This study explores the development of teacher-researcher identity in Masters level Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teacher education students through their involvement in an action research project. Stenhouse’s 1975 ‘teacher as researcher’ movement called for teachers to take ownership of research into the practice of teaching. However, this is challenging for many TESOL teachers working in contexts where teacher-research strives for legitimacy. TESOL teachers can achieve research confidence when encouraged to see themselves as teacher-researchers and action research creates a safe space to enact this identity. Based on Kemmis and McTaggart’s 1988 framework, the impact of a data analysis workshop is examined through pre- and post-workshop questionnaires and follow-up interviews. Findings revealed that action research enabled learning by doing to scaffold the research-practice gap and support the opening up of teacher-researcher identities. Learning by doing initiated a ‘research stance’ and serves as a departure point for a dynamic approach to learning, learning by being. This is realised if action research is reconceptualised as an infinite game, ongoing and fun. Reimagining action research as play offers teacher educators a transformative tool to awaken their students’ teacher-researcher identity, expanding Stenhouse’s vision of a teacher-researcher community.
Lisa Robinson (Tue,) studied this question.