A Critical Participatory (Action Research) adaptation in the Teaching English as a Second Language Practicum: developing individual and collective reflective practices towards equitable practices

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ABSTRACT Numerous action research studies have investigated in-service teaching and learning. Still, there has been a lack of collaborative inquiry into the ‘here-and-now’ pre-service teaching practicum experiences. This study adapted the Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) framework as a pedagogical strategy to a five-phase Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) teaching practicum over four months. This article explores the extent to which the CPAR framework can be accommodated and discusses its potential to empower and educate practitioners during the practicum. First- and second-person inquiries, drawing on practice architectures, observations, and sharing sessions, were adopted for exchanging individual and collective voices. Findings suggest that the flexible and adaptable nature of the CPAR framework facilitated a collaborative spiral inquiry process. This process involved iterative back-and-forth phases of identifying key issues in each phase, planning measures, taking actions to address challenges, and reflecting on post-actions through collaborative efforts within public spheres. These spheres functioned as open, communicative, and safe spaces, empowering student teachers, cooperating teachers, and the university supervisor to collaboratively exchange and reflect on our voices. This collaboration ultimately transformed the initially linear Planning → Action → Observation → Reflection process into dynamic, iterative interactions across the Planning ↔ Action ↔ Observation ↔ Reflection phases. This transformation fostered collective reflection, unforced consensus, and shared decision-making, addressing real-life teaching challenges by deepening understanding, driving meaningful change, and promoting equitable practices. The adapted CPAR framework cultivates educators who promote inclusive practices and make productive decisions, resulting in a more sustainable pre-service practicum program.