Exploratory practice: a way of opening up access to research by classroom teachers and learners

Engaging in research is acknowledged as having a potentially transformative impact on the professional development of language teachers (Borg, 2010). Yet a cursory examination of the literature suggests that teachers rarely engage in research. The aim of this chapter is threefold: to introduce Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of inclusive Practitioner Research (PR) designed to empower teachers and their learners to better understand their practice, to illustrate, through a case study, how EP works in the classroom, and finally to report on the recent developments of opening up access and possibilities for language teachers to engage in and make their research public while, at the same time, creating opportunities for themselves to continue with their professional development.