Exploring the research engagement of ELT practitioners five years after initial teacher education

Abstract

Teacher learning is a lifelong process, and cultivating an inquisitive mindset - characterised by questioning and reflecting on practice - is integral to the profession. Adopting a research orientation from the very start of teacher education is thus critical to ensure the continuous professional development of teachers. As initial teacher education (ITE) forms the base on which this research outlook emerges and grows, examining the development of teachers' conceptualisation of research from their candidacy to early career practice is particularly significant for understanding how ITE shapes their relationship with research. This study examines how a group of ten English language teaching (ELT) practitioners conceptualise and engage with research five years after graduating from an ITE programme that included a research component. The database consists of ten semi-structured interviews amounting to 6.5 hours. The qualitative analysis reveals that participants maintained a largely academic view of research, seeing it as the domain of scholars rather than a tool for classroom inquiry. Although their teaching experience increased awareness of the potential value of research for practice, engagement in teacher-led classroom research remained limited. The study showcases the impact of undergraduate research training as part of ITE programmes on fostering research engagement among early career language teachers.