions among the teacher educators’ multiple identities, including language teacher, teacher educator, researcher, and (future) administrator. These tensions add to the dilemmas the teacher educators experience in their research lives. This poster will share what I have learned from them.
Gary Barkhuizen
[email protected]
I am an academic who is also a teacher educator and supervisor of graduate student researchers and teacher researchers. This poster will draw on this experience to share with the audience ten dilemmas I have noticed that teacher researchers face. The dilemmas relate to planning a study, collecting and analysing data, as well as reflecting on and disseminating the findings. The poster also includes real examples of these dilemmas from a narrative case study of teacher educators’ changing researcher identity as they embark on PhD study at a university in Colombia, South America. The narrative inquiry reveals tensions among the teacher educators’ multiple identities, including language teacher, teacher educator, researcher, and (future) administrator. These tensions add to the dilemmas the teacher educators experience in their research lives. This poster will share what I have learned from them.
What teacher researchers can learn from academic research?
Rhian Webb
[email protected]
My research enabled me, as a teacher educator and academic, to work with pre-service native English speaking teachers (P-S NESTs), who undertook my 48 contact-hour knowledge about grammar (KAG) programme prior to pre-service TESOL education. I investigated its need, examined how it influenced KAG levels and awareness and explored how it influenced P-S NESTs’ grammar teaching during the TESOL practicum. During this process, engaging in academic research provided me with a number of different things, which were, a large database of support for some findings, clarification about why some things are a certain way and ideas for additional areas to question. I was also able to refute some findings and contribute a new perspective about P-S NESTs’ KAG. In terms of development, I understand that research is continual process of asking additional questions from findings.
Rhian Webb
[email protected]
My research enabled me, as a teacher educator and academic, to work with pre-service native English speaking teachers (P-S NESTs), who undertook my 48 contact-hour knowledge about grammar (KAG) programme prior to pre-service TESOL education. I investigated its need, examined how it influenced KAG levels and awareness and explored how it influenced P-S NESTs’ grammar teaching during the TESOL practicum. During this process, engaging in academic research provided me with a number of different things, which were, a large database of support for some findings, clarification about why some things are a certain way and ideas for additional areas to question. I was also able to refute some findings and contribute a new perspective about P-S NESTs’ KAG. In terms of development, I understand that research is continual process of asking additional questions from findings.
Title: - English Language Teachers’ Perceptions and attitude about Embedding Technology in Teaching in Relation to the Education Policy in Iraq
Mayamin Altae
[email protected]
Being an English language teacher and a supervisor/ inspector in Iraq I would go into schools and assess the teacher’s teaching. A new curriculum and came a new policy in 2005 that meant that teachers had to embed technology in teaching e.g. Power point, Youtube. However, I noticed that they were not using it so I started to ask myself: What are Iraqi English language teachers’ perceptions about the adoption of technology into their teaching practice? How is the Iraqi educational policy reflected in the teachers’ use of technology? And more!
My PhD research follows the naturalistic inquire approach. I will share how I engaged with academic research and will reflect on what I learnt from this process e.g. how I have developed as a researcher.
Mayamin Altae
[email protected]
Being an English language teacher and a supervisor/ inspector in Iraq I would go into schools and assess the teacher’s teaching. A new curriculum and came a new policy in 2005 that meant that teachers had to embed technology in teaching e.g. Power point, Youtube. However, I noticed that they were not using it so I started to ask myself: What are Iraqi English language teachers’ perceptions about the adoption of technology into their teaching practice? How is the Iraqi educational policy reflected in the teachers’ use of technology? And more!
My PhD research follows the naturalistic inquire approach. I will share how I engaged with academic research and will reflect on what I learnt from this process e.g. how I have developed as a researcher.
Observable expressions of autonomous teachers
Marisol Guzman Cova
[email protected]
I would like to present and discuss my working definition of teacher autonomy with colleagues of IATEFL. This definition is supporting my PhD research as a reference to identify autonomous expressions of autonomy in the classroom. It entails multiple case studies of language teacher trainees developing their practicum component in their BA programme. The educational settings are varied, from kindergarten to university. The aim is to identify observable expressions of teacher autonomy through two potential constructs of it: creativity and teacher agency.
