Research Paradigms in TESOL and Language Education

Abstract

In conducting and evaluating research in the areas of applied linguistics, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) or language education in general it is common practice to focus on the content and methodology of the study. Content locates a research study in a particular area such as writing, assessment, professional development or curriculum evaluation whereas methodology addresses issues of research design, sampling, data collection instruments, data analysis and ethical dimensions.

Appendices

The Research Questions

• 1. Why does research in TESOL need to be informed by philosophical perspectives?

• 2. Do you think researchers in TESOL will benefit from the discourses of research paradigms? How?

• 3. Which particular research paradigm, if any, do you think represents your views on reality and knowledge? And why?

• 4. Can one be informed by more than one paradigm at the same time?

• 5. Which area in philosophy deals with the nature of reality?

• 6. Which area in philosophy deals with the nature of knowledge and learning?

• 7. With which research paradigm or approach would you associate confirmatory methodology? Why?

• 8. For what research purpose will you use an exploratory methodology?

• 9. Do researchers state what paradigms inform their studies when publishing their research?

• 10. When reading a published research study how can you tell which ontological and epistemological positions inform the study?

Suggested Resources

Pring, R. (2015). Philosophy of educational research (3rd ed.). London: Bloomsbury.

The third edition of this book introduces readers to key theoretical concepts in educational research as well as a number of practical considerations such as methods of data collection. Perhaps the most salient feature of this book is the way it explains philosophical concepts and terms in an accessible way. Chapter two stresses the importance of thinking philosophically about key concepts in education as learning, teaching, personal development, human flourishing, and educational discourse. Pring acknowledges that there is poor educational research out there when compared to research in other fields and that a fair amount of research in education is seen as worthless because of its irrelevance to practice, inaccessibility or the inability of schools to use results of studies in their decision-making processes. The sections on the different research paradigms, methodologies and associated terminologies are based on a premise stated by the author on page 9 explaining that in order to produce worthwhile research we need to “start by getting clear the nature of what is to be researched into”.

Crotty, M. (1989). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. London: Sage.

In this book Crotty provides a substantial description and analysis of a number of major research perspectives in education. If the reader is new to the discourse of paradigms then perhaps a shorter and lighter publication on the topic is advisable. By introducing the research process in the first chapter the author delineates key terms that need to be understood in order to be able to navigate through the philosophical discourses of each research perspectives. Crotty uses the term “perspective” rather than paradigm. Epistemology, ontology, methodology, and methods are explained and Fig. 1 on page 4 shows the relationship between these terms and how one informs the other. Of particular use to those new to this discourse is Table 1 on page 5 which takes each of these terms and associates it with corresponding or appropriate terms. For example, under epistemology, the term objectivism is associated with positivism and post-positivism. Ethnography and phenomenological research are in the column of methodology and are associated with constructivism as an epistemology. Starting with the second chapter Crotty traces the historical development of each major theoretical perspective, explains the nature of its epistemological and ontological assumptions and refers to major works of philosophers associated with that perspective. For example, readers are introduced to August Comte and Carl Popper with positivism. Max Weber and Herbert Mead are associated with interpretivism, Charles Peirce and John Dewey with Pragmatism and Jurgen Habermas with critical enquiry.

Howell, K. E. (2013). The philosophy of methodology: An introduction. London: Sage.

One of the main features of this book is that each chapter includes a definition box to provide an explanation of the main concepts being addressed by the chapter. A reflection box is also provided to engage the reader in thinking about some theoretical and methodological concepts and how they can be applied to understand human action, interaction and learning. Some of the 14 chapters also come with a question section. This is another interactive feature of the book whereby the reader is invited to read the text again with a specific purpose in mind. The questions serve also as a comprehension check opportunity which is a useful exercise, especially for novice researchers and readers who are new to the literature on educational and research philosophy. On page 42, readers are asked to “identify the difficulties for social sciences when dealing with immutable laws, prediction and objectivity”. These are important issues for TESOL researchers whether at the level of design or the application of research findings in classrooms. Howell also provides a good number of tables which present the main concepts and associated authors in a clear and accessible way. The first five chapters are rich with theoretical explanations while the rest of the chapters provide a good link between theories and research methodologies.

Paltridge, B. & Phakiti, A. (2010) (Eds.). Continuum to research methods in applied linguistics. London: Continuum.

Researchers in applied linguistics, TESOL and language education will find this volume useful and practical. While the three above books deal with the theories informing research traditions, this book is mainly practical in nature. The chapters are written by very established researchers in the field. As stated by Paltridge and Phakiti at the start of the book, the chapters are meant for beginning researchers and students such as those embarking on doctoral studies. The eight chapters of the first part represent positivism, interpretive research and critical enquiry. In each chapter the authors start by explaining the philosophical assumptions behind their study then move to a description of the specifics of their chosen methodology such as experimental design, case study, ethnography or critical research. A particularly useful feature is the section of a sample study which illustrates to the reader how a study in a particular methodology is designed. This section is short and does not report on the study in its entirety, so readers are encouraged to read the full version of the study. In the second part of the book, 13 chapters are dedicated to different research areas in applied linguistics covering a wide range of topics such as grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics, assessment and language and identity. The chapters are more or less organised in the same way as in the first part. They all include a section on resources for further readings which introduces the reader to relevant publications about the topic of the chapter.

Brown, J.D. (2014). Mixed methods research for TESOL. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

For researchers interested in mixed methods research (MMR) in TESOL Brown’s book is clearly an essential resource. The book is not heavy on theoretical explanations, but it does provide a rationale for using mixed methods designs in the first chapter. Divided into three sections the 10 chapters of the book take the reader through the major phases of a MMR design. In the first section, Brown starts with a focus on balancing the quantitative and qualitative elements, on avoiding misconceptions about triangulation and on writing good research questions. The second section is dedicated to analysing quantitative, qualitative and MMR data. The last section deals with presenting the research results, writing the reports and disseminating research. Guided readings are offered throughout the book to help the reader understand research concepts, techniques and procedures through extracts from published MMR studies in the field of TESOL.

Gournelos, T. Hammonds, J. R. & Wilson, M. A. (2019). (1st ed.). Doing academic research: A Practical guide to research methods and analysis. New York: Routledge.

This is a useful research reference and a practical guide to how to plan, design and conduct research. For early researchers in disciplines such as education and social sciences in general. The book offers practical tips and strategies on successfully completing research projects. It also demystifies research and presents it in an encouraging way. For those interested in publishing their research, the authors provide straightforward and accessible information on presenting academic research and the skill of persuasion. The book comes in twelve chapters covering both quantitative and qualitative research, and all the steps and procedures involved, along with many examples and illustrations. A useful glossary is also provided at the end of the book.