Participation in teacher research at a tertiary institution in Cambodia

This paper reports an examination of Cambodian ELT teachers’ participation in the adoption of research at one tertiary ELT institution in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. The data were drawn from the CamTESOL conference handbooks (2005-2013), journal contents of CamTESOL Selected Papers (2005-2009) and Language Education in Asia (2010-2013), journal contents and research papers published in the institution’s journal (2010-2013), and a teacher research profile survey conducted in 2012 at this institution. The analysis reveals that an increasing number of teachers are involved in doing research, presenting the research at the CamTESOL Conference Series, and publishing research papers in the institution’s journal. The analysis also shows that a moderate number of teachers at this institution embrace research as seen through their reported adoption categories of research. The study sheds light on an initiative for developing ELT teacher research to improve professional practices in the institution, in Cambodia widely, and beyond.