‘‘Great idea but just no Great idea but just no time’:time’:

Teachers’ views of research Teachers’ views of research and its role in their and its role in their professional livesprofessional lives

Simon BorgSimon BorgCentre for Language Education ResearchCentre for Language Education Research

School of EducationSchool of EducationUniversity of LeedsUniversity of Leeds

Workshop given at IH Barcelona, Spain, 29 March 2006Workshop given at IH Barcelona, Spain, 29 March 2006

Insights from EducationInsights from Education

In UK, large investment in research on In UK, large investment in research on teachers’ involvement in research.teachers’ involvement in research.

Studies of teachers’ views of research Studies of teachers’ views of research suggest these equate with ‘scientific’ suggest these equate with ‘scientific’ models.models.

Teachers acknowledge the value of Teachers acknowledge the value of doing research.doing research.

Teachers do not feel that their working Teachers do not feel that their working conditions support their involvement in conditions support their involvement in research. research.

Insights from EducationInsights from Education

More recent work has focused on More recent work has focused on research-engaged schools rather than research-engaged schools rather than individual teachers.individual teachers.

Institutional conditions which support Institutional conditions which support teacher research have been proposed:teacher research have been proposed: organisational commitmentorganisational commitment research-oriented cultureresearch-oriented culture desire to improve quality of teaching & desire to improve quality of teaching &

learninglearning collaborative working patterns collaborative working patterns

Teacher Research in ELTTeacher Research in ELT

Theoretical Debate

Empirical Research

What We What We Don’tDon’t Know Know

How much teacher research takes place? How much teacher research takes place? Where? What are the characteristics of the Where? What are the characteristics of the teachers who do it? What motivates them? teachers who do it? What motivates them? What conditions support or hinder their What conditions support or hinder their efforts? efforts?

DiscussDiscuss

1.1. Have you ever been advised or advised Have you ever been advised or advised teachers that doing research is ‘good’ or teachers that doing research is ‘good’ or ‘desirable’?‘desirable’?

2.2. To what extent has this advice been To what extent has this advice been taken up in practice?taken up in practice?

3.3. What conditions do you feel facilitate or What conditions do you feel facilitate or hinder teachers’ efforts to do research?hinder teachers’ efforts to do research?

10 Conditions for Research 10 Conditions for Research EngagementEngagement

AwarenessAwareness

ChoiceChoice

MentoringMentoring

Knowledge & Knowledge & SkillsSkills

Motivation Motivation

ResourcesResources

Dissemination Dissemination PotentialPotential

CommunityCommunity

ExpectationsExpectations

Recognition Recognition

Investigating Research Investigating Research Engagement in ELTEngagement in ELT

Why?Why?To understand teachers’ views about To understand teachers’ views about research and its role in their professional research and its role in their professional lives.lives.

Yes, but WHY?Yes, but WHY?To obtain evidence which can inform To obtain evidence which can inform attempts to increase teacher engagement in attempts to increase teacher engagement in research.research.

Four QuestionsFour Questions

What conceptions of research do EFL teachers What conceptions of research do EFL teachers hold?hold?

How do they rate the research culture of their How do they rate the research culture of their institution?institution?

To what extent do teachers say they do To what extent do teachers say they do research?research?

What reasons do they give for doing or not doing What reasons do they give for doing or not doing research?research?

The QuestionnaireThe Questionnaire

Please spend 10 minutes completing Please spend 10 minutes completing the questionnaire. If you would the questionnaire. If you would prefer not to or have already done prefer not to or have already done so, feel free to stretch your legs for a so, feel free to stretch your legs for a few minutes.few minutes.

Conceptions of ResearchConceptions of Research

98% of the teachers said this was research98% of the teachers said this was research

A university lecturer gave a questionnaire A university lecturer gave a questionnaire about the use of computers in language about the use of computers in language teaching to 500 teachers. Statistics were teaching to 500 teachers. Statistics were used to analyse the questionnaires. The used to analyse the questionnaires. The lecturer wrote an article about the work in lecturer wrote an article about the work in an academic journal.an academic journal.

