Dialogic research engagement through podcasting as a step towards action research: A collaborative autoethnography of teachers exploring their knowledge and practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research engagement and exploratory dialogue are central to forms of practitioner inquiry such as action research, in particular with regard to developing conceptual knowledge before action. Recently, practitioners have started engaging with technology such as podcasts as a way to facilitate opportunities for these focused interactions to take place. Framing this dialogue as a knowledge building activity, this paper uses a collaborative autoethnography method to explore the authors’ own experiences using a podcasting project to engage with research, and then enter into exploratory dialogues with one another. By reflecting on and analysing representative extracts from their ongoing podcasting project, the authors attempt to pinpoint how research engagement and exploratory dialogue through podcasting contributed to developments in thought and understanding around theoretical and pedagogical concepts related to ELT and applied linguistics. The authors hope that this paper will add credence to the use of podcasting as an option for language teachers’ independent professional development by demonstrating how the medium can support practitioners’ dialogic and collaborative reflection on theoretical and practical topics in the field, and the resultant effects of these activities on classroom practice.