Investigating the effects of incorporating collaborative action research into an in-service teacher training program

Abstract

Drawing on the current research trend for teachers' professional development, this study investigated the effect of incorporating collaborative action research into an in-service teacher training program. Participants were a group of elementary in-service teachers, pursing an English teacher certificate in Taiwan. Data came from a post-course questionnaire, teachers' discussions, classroom video clips, teachers' reflective journals, and action research papers. This study finds that implementing collaborative action research in an in-service teacher training program contributes to teachers' knowledge construction, helps them gain practical teaching practices and builds up their confidence in teaching English. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.