Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.51558/2303-4858.2026.14.1.1
Navigating the labyrinth: Iranian mainstream EFL teachers’ perceptions and praxis of action research
Asal Gardanian
; Sheikhbahaee University, Isfaha, Iran
*
Mehrnoosh Fakharzadeh
; Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani University, Isfahan, Iran
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study examines how Iranian mainstream English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers perceive and practice action research within their mandated professional development responsibilities. Using a sequential monomethod multistrand (QUAL → QUAL) design and thematic analysis, the study identified a persistent duality in teachers’ engagement with action research. Four interrelated themes emerged, namely External Systemic Factors, Cognitive Divergence, The Paradox of Agency and Identity, and A Truncated Action Research Cycle. Findings revealed two contrasting enactments: action research as a Performative Façade, reduced to a bureaucratic requirement for evaluation and promotion, and action research as Subversive Praxis, characterized by covert, small-scale inquiries supported by informal digital networks. The study argued that imposing idealized action research models without structural, cultural, and epistemic support fosters superficial compliance and professional disillusionment.
Keywords
action research; teacher professional development; English language teaching; mainstream English teachers; classroom research
Hrčak ID:
352529
URI
Publication date:
27.10.2026.
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