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Mentors and mentees:

Congratulations and thank you so much:

Trang Phan: Hanh Nguyen, Ha Vo, Eko, Janpanit
An Sakach: Ye Min Tun, Trang Tran, Liana, Hoan Nguyen
Michelle Kunkel: Imam, Issyatul, Areeluck, Karryl
Huy Phung: Chan, Sakti, Sasiwimol, Jennie Tran
Anna Mendoza: Candice, Ken Calang and Junior Pacol, Arti and Hany, Lady
Priscilla Leal: Amy Peria and Precious Arao, Imelda Gasmen, Quang-Nhan and Thu Vo, Chinoko

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Goals of the workshop

Learning Goals (from the call for participants)

To be able to design a small-scale, classroom-based study
To be able to write a short research report (1,500–2,000 words) outlining the study, including all key parts of a research paper and preliminary observations/findings if applicable by the end of Jan 2027

For today’s session, participants will:

Develop a clear understanding of teacher research
Gain an overview of the key steps involved in conducting a classroom-based study
Begin applying these concepts to their own research projects
Produce a rough draft or initial plan for their study by completing the provided template

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Roles of mentors:

Support participants in writing the research report as the primary deliverable for this project, while also keeping in mind that participants might want to further develop their work into a full research article or publication.

In short, the mentors will guide the teacher-researcher to frame their study, decide on the scope and methods to make sure it’s manageable in the proposed timeline while maintaining quality.

Providing writing tips, resources and support
Checking-in regularly to provide feedback and monitor progress.

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Role of mentees/participants

Work closely with their mentor(s) and any collaborators to make steady progress on their research project, with the goal of completing a 1,500–2,000 word research report by the end of January 2027.
Keep their mentor(s) regularly updated on the progress of the project.
Make a good-faith effort to complete progress reports and templates as they move through the timeline established with their mentor and group.

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Quick introduction (7 mins.)

Meet with your assigned group (based on your mentor) and take turns sharing your research ideas. During the meeting, please talk about your research idea (2-3 minutes each):

What is your topic?
What issue, question, or problem are you interested in?
Why is this topic important in your teaching or learning context?

Trang Phan: Hanh Nguyen, Ha Vo, Eko, Janpanit

An Sakach: Ye Min Tun, Trang Tran, Liana, Hoan Nguyen

Michelle Kunkel: Imam, Issyatul, Areeluck, Karryl

Huy Phung: Chan, Sakti, Sasiwimol, Jennie Tran

Anna Mendoza: Candice, Ken Calang and Junior Pacol, Arti and Hany, Lady

Priscilla Leal: Amy Peria and Precious Arao, Imelda Gasmen, Quang-Nhan and Thu Vo, Chinoko

Note: Trang Phan’s and Anna Mendoza’s groups can work together.

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Teacher Research & Action Research: An Overview

Jayson Parba, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Hoa Le, Harvard University

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What is one teaching moment that stayed with you this semester?

Classroom = site of knowledge production

especially important in:

Southeast Asian languages
Heritage learner contexts
Underrepresented languages/Less Commonly Taught Languages

You are already doing research.

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What is teacher research?

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TR is…

research done by teachers in their own classrooms, systematically studying their practice and/or their students’ learning (Gilliland, 2018, p. 260)

does not require action, however; teacher-researchers’ purpose may be deeper understanding of their current context, classroom environment, or students’ experiences (Ibid, p. 261)

Research by teachers for teachers (and their students).

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“Family Tree” of Practitioner Research (Hanks, 2019, p. 164)

Introspective�

Reflection for understanding

Taking action for understanding

Taking action for change

Action-oriented

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Goals of Teacher Research

Evidence-based understanding

Theorizing practice

Becoming critical

Making change

Through systematic data collection & careful scrutiny of data

Creating new theories about teaching & learning based on evidence

Comparing evidence/theories from your classroom to established theories/literature

Solving problems and/or�implementing new practices based on evidence

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Research initiated and carried out by teachers into issues of importance to them in their own work
Addressing questions that arise from your practice by gathering data, analysing it, and sharing what you find

Which part of these definitions resonates most with your current teaching context? What is one issue or question you are currently facing in your classroom?

Richard Smith (University of Warwick), shared the following definitions of TR during a British Council India webinar:

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Teacher Research & Research Paradigms

In TR, the teacher is a central participant in the classroom being researched.� �TR is considered insider research because the researcher “studies [themself, those like [them], [their] family, or [their] community” (Wilkinson & Kitzinger, 2013, p. 251).

→ being the researcher and the researched

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Why Teacher Research Matters

In mainstream research in additional and heritage language education,

Whose knowledge counts? Who gets to produce theory?

