Research literacy for tomorrow's teachers

Anna teaches English as a foreign language in Austria. Recognising that several of her students are experiencing extra hurdles due to dyslexia and ADHD, she wants to know how she can better support their language learning process. A quick online search, however, resulted in an onslaught of questionable AI summaries and conflicting academic journal articles. Anna is not a researcher and does not have the time to play detective. How can she know which sources to trust and what teaching strategies to implement? 

For many educators, university research and classroom teaching seem worlds apart. "Anna is a fictional example, but she stands in for the struggles many teachers have," says Julia Hüttner, professor of English language education at the University of Vienna. She and doctoral candidate Julia Pittenauer, both at the Department of English and American Studies, are part of a cross-European project "ReaLiTea" (Research Literacy for Teachers) that aims to bridge the divide between theory and practice in foreign and second language teaching and learning.

"A research-literate Anna would have the skills to find, evaluate, and trust a specific resource that helps her adapt her teaching for neurodivergent learners," says Hüttner. Together with Pittenauer, she is developing materials that can equip educators with the skills to not only read and use research but at some point, conduct research themselves.

Breaking down the barriers to evidence-based teaching

The disconnect between the ivory tower and the classroom is not due to a lack of interest, but structural hurdles. "Teachers often don't have the time to read research papers or the opportunity to access them," explains Pittenauer. Even when access is available, research outputs are not aimed at practitioners but written in academic conventions and language for fellow researchers. 

Furthermore, researchers often enter classrooms to collect data and report findings, but the practical implications they write out rarely "make it back" to the teachers who need them most. This is a pity, as recommendations on language learning remains siloed in academic journals rather than informing daily practice, states Pittenauer. 

On the practitioner side, a common stereotype persists: "I am a practitioner; I don't need theory." However, Hüttner emphasises that every teacher operates on internal theories about how students learn and how languages work. "The problem is, if we say we don't have them, we're not able to discuss them or develop them," she notes. Without engaging with external research, teachers risk relying solely on intuition or "what works."

"Teaching pills" for research literacy

To combat these challenges, the researchers are piloting "teaching pills," short, bite-sized self-study units designed for both university-level teacher education (pre-service teachers) and practicing in-service teachers. "What's exciting about our project is that these are teaching materials for teachers, rather than students," states Hüttner.

These knowledge bites cover a spectrum of research literacy, from critically evaluating online sources to planning small-scale "action research" projects. "Our project is very ambitious," says Pittenauer. "We hope that teachers can come up with their own research questions based on the problems they identify in their own practice. They can analyse their practices, and based on their findings, come up with improvements, and dialogue with other teachers also conducting research."

The project utilizes a research literacy framework, inspired by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, to provide clear targets and descriptors for different stages of development. This allows an educator to identify where they currently stand, perhaps they are proficient at reading research critically, for instance, and what they need to learn next to become a "teacher researcher."

An online community for teachers of foreign languages

One of the most innovative aspects of the project is the creation of a virtual community for teachers. While teaching is a sociable job, it can be professionally lonely. Teachers are often the only adults in their classrooms and have little time during breaks to reflect on long-term practice with colleagues.

"An online community is more sustainable," Hüttner says, especially for a cross-country project. This platform will allow teachers to exchange ideas, share challenges, and discuss findings from their own classroom investigations with peers across Europe. It provides a space for the "dialogue" that is so often missing in a busy school schedule.

Why research matters for teachers

The project team argues that keeping up with research is a cornerstone of professional teaching. Pittenauer compares education to other fields like medicine or law: "You don't want to be operated on by a surgeon operating the way he was taught 20 years ago, yet we're much more relaxed about a teacher who has not updated their learnings for the last 20 years."

This need for constant updating is especially apparent with the rise of AI. Many teachers are unaware of the possibilities or constraints of AI because they haven't had the time or training to engage with current research on it. Research literacy provides the foundation for lifelong learning, ensuring that Anna doesn't just teach the way she was taught.