I am a teacher trainer at public university in central Mexico. I have observed that teacher autonomy needs to be researched as an area of opportunity to develop critical thinking. The promotion of autonomy amongst the educational setting provide a degree of freedom to all members of the community and let them enjoy the process of learning-teaching.
Marisol Guzman Cova
[email protected]
I would like to present and discuss my working definition of teacher autonomy with colleagues of IATEFL. This definition is supporting my PhD research as a reference to identify autonomous expressions of autonomy in the classroom. It entails multiple case studies of language teacher trainees developing their practicum component in their BA programme. The educational settings are varied, from kindergarten to university. The aim is to identify observable expressions of teacher autonomy through two potential constructs of it: creativity and teacher agency.
I am a teacher trainer at public university in central Mexico. I have observed that teacher autonomy needs to be researched as an area of opportunity to develop critical thinking. The promotion of autonomy amongst the educational setting provide a degree of freedom to all members of the community and let them enjoy the process of learning-teaching.
ENSRURING LEARNERS’ EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN EFL CLASSROOM
Sajan Chaudhary
[email protected]
This exploratory action research poster presentation displays the outcomes of the research carried out in a government school of Nepal. The researcher is a language teacher of the same school.
From my observation and exploration, I found that the students of class ix are not so active during my English hour. I discussed with my colleagues and school administration to overcome this issue because I faced several complaints from conscious parents. I came up with an idea of exploratory action research which I got from Richard Smith in a training several months ago and I got support from my colleagues.
I developed a questionnaire for 57 students in English and 12 interviews in local language i.e. Nepali language. Out of 57 students 49 students showed English subject interesting and 8 students boring. Similarly, 24 students liked games for teaching, 15 students a lot of practice for learning, 13 students project work and 5 students role play to learn English. In other set of questions 41 students preferred translation and 16 students preferred communicative method. Finally, 53 students showed their desire to talk in English in English period but 4 of the students didn’t show any interest to talk in English. The reason not to talk were shown like this; 25 students showed their ‘hesitation’, 21 students ‘nervousness’ and 11 students ‘don’t know to talk’ sub-headings. The above research showed a little deviation which is different as I thought.
After this research I decided to change my teaching ways and I browsed in internet, searched in references, and collaborated with colleagues to gather ideas of games, project works and translations.
Sajan Chaudhary
[email protected]
This exploratory action research poster presentation displays the outcomes of the research carried out in a government school of Nepal. The researcher is a language teacher of the same school.
From my observation and exploration, I found that the students of class ix are not so active during my English hour. I discussed with my colleagues and school administration to overcome this issue because I faced several complaints from conscious parents. I came up with an idea of exploratory action research which I got from Richard Smith in a training several months ago and I got support from my colleagues.
I developed a questionnaire for 57 students in English and 12 interviews in local language i.e. Nepali language. Out of 57 students 49 students showed English subject interesting and 8 students boring. Similarly, 24 students liked games for teaching, 15 students a lot of practice for learning, 13 students project work and 5 students role play to learn English. In other set of questions 41 students preferred translation and 16 students preferred communicative method. Finally, 53 students showed their desire to talk in English in English period but 4 of the students didn’t show any interest to talk in English. The reason not to talk were shown like this; 25 students showed their ‘hesitation’, 21 students ‘nervousness’ and 11 students ‘don’t know to talk’ sub-headings. The above research showed a little deviation which is different as I thought.
After this research I decided to change my teaching ways and I browsed in internet, searched in references, and collaborated with colleagues to gather ideas of games, project works and translations.
Foreign language learning for the attainment of culture
Marija Liudvika Drazdauskiene
[email protected]
The presenter is a researcher, academic and language instructor. The presentation would include observations of young people in the classroom and in the development of their careers as well as reflections on the personal development as a result of the research engagement. The application of a few methods at different historical periods, the success of classroom learning and results in completing a few university programmes have been researched.
