Thirteen Years Inside Ourselves : English Language Teachers as Classroom Researchers(English as an 'International Language' : Educational Goals and Standards) :

According to Dick Allwright and Kathi Bailey, in the early 1990s : Slowly, the profession as a whole is realizing that, no matter how much intellectual energy is put into the invention of new methods (or of new approaches to syllabus design, and so on), what really matters is what happens when teachers and learners get together in the classroom (1991, p.xv-xvi). Allwright and Bailey go on to say that : Being a good classroom teacher means being alive to what goes on in the classroom, alive to the problems of sorting out what matters, moment by moment, from what does not. And that is what classroom research is all about : gaining a better understanding of what good teachers (and learners) do instinctively as a matter of course, so that ultimately all can benefit (ibid) This plenary talk will take these two statements as the starting point and look at how these realizations regarding class room research have developed over the last 15 years. We will start by considering what we mean when we refer to "action research" inrelation to self-reflective inquiry undertaken so teachers can improve their own social and educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices. We will also consider other definitions, such as action research as "...a form of self-reflective inquiry carried out by practitioners, aimed at solving problems, improving practice, or enhancing understanding" (Hunan, 1992b, p.229). We will explore why action research process warrants the label of research in terms of its essential ingredients : (1) questions, problems or puzzles ; (2) data that have a direct bearing on the question, problem or puzzle ; and (3) some form of analysis or interpretation of the data. We will also explore some of the differences between action research and other kinds of research, for example, the fact that action research is carried out by those who are best placed to solve problems, improve practice, and enh ance understanding-that is, the participants in the situation under investigation. We will also take another historical reference point from the early 1990s, contrasting the classroom based action research approach with the experimental approach, viewing people in research studies as subjects, as Cheryl Mattingly explains : In action research the "subjects " are no longer subjects but rather find a way to become researchers of their own practice. More than many research traditions, action research represents a kind of ideal practice. Those studied must come to see something at stake in examining their own practice, they must be willing to risk a certain exposure to themselves and to colleagues, they must even be willing to chance the possibility of changing and taking new actions. (Mattingly, 1991, p.255). As it is the posing of questions and this systematic collection and analysis of data that allow us to characterize the process as research', we will explore the notion of baseline data, described by Allwright and Bailey as based on "information that documents the normal state of affairs. It provides the basis against which we make comparative claims about how different or unusual the phenomena we have seen may be" (1991, p.74). Whether we are referring to baseline data or data collected after an intervention, the data themselves can be of many different sorts, for example, video or audio recordings, lesson transcripts, observation checklists, charts and diagrams showing patterns of interaction (based on either teacher-student or student-student interactions), and learner-generated data. We will compare and contrast some of these different types of data in terms of their potential and their limitations. In the next part of the plenary, we will address some of the potential problems of classroom-based action research. and how these problems may be addressed. For example, a common problem is teachers not being given recognition or time for do ing research, as the time required to do even the most limited research project can be immense, and teachers need to conceptualize their research projects, discuss them, formulate action plans, gather or create materials, seek advice, collect data, transcribe interactions, analyze the data, and write up the projects. Some of the additional questions and concerns I hope to address in this plenary include revisiting a set of questions Geoff Brindley asked in 1991, in his work with EFL and ESL teachers in Australia as they were learning to do action research : ・ How do teachers identify researchable issues or questions? ・ What problems do they experience in doing research? ・ What skills and knowledge do they feel they need to acquire to undertake research? ・ What kind of support do they value? ・ What do they see as the main benefits of doing research? How does undertaking research contribute to their professional growth? The paper will conclude with an overview of the future of classroom-based research carried out by English language teachers.