As TESOL programs evolve to meet the demands of a globalized world, teacher-learners benefit from gaining opportunities to practice teaching outside their home countries. This article reports on four researchers' analyses of the experiences of US graduate student teacher-learners participating in a two-month practicum in Thailand. The practicum…

Modern language education favours the model of a reflective teacher-researcher who is engaged in both individual and collaborative curriculum revision and teaching-learning environment improvement. The present paper addresses the issue of classroom research and reflective practice in current ESL pedagogy and teacher professional development. The…

This article explores teacher learning in the UK English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) context. We draw on data from a continuing professional development (CPD) initiative to understand how learning is shaped by collaborative discussion with others and by reading from the language classroom research literature. The CPD programme--designed…

Including classroom research methodology in undergraduate is not a common practice. In order for practicing teachers to conduct classroom research in their own classrooms it is critical that they are involved in some form of planning preparation during their pre-service years. In this study, classroom research was included in one undergraduate…

Introduces the special issue of the journal, which is devoted to Exploratory practice (EP), a form of practitioner research. All of the articles are concerned with a particular approach to practitioner research in language teaching and learning. EP is explained, focusing on the development of its practices and its principles over the last 10…

This article presents a polyphonic narrative of reflection in action across two institutional contexts; a university and a primary (elementary) school. It traces an honours student's research on reflection and her supervisor's reactions as reader. Both engage in construction and reconstruction of their basic beliefs about reflective practice as…

Used classroom observations, personal interviews, and pre-instruction/post-instruction administration of the Texas Attitude Survey and the Astronomy Diagnostic Test to evaluate hands-on instructional innovations in a college astronomy course. Modified instruction based on student concerns; scores for the second course showed significant…

Shares the author's systematic observations and reflections on students' learning in her first-grade classroom as a means of opening a conversation about what counts as teacher research. (SR)

Teachers, parents, policymakers, and others interested in researching what is best for teaching children literacy skills will find literally thousands of resources purporting to be "best practices." This book suggests examining real classrooms--teachers and students actively involved in literacy learning--to determine what works in…

Focuses on the key mechanism of "puzzling" in Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of practitioner research, and the critical issue of sustainability in the context of volunteer teacher development work in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Investigated puzzles (concerns) of language teachers and grouped them into six categories; motivation, anxiety,…

Presents a case study of one fourth-grade teacher researcher. Documents the teacher's initial reticence toward teacher research, how being part of a group was central to her participation, and how her preferences for methods of data collection and methods for presenting teacher research findings differed from the preferred methods of the group…

A study examined the interaction of teacher and student in a methods preparation course for undergraduate special education majors. The course was structured around several projects, two types of writing logs, and readings. Fieldnotes from an observer participant, records of a debriefing meeting, students' weekly entries on content learning logs…

Explores a way to enhance teachers' knowledge in Taiwan. Constructs cases involving episodes and issues from real classroom events as part of a school-based professional development project. Discusses the effects of the process of constructing these cases on teachers' awareness of students' difficulties in learning mathematics, pedagogical content…

Documents the experiences of a classroom teacher and his students with drama. Investigates the extent to which context shaped these experiences in a study on drama structure in a junior high social studies classroom. Details interactions and discourse between teacher and students that should add to reflective teaching. Includes a commentary by…

Illustrates Exploratory practice (EP), a form of practitioner research, in action in two classrooms in Brazil. Examines a key mechanism of EP--puzzlement--and presents two different puzzling processes. (VWL)