Action Research Literacy as a Reflective Tool for Unmonitored Iranian-Novice EFL Teachers

Abstract

Teaching can be quite challenging during the initial years of a teaching career for many beginning teachers, specifically when teachers feel alone, unsupported and unmonitored due to the absence of supervisors and mentors at school. Thus, this research explored 10 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) beginning teachers who struggle to teach initially without sufficient emotional and academic support from the educational public since public schools may not have subject-specific supervisors and mentors to guide and support them. This study focuses on the importance of Action Research (AR) literacy, as a reflective tool, for unmonitored beginning EFL teachers. The data collected from an interview at the beginning, group discussions during the course, and reflective papers at the end through a qualitative method indicated that AR leads to the personal, technical, social, and political development of beginning teachers. It was beneficial for beginning teachers to enhance their pedagogical practices and beliefs and allow them to gain and expand their knowledge and experience through reflections and discussions with other individuals. The result also shows how cognitive, affective, professional, and technical support and assistance from other teachers, supervisors, stakeholders, and parents can accelerate the teaching quality and educational quality.