Research as professional development : 'appropriate topic content' research projects

Abstract

This article explores the professional development (PD) dimension of teacher involvement in two research projects that focused on developing appropriate topic content for two specific target groups of learners in the Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP). The experience of this project demonstrates that, even when teachers have a different agenda to that of researchers, a collaborative research project can nevertheless provide a productive basis for teacher professional development. We identify and discuss five issues – context relevance, collaboration, different reactions to similar events, conceptualising theory and practice, and formal presentations to peers – where research and PD outcomes interconnect in mutually beneficial and sometimes unexpected ways. Our data suggest that understanding and creative management of the tensions between research and professional development agendas can lead to productive outcomes for both.19 page(s