Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.
― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
This page outlines my ELT research interests over the past few years, starting with my Masters research with The Open University and moving more recently to my research with the University of Exeter.
Educational research: Critical pedagogy, professionalism and identity
During my educational research at Exeter, I developed and reflected on my research position, which depending on context lies between interpretivism and critical pedagogy. This shaped my theoretical framework which influenced my methodological choices in respect of a research project dealing with critical theory in TESOL. This research project looked at critical pedagogy in relation to textbook and materials development, to determine whether the introduction of critical issues into a mainstream EFL textbook (albeit for in-house use) was feasible. Specifically, the research questions looked at the current extent of knowledge of critical pedagogy throughout a small section of teaching and academic staff as well as considering reaction to a specially designed critical issues supplement. A paper outlining this research project was accepted for publication with the International Journal of Bilingual and Multilingual Teachers of English and was published in July 2015.
Following on from that, I was more focused on issues of professionalism related to my context; particularly the differences between occupational and organisational professionalism and the effect that has on identity. There are, intriguingly, links to transformation and empowerment that lead, in a small way, back to critical pedagogy. Furthermore, I conducted research into blended learning in different ELT context, investigating the extent to which such an approach could be integrated into a linear EFL course.
My doctoral thesis proposal is 'An exploration of the equivalence of print and online ELT activities in terms of reading comprehension, and how such online activities can be designed to support L2 students.'
Please also feel free to read through my research papers.
Following on from that, I was more focused on issues of professionalism related to my context; particularly the differences between occupational and organisational professionalism and the effect that has on identity. There are, intriguingly, links to transformation and empowerment that lead, in a small way, back to critical pedagogy. Furthermore, I conducted research into blended learning in different ELT context, investigating the extent to which such an approach could be integrated into a linear EFL course.
My doctoral thesis proposal is 'An exploration of the equivalence of print and online ELT activities in terms of reading comprehension, and how such online activities can be designed to support L2 students.'
Please also feel free to read through my research papers.
Applied linguistics research: Action research and professionalism
While working on my Master of Education (Applied Linguistics) degree with The Open University, I became interested in action research and the possibilities it had for EFL teachers in terms of their professional development. In particular, I was interested to see whether it could extend their professionalism, enabling them to move from dependent through independent to interdependent professionals.
While action research can have a critical focus, I think it is useful to gauge how critical such projects are. In terms of critical theory, there should be transformation undertaken. While teachers involved in the above project had a voice and were perhaps motivated more to participate in school decision-making, the extent of the transformation or empowerment is perhaps questionable. This type of Action Research would sit more appropriately within practical Action Research rather than critical Action Research.
I was also interested in genre-based teaching and using that to enhance the communicative classrooms on the language school I worked in during my time in Japan, particularly from the point of view of improving the writing skills of Japanese adult students. As reading and writing sometimes get overlooked in favour of speaking and listening in a communicative language teaching classroom, adding in genre-based teaching was seen as a way of improving students' writing skills. Students practiced writing independently before being exposed to the structural aspects of the genre they were writing for (argumentative essay, discussion essay, report, narrative, etc.). By comparing the essays produced before and after the introduction of the structural aspects, students were able to reflect on what improvements they made as well as areas for further improvement.
While action research can have a critical focus, I think it is useful to gauge how critical such projects are. In terms of critical theory, there should be transformation undertaken. While teachers involved in the above project had a voice and were perhaps motivated more to participate in school decision-making, the extent of the transformation or empowerment is perhaps questionable. This type of Action Research would sit more appropriately within practical Action Research rather than critical Action Research.
I was also interested in genre-based teaching and using that to enhance the communicative classrooms on the language school I worked in during my time in Japan, particularly from the point of view of improving the writing skills of Japanese adult students. As reading and writing sometimes get overlooked in favour of speaking and listening in a communicative language teaching classroom, adding in genre-based teaching was seen as a way of improving students' writing skills. Students practiced writing independently before being exposed to the structural aspects of the genre they were writing for (argumentative essay, discussion essay, report, narrative, etc.). By comparing the essays produced before and after the introduction of the structural aspects, students were able to reflect on what improvements they made as well as areas for further improvement.
© 2022 Refreshing Publishing. All Rights Reserved
© 2022 Derek Philip-Xu. All Rights Reserved
© 2022 Derek Philip-Xu. All Rights Reserved