Teachers: Research Practice / Talk 研究／実践についての話し合い 25 minutes / 25分 Facilitating Practitioner Research in a Japanese University Context more

Sun, Oct 22, 11:05-11:30 Asia/Tokyo

Faculty Development (FD) in universities is mandated by the Japanese Ministry of Education yet what constitutes FD is not clearly defined. This means that the ways in which ‘development’ is interpreted by and implemented by institutions, and the underlying purposes of such FD programmes, may not always meet the requirements of classroom practitioners. Language teachers themselves also need to navigate their own professional development pathways, balancing the demands of hiring institutions and their own personal interests as practitioner-researchers. This can be particularly challenging for time and resource poor teachers working the part-time circuit. Speaking from his position as programme coordinator for a university-wide language centre, the presenter will outline what can be done to create an environment conducive to practitioner-led, inclusive research. Issues under discussion include mutual mentoring, broader definitions of what constitutes research and research writing, and support for classroom practitioners in sourcing funding, meeting ethical requirements, and finding opportunities to collaborate with peers.