Knowledge Mobilization in TESOL

Book excerpt: Most debates about the so-called research-practice gap in TESOL have focused on a one-way transfer of research evidence from the context of origin to the context of application. Rather than continuing such debates, Knowledge Mobilization in TESOL: Connecting Research and Practice sheds light on what happens after research is transferred to contexts of practice such as the classroom. It explores whether or not, and under what circumstances, research can make contributions to teachers’ professional learning and development. By featuring English language teachers’ first-hand accounts of research utilization, the book highlights the complex processes of making research-based knowledge meaningful for pedagogical practice. It shows why the success of any knowledge mobilization project depends on sensitivity to context and teachers’ interpretive engagement with research-based recommendations. Written in a lucid and accessible style, Knowledge Mobilization in TESOL: Connecting Research and Practice will appeal to a broad readership interested in research utilization in the field of education, especially in TESOL. It will be an informative text for pre-service and graduate courses in TESOL, ELT, applied linguistics, teacher education, and education policy studies. In-service teachers, teacher educators, program administrators, and funding agencies will also find it to be a valuable resource. Contributors are: Chris Banister, Leigh Yohei Bennett, Xin Chen, Tiffany Johnson, Kendon Kurzer, Cynthia Macknish, Michael McLelland, Nashwa Donna M. Neary, Gina Paschalidou, Aysenur Sagdic, Nashaat Sobhy, Nguyen Thi Thuy Loan, Lorena Valmori, and Robert E. White.