Outline:
Marija Liudvika Drazdauskiene
[email protected]
The presenter is a researcher, academic and language instructor. The presentation would include observations of young people in the classroom and in the development of their careers as well as reflections on the personal development as a result of the research engagement. The application of a few methods at different historical periods, the success of classroom learning and results in completing a few university programmes have been researched.
Outline:
- The gist of foreign language teaching that reviews of methods permit to glean
- Praise of several insights of Scott Thornbury
- Obligations and challenges to teachers versus comfort for learners
- Easy learning of foreign languages and the effects this brings about
- Effects that foreign language learning used to bring about
- Research-based ways of learning that oblige the learner (Drazdauskiene, 2016)
Action research as a framework for academics to explore linguistically diverse teaching
Emily Edwards, Rosalie Goldsmith & Caroline Havery
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
As academic literacy lecturers at an Australian university, we recently designed and implemented a new cross-university blended learning module for academics on teaching in linguistically diverse classrooms. Given the multilingual student cohort in Australia (as in the UK and elsewhere), it is important that university educators from all disciplines develop a knowledge-base around linguistically diverse teaching, but also that they acquire tools for exploring and refining their teaching practice, in collaboration with their students. In this poster presentation, we outline the module design and our experiences to date of working with academics to develop action research projects. We found that using action research as a framework resonated with academics, who were keen to integrate research into their teaching, and to find ways of embedding academic language and literacy support. We also present our plans for extending this innovation, such as ways of encouraging discipline-specific action research networks within the university.
Emily Edwards, Rosalie Goldsmith & Caroline Havery
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
As academic literacy lecturers at an Australian university, we recently designed and implemented a new cross-university blended learning module for academics on teaching in linguistically diverse classrooms. Given the multilingual student cohort in Australia (as in the UK and elsewhere), it is important that university educators from all disciplines develop a knowledge-base around linguistically diverse teaching, but also that they acquire tools for exploring and refining their teaching practice, in collaboration with their students. In this poster presentation, we outline the module design and our experiences to date of working with academics to develop action research projects. We found that using action research as a framework resonated with academics, who were keen to integrate research into their teaching, and to find ways of embedding academic language and literacy support. We also present our plans for extending this innovation, such as ways of encouraging discipline-specific action research networks within the university.
Exploring the use of mentoring conversations in a TEFL course
Dalia Elhawary
[email protected]
As a teacher educator who leads a core TEFL course in an Initial Teacher Education programme, I wanted to explore how the use of structured mentoring conversations can help preservice teachers develop their reflective practices and become autonomous learners. The mentoring conversations had four stages; these were: (1) describing a moment of practice that clearly illustrates what good teaching is; (2) explaining the underlying values and beliefs; (3) appraising and challenging these values and beliefs; and (4) deciding on what to learn next. Content analysis of selected course assignments and students’ evaluations of their learning experiences was conducted to assess the use and impact of these mentoring conversations. In doing this research, I have come to better understand how preservice teachers develop conceptions about teaching and learning, and to question and redefine some of my roles as a teacher educator.
Dalia Elhawary
[email protected]
As a teacher educator who leads a core TEFL course in an Initial Teacher Education programme, I wanted to explore how the use of structured mentoring conversations can help preservice teachers develop their reflective practices and become autonomous learners. The mentoring conversations had four stages; these were: (1) describing a moment of practice that clearly illustrates what good teaching is; (2) explaining the underlying values and beliefs; (3) appraising and challenging these values and beliefs; and (4) deciding on what to learn next. Content analysis of selected course assignments and students’ evaluations of their learning experiences was conducted to assess the use and impact of these mentoring conversations. In doing this research, I have come to better understand how preservice teachers develop conceptions about teaching and learning, and to question and redefine some of my roles as a teacher educator.
