Abstract
This descriptive study aims to investigate tertiary EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of doing research. The study was conducted with the participation of 67 EFL teachers from tertiary institutions in Cantho of Vietnam. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered via the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to provide insights into how Cantho tertiary EFL teachers perceive the benefits and challenges of doing research as well as their current status of practices as researchers. The study revealed that (1) Cantho tertiary teachers held positive perceptions of conducting research in the field of English language teaching, and that (2) their practices as researchers were reported to be at a high level. Understanding these is an important part of the broader process of attempting to resolve research challenges teachers are facing and thus to encourage teacher research engagement among EFL teachers.
 
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Highlights
The current study investigated the perceptions and practices of doing research by Cantho tertiary EFL teachers
Professional development was the most highly rated as a benefit of doing teacher research in the survey
Regarding teachers’ perceptions of research challenges, the results revealed that it was believed that Cantho tertiary EFL teachers encountered few barriers
Summary
Theoretical background Second language acquisition has been researched broadly from different angles in the past decades. There has still been a separation between general theories and practical values in the profession that needs tackling. Research in educational areas received public criticism since it did not arouse anybody’s interests outside the academia and according to Hargreaves (1996, cited in Watkins, 2006), that the knowledge was not closely connected to practice causes the theory-practice gap. Rose (2002; 44) condemned that “there is a widening gulf between researchers and practitioners and research often fails to focus on the real life experience of most teachers”.
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