Webinar: Wednesday 28 February 2018, 14:00 GMT: Exploratory Practice: integrating research and pedagogy in English for Academic Purposes
Judith Hanks, University of Leeds
Part of the International Festival of Teacher-research in ELT
NEW! Webinar recording here; PowerPoint slides here
Language teachers are frequently told to engage in research and/or scholarship. However, when asked, teachers cite the lack of relevance of much research to their classrooms, and they indicate the limited time and resources available. In this webinar I critically examine Exploratory Practice (EP) as a sustainable way for teachers and learners to engage in research which is directly relevant to learning and teaching in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Based on a set of principles which prioritise working for understanding and Quality of Life, while involving everyone in mutual development, EP both challenges and is challenged by those in the academy. Drawing on case studies from pre-sessional programmes in a university Language Centre, I discuss these challenges: why is it so important to prioritise understanding? Why is EAP a particularly productive setting for EP? Why insist on the differences between EP and other forms of practitioner research? I consider the assumptions that surround research and scholarship, and conclude that Exploratory Practice leads to relevant, creative, and therefore motivating ways to engage in researching our EAP practice.
Judith Hanks is Academic Group Leader for the Language Education Academic Group at the University of Leeds. She leads the MA in TESOL and Teacher Education, and has extensive experience in language learning, teaching and teacher education around the globe. She is particularly interested in Exploratory Practice - a form of practitioner research which involves learners as well as teachers in puzzling about their own praxis. Judith is plenary speaker alongside Phil Benson at the IATEFL Pre-conference event on 9 April 2018. Her article in System was the springboard for this Webinar: Hanks, J. (2017b). Integrating research and pedagogy: an Exploratory Practice approach. System, 68, 38-49.
Judith Hanks is Academic Group Leader for the Language Education Academic Group at the University of Leeds. She leads the MA in TESOL and Teacher Education, and has extensive experience in language learning, teaching and teacher education around the globe. She is particularly interested in Exploratory Practice - a form of practitioner research which involves learners as well as teachers in puzzling about their own praxis. Judith is plenary speaker alongside Phil Benson at the IATEFL Pre-conference event on 9 April 2018. Her article in System was the springboard for this Webinar: Hanks, J. (2017b). Integrating research and pedagogy: an Exploratory Practice approach. System, 68, 38-49.