013991 Research Literacies
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade, no marksRequisite(s): 013102 Introducing Knowledge about Language AND 013105 The Multilingual Learner AND 010070 TESOL Practicum AND 028253 TESOL: Methodology
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 013952 Research Perspectives AND 015126 Research Approaches
Description
The purpose of this subject is to develop research-literate students who understand different research approaches, are critical readers of research, and who are able to develop ideas about potential research problems applied in the language studies field. The subject explores how research texts are constructed by assumptions about knowledge, values and the nature of reality, and through research approaches to data collection and analysis. With a focus on case studies and research articles, the subject engages with a variety of quantitative and qualitative research approaches to develop skills in understanding research and how it is used and adapted into new contexts. The subject encourages students to explore and critically reflect on their own perspectives on knowledge and how they might act as an ethical researcher.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a). | Identify, summarise and analyse published research from the language studies field |
|---|---|
| b). | Argue the merits of different research methodologies and approaches available to language studies researchers |
| c). | Reflect on the relevance of selected research studies for particular contexts and purposes |
| d). | Identify researchable problems, locate and critique existing research on the topic, and articulate possible approaches, demonstrating an understanding of the advantages and limitations of different approaches |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
- Graduates are able to engage, critique and apply a broad range of complex ideas relevant to TESOL, literacy and/or numeracy practice. (2.1)
- Graduates are able to critically appraise research literature about Indigenous Australian languages, learners and education (4.1)
- Graduates have strong communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts. (6.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject addresses the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
2. Critical and Creative Inquiry
2.1 Graduates are able to engage, critique and apply a broad range of complex ideas relevant to TESOL, literacy and/or numeracy practice.
4. Indigenous Competencies
4.1 Graduates are able to critically appraise research literature about Indigenous Australian languages, learners and education
6. Effective Communication
6.1 Graduates have strong communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts.
Teaching and learning strategies
Lecturer input, modelling and scaffolding
Each week, the lecturer introduces new concepts through a mix of online and face-to-face activities. Videos and readings are available prior to the timetabled on-campus class. Assessment tasks will be modelled and scaffolded.
Student learning activities
Students complete online learning activities (videos and reading) before attending the face-to-face workshop. These activities will build new knowledge and explore how this knowledge might be applied to research contexts as well as inform their professional practice as educators and scholars.
Content (topics)
The subject begins with looking at ‘what is research in the language studies field?’ and explores the purpose and impact of research. The students will be introduced to the various research approaches in the language studies field through recent and seminal research projects undertaken in Australia, including in Indigenous contexts, and in a variety of international contexts. The students will be initially guided in their critical analysis of these studies, with a particular focus on the methodologies used and the impact of the research. The focus of the subject is on developing the students’ ability to read and use academic and non-academic research and to perceive themselves as practitioner researchers. The subject includes a wide variety of research studies, both Australian and international in adult, secondary and primary language teaching contexts.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Research texts: Comparative analysis
| Objective(s): | a), b) and c) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1750 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria: | | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Research analysis: proposing language research in a new setting
| Objective(s): | a), b) and d) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 2000 words | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Required texts
Required readings: Each week students will be required to read articles and book chapters which are available on UTS library e-readings under subject number 013991
Referencing: APA 7th edition. See library guide at https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/referencing/apa-referencing-guide
Recommended texts
A number of resources are available through the UTS Library that you would might consider bookmarking for this subject.
Cummins, J., & Davison, C. (2007). International Handbook of English Language Teaching (1st ed. 2007.). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46301-8 Section 3 contains useful chapters on research in language education.
These 2 articles from TESOL Quarterly will be used throughout the subject to consider research issues:
*Chapelle, C. A. & Duff, P.A. (2003) Some guidelines for conducting quantitative and qualitative research in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 37(1), 157-178. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588471
*Mahboob, A. et al (2016) TESOL research guidelines. TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), 42-65. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.288
References
These are the readings plus other recommended sources for your assignments. Other articles and studies will be provided through the subject site.
