ABSTRACT
Although action research (AR) for the professional development of teachers has gained prominence in recent literature in the field, efforts to uncover the complexities of teacher engagement in self-reflective inquiry to foster their professional growth still leave much to be desired. By reporting on an AR training project for a group of English language teachers in Vietnam, this chapter analyses the successes and failures of the project. On the one hand, the results of such an empirical analysis demonstrate the importance of creating the space and environment for teachers to share their research, as well as providing them with on-the-spot technical and administrative support. On the other hand, the lack of a compatible local research culture as well as the administrators’ over-dependence on government funding and the top-down, decision-making mechanism are the key barriers to the sustainability of teachers’ engagement in doing AR. The chapter concludes with some practical recommendations for removing these barriers.