Contributions of practitioner research to understanding criticality development
Ana Inés Salvi
[email protected]
In this presentation I will discuss how practitioner research contributed to understanding of criticality development in the academic English language classroom. This was a teacher research project I conducted for a doctoral study on criticality development in the context of teaching English for Academic Purposes in HE in the UK. In other words, this presentation will focus on what understanding of criticality I gained from investigating my own teaching context.
By deploying a learner-centred pedagogy and arts-informed research methods, I collected data that I subsequently analysed for signs of criticality. The data types include students’ reflective writing on their own learning, students’ reflective drawings, students’ talk about their drawings, and video-recorded student presentations and student group discussions of work in progress. The context of this study is academic English in Higher Education in the UK.
Ana Inés Salvi
[email protected]
In this presentation I will discuss how practitioner research contributed to understanding of criticality development in the academic English language classroom. This was a teacher research project I conducted for a doctoral study on criticality development in the context of teaching English for Academic Purposes in HE in the UK. In other words, this presentation will focus on what understanding of criticality I gained from investigating my own teaching context.
By deploying a learner-centred pedagogy and arts-informed research methods, I collected data that I subsequently analysed for signs of criticality. The data types include students’ reflective writing on their own learning, students’ reflective drawings, students’ talk about their drawings, and video-recorded student presentations and student group discussions of work in progress. The context of this study is academic English in Higher Education in the UK.
Starting backwards: from publishing to research
Erzsébet Békés
[email protected]
How do you publish before you have done any research and, therefore, you have nothing to write up? That was the challenge for nine Ecuadorian English teachers who participated in an academic writing course (meant to train them up to teach academic writing to postgraduate non-English degree students). The task was to follow up publishing opportunities and produce polished products, for example, book reviews and, in due course, to write academically about the experience of having to write academically, and then publish the outcomes. The process eventually did entail basic research activities (gathering and collating data on the academic writing practices of Ecuadorian English teachers, evaluation of feedback forms and interviews). It was a steep learning curve for all those involved including the trainer (research mentor). Did the nine teachers get published in the end? How did they feel about the publishing project? Come and listen to the poster presentation.
Erzsébet Békés
[email protected]
How do you publish before you have done any research and, therefore, you have nothing to write up? That was the challenge for nine Ecuadorian English teachers who participated in an academic writing course (meant to train them up to teach academic writing to postgraduate non-English degree students). The task was to follow up publishing opportunities and produce polished products, for example, book reviews and, in due course, to write academically about the experience of having to write academically, and then publish the outcomes. The process eventually did entail basic research activities (gathering and collating data on the academic writing practices of Ecuadorian English teachers, evaluation of feedback forms and interviews). It was a steep learning curve for all those involved including the trainer (research mentor). Did the nine teachers get published in the end? How did they feel about the publishing project? Come and listen to the poster presentation.
Developing tour guide students’ ability to appreciate humour in English jokes through authentic materials
Tran Thi Ai Hoa
[email protected]
Appreciating humour in English jokes is a challenge for Vietnamese EFL tour guide students. However, they need to be trained and qualified with this capacity for their tour guiding job. I am an EFL teacher. I taught my students English jokes and tried to develop their ability to understand and appreciate the humour in authentic English jokes. After 8-week intervention, post test results presented a significant rise compared with pre-test. Nearly all the students were able to comprehend the humour in English jokes. The findings have offered a considerable contribution not only to the field of language education but also to the one of humour research. Thus, it can be stated that EFL students could make sense of humour in English jokes when properly trained. It also helps provide the tour guiding community in Viet Nam with a high-quality workforce to promote the tourism industry development in the local province.
Tran Thi Ai Hoa
[email protected]
Appreciating humour in English jokes is a challenge for Vietnamese EFL tour guide students. However, they need to be trained and qualified with this capacity for their tour guiding job. I am an EFL teacher. I taught my students English jokes and tried to develop their ability to understand and appreciate the humour in authentic English jokes. After 8-week intervention, post test results presented a significant rise compared with pre-test. Nearly all the students were able to comprehend the humour in English jokes. The findings have offered a considerable contribution not only to the field of language education but also to the one of humour research. Thus, it can be stated that EFL students could make sense of humour in English jokes when properly trained. It also helps provide the tour guiding community in Viet Nam with a high-quality workforce to promote the tourism industry development in the local province.
