TY - JOUR
T1 - “I notice I'm getting more involved, interested, and excited about my future topic.” Action research as a transition from research steps to navigating graduate students' scholarly dispositions
AU - Bedeker, Michelle
AU - Kerimkulova, Sulushash
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Graduate students often approach research with predefined steps emphasising procedural aspects that occasionally expose their inadequate preparation for research as social practice. The purpose of this paper is to show how an action research (AR) methodology, in conjunction with English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), has facilitated the scaffolding of explicit formal, rhetorical, procedural, and strategic knowledge in research discourse. We followed a cyclical action research model consisting of 1) recognising students' limited understanding of research as a social practice, 2) developing interventions to promote understanding of how language is structured, represented, and negotiated in scientific discourse, 3) results of the intervention, and 4) reflection. Thematic analysis of six participants' data, including their tasks, reflections, and draft proposals, revealed a discernible progression towards scholarly thinking, transformative learning, and the embodiment of scholarly identity. Integrating ESP and SFL frameworks enhanced our ability to guide students through research-specific discourses, moving beyond a purely theoretical understanding to engage in authentic practices. This approach contributed to the cultivation of Communities of Practice (CoP) in which student-faculty collaboration fostered a shared scholarly mindset and facilitated the gradual integration of students into these academic communities.
AB - Graduate students often approach research with predefined steps emphasising procedural aspects that occasionally expose their inadequate preparation for research as social practice. The purpose of this paper is to show how an action research (AR) methodology, in conjunction with English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), has facilitated the scaffolding of explicit formal, rhetorical, procedural, and strategic knowledge in research discourse. We followed a cyclical action research model consisting of 1) recognising students' limited understanding of research as a social practice, 2) developing interventions to promote understanding of how language is structured, represented, and negotiated in scientific discourse, 3) results of the intervention, and 4) reflection. Thematic analysis of six participants' data, including their tasks, reflections, and draft proposals, revealed a discernible progression towards scholarly thinking, transformative learning, and the embodiment of scholarly identity. Integrating ESP and SFL frameworks enhanced our ability to guide students through research-specific discourses, moving beyond a purely theoretical understanding to engage in authentic practices. This approach contributed to the cultivation of Communities of Practice (CoP) in which student-faculty collaboration fostered a shared scholarly mindset and facilitated the gradual integration of students into these academic communities.
KW - Action research
KW - Communities of practice
KW - ESP
KW - Graduate supervision
KW - Research as social practice
KW - SFL
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189004107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189004107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101365
DO - 10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101365
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85189004107
SN - 1475-1585
VL - 68
JO - Journal of English for Academic Purposes
JF - Journal of English for Academic Purposes
M1 - 101365
ER -