Teachers as researchers:

1. Teachers as researchers: Taking a road less travelled Dr Zeynep Onat Stelma University of Manchester zeynep.onat-stelma@manchester.ac.uk

2. Teacher roles • Teacher as …………….. • Teacher as …………….. • Teacher as researcher? • What is involved in teacher research?

3. Action research (Adapted from Farrell, 2007)

4. Identify an issue • Purpose • Topic • End result • Feasibility (time and resources)

5. Review literature and narrow down the focus • See what studies have been done. • Look for similarities and differences. • Narrow down your focus if necessary.

6. Data collection • Journals/teaching logs • Observation • Questionnaires • Interviews • Recordings/notes

7. Analyse and interpret • Are there any patterns in your data? • Build an interpretation of your findings.

8. Action Plan! • Do you need to change your teaching practice? • If so, what do you need to do? • How will you monitor the change?

9. Collaboration with colleagues • How can you work with colleagues in your institution in action research?

10. You are all set!! • Take the road less travelled and see what sights you will encounter! • Share your experiences with your colleagues and see what they have found. • Share your experiences with the wider teaching community and see if there are similar projects going on around you. Be brave! You know you can do it!

11. Helpful sources: • Burns, A. (1999) Collaborative action research for English Language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. • Farrell, T. S. C. (2007) Reflective language teaching: from research to practice. London: Continuum. • Wallace, M. J. (1998) Action research for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

12. Thank you for listening and working so hard on a Saturday!!