View Content #23391

By Julie Sykes, CASLS Director

In InterCom this month, we will be exploring the nexus of research and practice, specifically the ways in which each should inform the other. Language teaching is both an art and a science. Thus, the connection between the science and the art is fundamental to continually improving the quality of instruction, designing meaningful classroom interventions, and formulating the types of research questions in which people find value.

As we explore this topic, three fundamental concerns guide our discussion.

First, the connection between research and practice is a symbiotic relationship in which both inform one another. As such, we should be cautious to assume that research always supersedes intuition built through classroom instruction. Likewise, care should be taken to ensure that data informs instructional practices when the context, population, and interventions are appropriate.  Whenever possible, practice should guide research design and findings should then be used to change practice.

Second is a fundamental understanding of how to digest research and draw conclusions that are specifically impactful for changing practice. While results, especially in studies that have been carried out over a number of decades, can be helpful in determining what to do in the classroom, other areas are still emerging and do not have sufficient data to support conclusions. As we consider the ever-growing body of literature in the areas of language teaching and learning, it can be especially important to consider the learner populations under consideration as well as the language being taught. Much can be generalized, but some findings remain specific to their context.  

Finally, from the research perspective, spending as much time observing teaching and learning contexts as possible is vital. An understanding of the art is always highly valuable in determining study designs as well as the types of questions most relevant for informing instructional practice. Deeper understanding may include observations, interviews, focus groups with teachers, administrators, students, or even teaching a class similar to the context you are interested in knowing more about.

Regardless of the approach one takes, placing value on the symbiotic relationship between research and practice can transform the way teaching and learning happen, thereby increasing learners' proficiency and decreasing less impactful efforts.