Researching teacher experience and discourse on literature in language education
Emilia Luukka
[email protected]
In my poster presentation I describe the research design and results of a study I conducted over 2017 to 2018 as part of my PhD research at Tampere University, Finland. In the study I examined Finnish general upper secondary school teachers’ experiences and conceptions of literature in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education.
The aim of the study was firstly to contribute to the still limited body of empirical research on language educators’ experiences of employing literature in EFL education by collecting interview data and analysing the data phenomenologically. Secondly, I aimed to understand the values the teachers attached to the inclusion of literature in their language teaching by employing a discourse analytical approach in my analysis. The results provide insight that serves international and national dialogue between language educators, researchers and policy makers.
Emilia Luukka
[email protected]
In my poster presentation I describe the research design and results of a study I conducted over 2017 to 2018 as part of my PhD research at Tampere University, Finland. In the study I examined Finnish general upper secondary school teachers’ experiences and conceptions of literature in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education.
The aim of the study was firstly to contribute to the still limited body of empirical research on language educators’ experiences of employing literature in EFL education by collecting interview data and analysing the data phenomenologically. Secondly, I aimed to understand the values the teachers attached to the inclusion of literature in their language teaching by employing a discourse analytical approach in my analysis. The results provide insight that serves international and national dialogue between language educators, researchers and policy makers.
Different paths, one destination? – Teacher talk in EFL classes
Iozefina SANDOR
[email protected]
The particularities of teacher’s linguistic behaviour worth being analysed in EFL lessons, as the linguistic interactions occur unpredictably in what I consider appropriate to call ’’familiar institutionalised’’ setting (classroom). Teaching a foreign language through the same foreign language seems quite a challenge for us, EFL teachers.
In order to study how exactly this process happens, I started with a small scale research that includes the analysis of teacher’s and students’ output, the frequency in use of what I call ’’mirroring expressions’’ and turn-taking, all of these during EFL classes that I audio-video recorded, belonging to different teachers that teach students of different language proficiency levels.
Since the psychological dimension (and power relations) cannot be ignored when referring to teacher talk, I consider that this research might increase the degree of awareness when it comes to what and when we, teachers, say, in classroom.
Iozefina SANDOR
[email protected]
The particularities of teacher’s linguistic behaviour worth being analysed in EFL lessons, as the linguistic interactions occur unpredictably in what I consider appropriate to call ’’familiar institutionalised’’ setting (classroom). Teaching a foreign language through the same foreign language seems quite a challenge for us, EFL teachers.
In order to study how exactly this process happens, I started with a small scale research that includes the analysis of teacher’s and students’ output, the frequency in use of what I call ’’mirroring expressions’’ and turn-taking, all of these during EFL classes that I audio-video recorded, belonging to different teachers that teach students of different language proficiency levels.
Since the psychological dimension (and power relations) cannot be ignored when referring to teacher talk, I consider that this research might increase the degree of awareness when it comes to what and when we, teachers, say, in classroom.
“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree”: What do I and my pre-service teachers learn from Exploratory Action Research?
Seden Eraldemir Tuyan
[email protected]
This study investigates the practicum-integrated research engagement of 30 pre-service teachers at ELT Department in the south of Turkey through a written survey, their reflective writings, and the mentor and tutor journals which I have kept for over 6 months. I collected the survey data and the reflective writings at the end of the Exploratory Action Research (EAR) class and of the practicum experiences. I analysed qualitative data inductively to reveal the emerging themes. The results provide critical insights into the integration of EAR into pre-service teacher education and reveal a number of ways of learning to reflect and project various teaching practices in their future teacher roles. In my presentation I will discuss in particular what pre-service teachers have learnt from their EAR engagement and what I myself have learnt from their research not only as a researcher but also as a research mentor.