Conceptions of ResearchConceptions of Research

73.5% of the teachers said this was 73.5% of the teachers said this was notnot research. research.

Mid-way through a course, a teacher gave a class of 30 students a feedback form. The next day, five students handed in their completed forms. The teacher read these and used the information to decide what to do in the second part of the course.

Conceptions of ResearchConceptions of Research

68% of the teachers said this was 68% of the teachers said this was notnot research research

A teacher noticed that an activity she used in class did not work well. She thought about this after the lesson and made some notes in her diary. She tried something different in her next lesson. This time the activity was more successful.

Conceptions of ResearchConceptions of Research

Teachers also asked to identify Teachers also asked to identify characteristics of ‘good’ research:characteristics of ‘good’ research:

The researcher is objective The researcher is objective 97.997.9%%

Hypotheses are testedHypotheses are tested 87.587.5%%

Variables are controlledVariables are controlled 79.279.2%%

A large number of people are A large number of people are studiedstudied

73.573.5%%

Research CultureResearch CultureAgree Agree (%)(%)

Teachers have access to research books and Teachers have access to research books and journalsjournals

8686

Teachers do research themselvesTeachers do research themselves 6060

The management encourages teachers to do The management encourages teachers to do researchresearch

5252

Teachers talk about research Teachers talk about research 3838

Teachers feel that doing research is an important Teachers feel that doing research is an important part of their job.part of their job.

3434

Time for doing research is built into teachers' Time for doing research is built into teachers' workloadsworkloads

1818

Doing ResearchDoing Research

OftenOften 22.422.4%%

SometimesSometimes 38.838.8%%

RarelyRarely 36.736.7%%

NeverNever 2.1%2.1%Teachers reporting more favourable

perceptions of the institutional research culture said they did research more often.

Reasons for Doing Reasons for Doing ResearchResearch

because it is good for my professional developmentto find better ways of teachingto solve problems in my teachingbecause I enjoy it

because my employer expects me to

Reasons for Not Doing Reasons for Not Doing ResearchResearch

I do not have time to do research

my job is to teach not to do research I am not interested in doing research most of my colleagues do not do research

My employer discourages itI do not know enough about research

methods

TimeTime

““As a teacher-researcher I've found it As a teacher-researcher I've found it extremely difficult to carry out extremely difficult to carry out research projects and publish. I just research projects and publish. I just don't have the time. I teach 32.5 don't have the time. I teach 32.5 hours / week and need to prepare for hours / week and need to prepare for those classes in addition to work with those classes in addition to work with the teachers' union and our the teachers' union and our technology committee. It's a shame”. technology committee. It's a shame”.

Some ConclusionsSome Conclusions Teachers held a Teachers held a ‘standard’‘standard’ view of view of

scientific research.scientific research. 61%61% said they did research at least said they did research at least

sometimessometimes.. 34%34% agreed that teachers feel that doing agreed that teachers feel that doing

research is an important part of their work.research is an important part of their work. 80%80% disagreed that time for research is disagreed that time for research is

built into their workload.built into their workload. There was a There was a significant relationshipsignificant relationship

between views of the institutional research between views of the institutional research culture and reported levels of doing culture and reported levels of doing research.research.

And QuestionsAnd Questions

What are What are the the

managemenmanagement’s t’s

perspectiveperspectives?s?

What kinds What kinds of research of research do teachers do teachers

do?do?

How ‘typical’ How ‘typical’ are these are these findings?findings?

What do What do ‘sometimes’ ‘sometimes’ and ‘often’ and ‘often’

mean?mean?

‘‘Great idea but just no Great idea but just no time’:time’:

Teachers’ views of research Teachers’ views of research and its role in their and its role in their professional livesprofessional lives

Simon BorgSimon BorgCentre for Language Education ResearchCentre for Language Education Research

School of EducationSchool of EducationUniversity of LeedsUniversity of Leeds