Action Research and Teacher Development: MA Students’ Perspective

Action research (AR) is a professional development option for L2 teachers that fits well into the paradigm of the teacher as a reflective and inquiring practitioner, a learner-centered curriculum, teacher autonomy, and life-long teacher professional education. Utilized by practitioners to identify and solve problems in their own educational settings, it has the potential to improve the processes of learning and teaching, as well as enhance teachers’ ability to reflect upon their own practices, and contribute to their professional development. The current study examined the opinions expressed by 51 MA students who were at the same time EFL teachers about their experience of conducting AR as part of the requirements of their MA course. The results indicated that the students positively evaluated the effects of AR projects on the development of their teaching and research skills. The participants were able to list a number of benefits that the experience had for their learners and for themselves as teachers. Although some problems and difficulties connected with the process of conducting research were also voiced, a generally positive picture emerged of AR as a teacher development option.