Prioritizing practitioner research: an example from the field

• Published in: Language teaching research : LTR Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 97 - 112
• Main Author: Gunn, Cindy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2005; Turpin; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Discourse; Classroom Research; Classroom Techniques; Classrooms; Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods; Educational sciences; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language instruction; English teachers; Feedback; Feedback (Response); Foreign Countries; Language Teachers; Modern language; Quality of Life; Reading Instruction; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Second language teachers; Student Attitudes; Students; Teacher Researchers; Teaching; Teaching methods; United Arab Emirates; Writing Instruction; United Arab Emirates; Language Teaching; Teacher; Teaching Practice; Field Research; Teacher Research Worker; Feedback
• ISSN: 1362-1688; 1477-0954
• DOI: 10.1191/1362168805lr156xx

For many ESL teachers, finding time for research within the everyday activities of classroom teaching can be problematic. This is often the case with large classes and classes that have few contact hours, where it is difficult to include research activities, particularly those that centre upon gathering relevant information about individual students’ perceptions of classroom life. Part of my ongoing practitioner research efforts have focused upon the value of written student feedback in various forms for both language teachers and language learners as a tool to help both the teacher and students work towards greater understanding of classroom life. In this paper, I provide an example of how a principled practitioner research perspective can be adopted productively by busy teachers in ordinary teaching situations to enhance the quality of life in their classrooms.