Andres, L. (2012). Designing & doing survey research . SAGE. (available as an e-book through UTS Library)
Avineri, N. (2017). Research methods for language teaching. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56343-9
Barkaoui, K. (2014). Quantitative approaches for analyzing longitudinal data in second language research. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 34, 65-101.
Barkhuizen, G. (2011). Narrative Knowledging in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 45(3), 391–414. https://doi.org/10.5054/tq.2011.261888
Bessarab, D., & Ng'andu, B. (2010). Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in Indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), 37-50.
Canagarajah, S. (2016). TESOL as a professional community: A half-century of pedagogy, research, and theory. TESOL Quarterly 50(1), 7-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.275
Chapelle, C. A. & Duff, P.A. (2003) Some guidelines for conducting quantitative and qualitative research in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 37(1), 157-178. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588471
Cirocki, A. (2010). Classroom ethnographies: Doing teacher research. In G. Park, H. P. Widodo, & A. Cirocki (Eds.), Observation of teaching: Bridging theory and practice through research on teaching (pp. 63-81). LINCOM.
Croker, R. A. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research. In J. Heigham & R. C. Croker (Eds.), Qualitative research in applied linguistics: A practical introduction, (pp. 4-11). Palgrave Macmillan.
Cummins, J., & Davison, C. (2007). International Handbook of English Language Teaching (1st ed. 2007.). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46301-8 (available as an e-book through UTS Library)
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Feez, S. & Cox, R. (2017). Understanding research and evidence. Primary English Teaching Association (Australia), Paper 209.
Gopaldas, A. (2016). A front-to-back guide to writing a qualitative research article. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal.
Hammond, J. (2011). Classroom discourse. In K. Hyland & B. Paltridge (Eds.), The Continuum companion to discourse analysis (pp. 291-305). Continuum.
Harwood, N. (2005). ‘Nowhere has anyone attempted… In this article I aim to do just that’: A corpus-based study of self-promotional I and we in academic writing across four disciplines. Journal of Pragmatics, 37(8), 1207-1231.
Hobson, J., Lowe, K., Poetsch, S. & Walsh, M. (Eds). (2010). Re-awakening languages: Theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages. Sydney University Press. (Available online https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/7888/RAL_TEXT_eReserve.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y )
Holliday, A. (2007). Doing and writing qualitative research (2nd ed.). Sage.
Mahboob, A. et al (2016) TESOL research guidelines. TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), 42-65. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.288
McKay, S. L. (2006). Researching second language classrooms. Lawrence Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617378
Nunan, D. & Bailey, K. M. (2009). Exploring second language classroom research. Heinle.
Ortega, L., & Iberri-Shea, G. (2005). Longitudinal research in second language acquisition: Recent trends and future directions. Annual review of applied linguistics, 25, 26 – 45.
Perry, F. L. (2011) Research in applied linguistics: Becoming a discerning consumer, 2nd edition.. Erlbaum, Mahwah. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410613615 (available as an e-book through UTS Library)
Rajulton, F. (2001). The fundamentals of longitudinal research: An overview. Canadian Studies in Population [ARCHIVES], 169-185.
Richards, K. (2009). Trends in qualitative research in language teaching since 2000. Language teaching, 42(2), 147- 180.
Ryder, M. et al. (2020). Indigenous research methodology - weaving a research interface. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 23(3), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2019.1669923
Tojo, H. Takagi, A. (2017). Trends in qualitative research in three major language teaching and learning journals, 2006-2015. International Journal of Language Teaching, 4(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijelt.v4n1p37
Wilson, S. (2001). What is an Indigenous research methodology?. Canadian journal of native education, 25(2), 175-179.
Yunkaporta, T. K. (2010). Our ways of learning in Aboriginal languages. In Hobson, J., Lowe, K., Poetsch, S. & Walsh, M. (Eds). Re-awakening languages: Theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages (pp. 37 – 50). Sydney University Press.