Mainstream research does not fully capture:

LCTL and SEAL realities
Heritage learner dynamics
Diaspora contexts

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From my own work

Parba, 2018

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Le & Ziegler, 2025

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Cochran-Smith and Lytle (1993, p. 40) stated:

As more teachers become researchers in their schools and classrooms, they explore innovative forms and formats for documenting classroom activities, interrogating conventional assumptions about research itself. These conversations raise many questions about teacher research as a way of knowing: what can be known about teaching, who can know it, how it can be known, and what knowledge can be used.

teachers ---> knowledge producers =

epistemic authority

of teachers

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“Recognizing teachers as...intellectuals means that educators should never be reduced to technicians just as education should never be reduced to training.” (Giroux, n.d., p.3)

full potential as active, reflective scholars and practitioners

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Observations about Published TR Studies

Journals that welcome TR: ELT Journal, TESOL Journal, and Language Teaching Research.

---> The focus of findings shapes how the study is written.�

Majors trends in the published TR literature:�

Practical: Focus on the intervention and its impact → like a how-to guide for teachers

Usually focuses on problems that emerged in the teacher’s classroom or some change to teaching
Intervention is clearly described along with steps of implementing it
Cycles of intervention and the impact of each cycle is usually detailed�

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Observations about Published TR Studies

2. Critical: Focus on broader societal impacts

Describes teaching context, teacher’s role as researcher, and interventions, but is situated in context of broader social problems
Results tend to focus on student empowerment & broader external/community impacts�

3. Personal: Focus on how the research impacted the teacher-researcher

Describes teaching context, teacher’s role as researcher, and purpose of the project (+/- intervention)
Might be reported in a more reflective, personal style BUT remains systematic, evidence-based, and grounded in careful analysis of classroom data.
Results, discussion, and implications are firmly grounded in the data

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Fundamental Practices of Teacher (Action) Research - Pine (2008)

Reflection

Dialogue

Journaling

Writing

Observation

Documentation

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Freeman’s (1998) Teacher-Research Cycle (p. 38)

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Action Research Cycle (Burns, 2010)

Plan

Act

Observe

Reflect

Revise

emphasizes intervention and change in the classroom

more oriented toward trying something out and improving practice

Action research is cyclical: you may make changes to the action after reflecting on the process the first time around

Plan: need analysis, identifying focal instructional points, pre-testing to gauge students’ proficiency in a certain skill, developing SLOs around the skills, lesson plans & materials development

Act: carry out an intervention, teach new content/skills, scaffold students’ learning, give students activities/tasks/assignments

Observe: take notes while teaching, collect students’ in-process & finished products, audio/video record lessons/students groups/presentations, talk with students about their experiences & learning, write frequently in your research journal

Reflect: Review all data (including your journal), revisit your RQs, SLOs, & instructional plans, analyze data using different methods, write about what you’re see & how you’re feeling, think about possible causes (inside & outside of classroom), ask yourself how well the intervention worked and whether students learned what you hoped they would learn

Revise: modify (or completely change) your intervention & lesson plans, prepare to continue another cycle

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Burns (2010)

Photo from Anna Mendoza’s blog annamend

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In other words…

TR = Systematic inquiry into one’s own teaching

Core features:

Classroom-based, Practitioner-led, Context-specific, Improvement-oriented

Teacher learning = research

Teacher research as knowledge of practice

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Teacher Research vs Traditional “Scientific” Research (2 minutes)

Look at the methods and share your observations with your seatmate.

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Main difference between TR and traditional SR

The difference is not the tool. It’s the purpose, control, and ownership of the research.

Same methods → different epistemological orientation (how you see knowledge and how you believe it is created)
TR: context-sensitive, practice-driven, improvement-oriented
Traditional: generalizable, controlled, theory-driven

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Activity

A teacher records group discussions to understand participation patterns
A researcher runs a controlled experiment comparing two teaching methods
A teacher analyzes student writing to revise instruction

Groups/pairs decide: 10 minutes

Where does this fall on the spectrum? What makes it teacher research or not?

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Scenario	Placement on Spectrum	Why it fits
Teacher records group discussions to understand participation	Strongly Teacher Research	Classroom-based, uses natural data, goal is to improve participation and teaching practice
Researcher runs a controlled experiment comparing two methods	Strongly Academic Research	Controlled design, aims for generalizable findings, often removed from day-to-day teaching
Teacher analyzes student writing to revise instruction	Teacher Research (mid to strong)	Uses student work, informs instruction, becomes stronger if analysis is systematic

Teacher Research ←──────────────→ Academic Research

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Core Concepts of Teacher Research (McNiff, 2013)

“Traditional” views of research (social sciences): acting ON and studying OTHERS (subjects)

Researcher is impartial, removed
Theory developed to inform practice

Teacher research: acting WITH and studying SELF

Essential to be reflexive and critical
Be clear about your own values: what you believe and how you are practicing what you believe

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5 Propositions about Teacher-Research (Freeman, 1998)

1. To truly make research a central part of teaching, we must redefine research (p. 5).

2. Research can be defined as an orientation toward one’s practice. It is a questioning attitude toward the world, leading to inquiry conducted within a discipline framework (p. 8).

