MAG School Teachers' Attitudes toward Practitioner Research in English Language Classrooms in Sharjah

Abstract

Teachers' attitudes towards classroom research show differences from teacher to teacher. Some teachers believe that involvement in classroom research can benefit students, teachers, administrators, and the school. Other teachers are reluctant to become involved in research because they feel that it disrupts their teaching schedules and adds considerably to an already heavy workload. In this study, the terms classroom research, teacher research, and practitioner research are used interchangeably and refer to research conducted by teachers in a classroom setting. Much research stresses the importance of classroom research in the language learning/teaching practice. Although there has been a lot of research to show benefits of conducting classroom research, there has been little study done on teachers' attitudes toward practitioner research in language classrooms, particularly in the UAE. Since classroom research plays an important role in improving the quality of education, the purpose of this study was to investigate MAG (Madares Al Ghad/ Schools of the Future) school teachers' attitudes toward practitioner research. The study answers the following two questions: What benefits, if any, do MAG school teachers see in conducting practitioner research? What reasons do MAG school teachers have for not conducting practitioner research? The data for this study was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Subjects for this study included 25 teachers, two TDSs (Teacher Development Specialists), and two ILCs (Instructional Leadership Coordinators). The findings show that the majority of MAG school teachers have positive attitudes toward the benefits of conducting practitioner research although not all of them conduct research. They consider classroom research a powerful tool to improve their teaching practice, overcome their classroom problems, enrich their professional knowledge, and to identify what methods and techniques work for their students. However, the findings indicate that teachers face two main obstacles that distract them from conducting practitioner research: heavy school duties and time factor.