teaching vs. academic research

Teachers and Academic Research | Andrew Packett | March 26th, 2000

Just attended an IH Symposium in Coimbra, Portugal (and, yes, my presentation seemed to go very nicely, thanks to those who posted tips). Keynote speaker was Michael Lewis - the talk was entitled 'But now we know....' the programme said "The presenter will discuss ways in which received opinion of best practice in teaching has changed as a result of research".

There's quite enough there already to have set alarm bells ringing amongst anyone who's done FND. The talk, I should say, was highly entertaining and very well received, but it irritated me profoundly. The issue I'm raising here is not about Michael Lewis as such (he seems to court controversy, anyway, and actually I like a lot of stuff LTP produce) but far more fundamental questions of epistemology. Corpus linguistics (which Lewis cited constantly) has, of course, strengthened the knowledge base of our profession enormously, but it seemed to me it was being used here as a stick to beat teachers with, telling them how they should be teaching. I suggested that such an authoritarian discourse was not the best way to empower teachers, and that, to a certain extent; it mirrored the tendency in British political discourse to 'blame' the teacher. He disagreed.

So the divide remains intact: Academic research on one side, practicing teachers on the other. What Lewis says does count because he positions himself in the middle, aiming to disseminate research findings to teachers. But there have to be other ways.

I've been to very few conferences, and would be keen to hear of similar experiences, and other ways.

Best wishes,

Andrew Packett
Coimbra, Portugal

Re: Teachers and Academic Research | Robert Salter | March 27th, 2000

Andrew,

I am always a bit nervous about those who position themselves in "the middle" of a continuum that may have been created to make sense of a thousand potentially different positions. It's the anarchist in me I suspect.

As of late I have thought a lot about being a teacher, how I like teaching, how I enjoy the classroom, and how it really is a place that I know so little about. I think that aspect of being in the classroom is a lot more important than I have realized before. It is so easy to think only about linguistic data, course design, materials, etc, and what a few folks have said about such things. Gosh, we can even join the discussion if we work hard enough.

I have to admit that when it's nine o'clock in the morning and one of my students is some famous Japanese celebrity who isn't keen on any of my ideas about learning or my teaching practice, I wish my boss would back me up on some of these things. He won't. At these times I wish more people in TESOL were trained, did know the positions of folks like Lewis, and were interested in the insights corpus linguistics provides.

But I reckon there has to be a carrot for teachers. I mean the stick you suggest Lewis is wielding isn't going to move a lot of us. For me I just don't like linear plans. Does disseminating research findings put anyone in the middle of teachers and academic research? It could be made to look like that, but there are a lot other issues that would have to be addressed before I could say that was an accurate description of such work, Lewis' included.

I am a bit shy about conferences. I know I should go, but up to now haven't really had the confidence to go. I thought it was really cool that you went and gave a presentation. Now that I see you came back all right I'm a bit more encouraged.

Best,

Robert Salter

Re: Teachers and Academic Research | Steve Mann | March 27th, 2000

Nice to see that someone is prepared to argue the kind of case you made to Michael Lewis. I think he's an unashamed populist and you only have to read his article in Challenge and Change to appreciate that the man has some egotistical and entranced views about how experts (like him) are needed to advise poor misguided teachers.

I don't like his views very much, either, and agree with Andrew's comments, I like him less. Ah well there goes my chance of getting anything published with LTP.

Best,

Steve Mann

 

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