3. Teachers do not think of themselves as producing knowledge; they think of themselves as using it (p. 10).

4. Inquiry—and not procedure—is the basis of teacher-research (p. 14).

5. Creating a discipline of teaching requires making public one’s findings. (p. 15).

Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research: From inquiry to understanding. Heinle & Heinle. (chapter 1)

Teacher=person research=process, joined by a hyphen. Traditional view: researchers and teachers receive different training, work in different places, have different professional goals (teachers: help others learn; researchers: examine phenomena and make claims about why they happen). Where teaching and research converge around focus on learning.
Discipline: methodical practical undertaking, field of study; what you know and how you came know it.
We usually think of teachers as using knowledge provided by someone else (researchers), generated with a goal of generalization; teachers’ work is grounded in their local context and experience—but TR can change that, engage teachers in talking with each other and building more general understanding out of their specific knowledge.
Common misconception about what “research” means—it’s not just systematic procedure. Instead, TR is inquiry: “a state of being engaged in what is going on in the classroom that drives one to better understand what is happening—and can happen—there” (p. 14)
Burns also emphasizes the importance of making TR public--it’s not enough to do it for the sake of improving your own teaching; you need to share what you have learned with a larger audience. But we may want to change how we share it—not always using traditional “academic” language and publishing in top-tier journals.

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What can teacher research projects look like?

Hoa Le’s research

Re-grouping students by proficiency level

TBLT as a curricular intervention

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What can teacher research projects look like?

Teacher-focused

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What can teacher research projects look like?

Intervention-focused

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Name	Research Question	Focus of Research
Amy Peria	How do Filipino heritage and second language learners use multilingual and multimodal resources during communicative tasks, and how are these practices related to their speaking and writing proficiency?	Practice/learner focused what learners do
Chan Lwin	How do proficiency-based reading assessments affect learner performance, instructor rating consistency, and learner perceptions in Burmese language courses?	Intervention-focused implementing and evaluating teaching strategies
Chinoko Shirakura	How do identity-focused, task-based activities influence student engagement, motivation, and oral and written proficiency in Thai language classes?	Intervention-focused implementing and evaluating teaching strategies
Elisabeth Arti Wulandari	How does a teacher implement and adapt differentiated instruction in a mixed-proficiency Indonesian language classroom, and what challenges and strategies emerge?	Teacher-focused implementing and evaluating teaching strategies

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Not all teacher research needs an intervention. Some of the most powerful studies begin by carefully understanding what learners are already doing.

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What Counts as Research in Our Classrooms?

What questions can we ask?
What data do we already have?
What counts as “research”?

Teacher research begins with:

a puzzle
a tension
a recurring issue
a moment that stays with you

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TR does not begin with theory. It begins with something that bothers you, confuses you, or stays with you.

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Pedagogical tensions

Participation
Interaction
Task design
Classroom dynamics

Sample questions:

Why are some students silent?
What kinds of tasks generate more interaction?
What happens when I shift to discussion-based teaching?
What happens when I use culturally relevant materials?

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Identity & Investment

Motivation is not just internal

Learning is tied to identity, power, and belonging

Sample questions:

Why do some students resist speaking the heritage/additional language?
When do students feel comfortable participating?
How do students see themselves as language users?

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Language Ideologies

Beliefs about “correct” language

Hierarchies of language and speakers

Sample questions:

What counts as “good Vietnamese/Thai” in my classroom?
How do students react to different varieties?
Do students feel their language practices are valued?

Classrooms are not neutral as they are shaped by: beliefs about language, ideas of correctness and histories of power.

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References

Burns, A. (2009). Doing action research in English language teaching: A guide for practitioners. Routledge.

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. (1993). Inside/outside: Teacher research and knowledge. Teachers College Press. Teachers College, Columbia University.

Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research: From inquiry to understanding. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Hanks, J. (2019). From research-as-practice to exploratory practice-as-research in language teaching and beyond. Language teaching, 52(2), 143-187.Gilliland,

Gilliland, B. (2018). Teacher research during an international practicum. Elt Journal, 72(3), 260-273.

Kubota, R. (2019). A critical examination of common beliefs about language teaching: From research insights to professional engagement. Critical perspectives on global Englishes in Asia: Language policy, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, 10-26.

Le, H. T. V., & Ziegler, N. (2025). Technology-mediated TBLT and language development for beginning learners of Vietnamese. Language Learning & Technology, 29 (2), 44-75.

McNiff, J. (2013). Action research: Principles and practice. Routledge.

Parba, J. E. (2018). Empowering the Filipino Language Classroom: Towards Critical Pedagogy and Curriculum (Doctoral dissertation).

Pine, G. J. (2008). Teacher action research: Building knowledge democracies. Sage.

Wilkinson, S., & Kitzinger, C. (2013). Representing our own experience: Issues in “insider” research. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 37(2), 251-255.