Seden Eraldemir Tuyan
[email protected]
This study investigates the practicum-integrated research engagement of 30 pre-service teachers at ELT Department in the south of Turkey through a written survey, their reflective writings, and the mentor and tutor journals which I have kept for over 6 months. I collected the survey data and the reflective writings at the end of the Exploratory Action Research (EAR) class and of the practicum experiences. I analysed qualitative data inductively to reveal the emerging themes. The results provide critical insights into the integration of EAR into pre-service teacher education and reveal a number of ways of learning to reflect and project various teaching practices in their future teacher roles. In my presentation I will discuss in particular what pre-service teachers have learnt from their EAR engagement and what I myself have learnt from their research not only as a researcher but also as a research mentor.
The Socratic Seminar in Charge of Critical Pedagogy in ELT Teacher Candidates
Seher Balbay
[email protected]
This research portrays the reflections of teacher candidates on the discussion task, the Socratic Seminar implemented throughout one semester in a Spoken English course offered to English Language Teaching department students in developing their awareness of critical pedagogy. Because the participants include Korean, American, Chinese and Syrian students in addition to Turkish students from different backgrounds, the foci provided by the researcher during discussions was dealt with from diverse perspectives. The researcher videotaped student discussions, and later, through stimulated recall, interviewed the participants about the changes in their awareness of and attitudes towards major issues covered, such as cultural inequalities, the rights of ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups in educational settings. The poster presentation aims to share reflections on both the classroom implementation of the Socratic Seminar task and the interviews with the participants.
Seher Balbay
[email protected]
This research portrays the reflections of teacher candidates on the discussion task, the Socratic Seminar implemented throughout one semester in a Spoken English course offered to English Language Teaching department students in developing their awareness of critical pedagogy. Because the participants include Korean, American, Chinese and Syrian students in addition to Turkish students from different backgrounds, the foci provided by the researcher during discussions was dealt with from diverse perspectives. The researcher videotaped student discussions, and later, through stimulated recall, interviewed the participants about the changes in their awareness of and attitudes towards major issues covered, such as cultural inequalities, the rights of ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups in educational settings. The poster presentation aims to share reflections on both the classroom implementation of the Socratic Seminar task and the interviews with the participants.
English for Specific Purposes Teacher Education: Glimpses of a Technical Action Research Study
Elis Kakoulli Constantinou
[email protected]
This poster presentation will describe a Technical Action Research study aiming at addressing the problem of insufficient English for Specific Purposes Teacher Education (ESP TE). Working in the area of ESP, the researchers sensed the lack of ESP TE opportunities that met the needs of ESP practitioners, a need also emphasised in the literature. As a remedy, an educational intervention was designed, the Online Reflective Teacher Education course in ESP (ReTEESP Online), which was facilitated by the first researcher. The course was founded on a ‘practise what you preach’ approach inspired by Wallace's (1991) reflective model of TE, based on ESP principles and governed by the theories of social constructivism and connectivism. The presentation will describe the spiral pattern of the study, briefly unfolding its steps and focusing on the lessons learned from the implementation of the intervention and the participants’ and researchers’ personal development journey throughout the whole process of the study.
Elis Kakoulli Constantinou
[email protected]
This poster presentation will describe a Technical Action Research study aiming at addressing the problem of insufficient English for Specific Purposes Teacher Education (ESP TE). Working in the area of ESP, the researchers sensed the lack of ESP TE opportunities that met the needs of ESP practitioners, a need also emphasised in the literature. As a remedy, an educational intervention was designed, the Online Reflective Teacher Education course in ESP (ReTEESP Online), which was facilitated by the first researcher. The course was founded on a ‘practise what you preach’ approach inspired by Wallace's (1991) reflective model of TE, based on ESP principles and governed by the theories of social constructivism and connectivism. The presentation will describe the spiral pattern of the study, briefly unfolding its steps and focusing on the lessons learned from the implementation of the intervention and the participants’ and researchers’ personal development journey throughout the whole process of the study.