Mentoring Teacher-research
Abstract:
Teacher-research can be a powerful process, having a profound impact on teachers and learners. There are now quite a few resources on classroom-based research which are easily available to English language teachers. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to support teacher research, particularly as a mentor.
Accordingly, this session aims to create a community of teacher-research mentors, providing an opportunity to share insights and provide specific guidance to enable mentors and prospective mentors to play what can be a pivotal role in supporting teacher-research.
Target audience:
- Teacher educators, teacher development group leaders etc. who are currently mentoring teachers or student-teachers to do research into their classroom practice
- Intending or past mentors of teacher-research who want to know more about the process before they begin (again)
- Curious but undecided potential teacher-research mentors who want to know more about what’s involved before they decide
Participants may also be:
- Decision-makers, administrators, school leaders, teacher educators or group leaders wondering whether to initiate and/or design a programme to encourage teacher-research
Session objectives:
Participants will be engaged in the following activities:
- Sharing ideas about the nature of mentoring and what mentoring teacher-research might specifically need to involve
- A planning task involving consideration of who to mentor and establishment of a timeline and plan for effective communications
We also focus on the following stages of teacher-research mentoring, engaging participants in practical activities relating to each of them.
- Helping teachers to select a topic
- Guiding teachers to develop research questions
- Preparing teachers to collect data
- Guiding teachers to analyse and interpret data
- Supporting teachers to plan and evaluate change
- Helping teachers to share and reflect on their research
The syllabus and practical activities are based on a recent British Council publication, Mentoring Teachers to Research Their Classrooms. Itself based on practical experience in Latin America and South Asia, this will be complemented by questions and insights from participants themselves in relation to their own experiences.
Finally, we encourage teacher-research mentors to continue to link up internationally, and we indicate resources and possibilities for follow-up.
Syllabus:
Note: all webinars begin at 14:30 UTC - find out what time this is where you are here.
Week 1: Jan, 11-17 – What does teacher-research mentoring involve? / Webinar – Sat. Jan. 11 14:30 (UTC)
- Sharing of teacher-research and teacher-research mentoring experiences among participants
- Discussion of why mentoring is important for supporting teacher-research
- Sharing ideas about the nature of mentoring and what mentoring teacher-research specifically needs to involve
Week 2: Jan. 18-24 – Developing topics and questions / Webinar – Sat Jan 18 14:30 (UTC)
- Helping teachers to select a topic
- Guiding teachers to develop research questions
Week 3: Jan. 25–31 – Supporting data collection, analysis and interpretation / Webinar – Sat Jan 25,14:30 (UTC)
- Preparing teachers to collect data
- Guiding teachers to analyse and interpret data
Week 4: Feb. 1–7 – Making a mentoring plan – and guiding teachers to plan and evaluate change / Webinar 4 – Sat Feb 1, 14:30 (UTC)
- A planning task involving consideration of who to mentor and establishment of a timeline and effective communications
- Supporting teachers to plan and evaluate change
Week 5: Feb. 8–14 – Helping teachers to share and reflect on their research / Webinars – Sat Feb 8, 14:30 (UTC) & Sat Feb 15 14:30 (UTC)
- Helping teachers to share and reflect on their research
- Wrap-up, taking things further, and evaluation of the EVO
Media:How will you communicate with participants during the session? Write in all that apply. (You don't need all of them!) Be as specific as you are able at this stage. You may make changes during the training session. Remember: you may not require participants to pay for using these platforms. Participation in EVO is free. If you have no idea which platforms you will use, write We don’t know yet.
Other technology tools:What other technology tools will you introduce or practice with participants? (e.g., AboutMe for introductions, Audacity or Chirbit for recording audio..., etc.). You can add more or make changes during the training session. If you don't know, write "We don't know yet."
Don't know yet
Suggested sponsor(s): Sponsors are professional associations who would be willing to advertise your session in their elist or newsletters, and who would help create an audience for your session and an interest in EVO participation. (No money or other physical support is requested!) TESOL Interest Section(s) or affiliate(s), IATEFL Special Interest Group(s), or other group(s) who could sponsor your session, such as JALT, KOTESOL, or AVEALMEC. N.B.: The EVO Coordination Team will arrange for TESOL-IS sponsorship, but please tell us which Interest Section you feel would be most likely to sponsor your session. For non-TESOL organizations, we ask that you list all likely sponsors, but please confirm sponsorship with them yourself after your proposal is accepted.
IATEFL Research Special Interest Group: http://resig.iatefl.org
AINET
NELTA
APIBA Teacher research SIG
BBELT Teacher research SIG
Moderators:
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Name
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Email address
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Location
(country of residence)
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Biodata
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Richard Smith
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r.c.smith@warwick.ac.uk
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UK
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Dr Richard Smith has worked in teacher education for twenty-five years, the last twenty of them in the UK at the University of Warwick. He is the co-founder and former co-ordinator (2008–18) of the Teaching English in Large Classes research and development network (TELCnet), former co-ordinator of the IATEFL Research SIG (2011–15) and founder and chair of the steering committee of the International Festival of Teacher-research in ELT (2017–18). He has published widely on topics ranging from teacher-research to the history of language learning and teaching, and has worked with teachers from many countries, both directly and as academic adviser to teacher-research mentoring schemes in Latin America and South Asia. For his publications and further information see http://warwick.ac.uk/richardcsmith
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Seden Eraldemir Tuyan
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sedentuyan@gmail.com
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Turkey
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Dr Seden Eraldemir Tuyan is a
lecturer in the Department of English Language Teaching at Çağ University, Mersin, Turkey, and is interested in psychological perspectives on ELT, including individual learner differences in language learning, motivation, learner autonomy and beliefs. She has published articles on various aspects of affect in foreign language learning. Her major interests are Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Learning, individual differences in SLA, Action Research, and personal and professional development.
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Primary Contact:
Richard Smith - R.C.Smith@warwick.ac.uk
Acknowledgement
By allowing your name to be put forward as co-moderator of this session,
you acknowledge the following:
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I understand that session first-time moderators are required and returning moderators are encouraged to participate in the 5-week Moderators' Development Session from October 18 until November 15, 2021.
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I am available to actively engage in the EVO session I have agreed to co-moderate between January 9 and February 14, 2021.
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I further understand that
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EVO sessions are free of advertising and commercial sponsorship.
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EVO sessions are free and open to all
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No academic credit may be given for participation.
I agree - Richard Smith
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