2025/07/16 by Ahmed, Anwar
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #EAL #Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies #English as an Additional Language #Interpretation #Literacy, Media, and Education #Practice #Professional Learning #Research #Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
paper · doi:10.14288/bctj.v10i1.649
openalex publication_date 2025/07/16 · openalex created_date 2025/12/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
The rapid pace and sheer volume of research publications in today’s academic landscape pose a significant challenge for teachers, particularly those who seek to engage with research as a form of professional learning. Although teachers are not responsible for this proliferation, they are nonetheless expected to navigate an ever-expanding body of literature and integrate research-based evidence into their practice. This article identifies the oversupply of publications as a barrier to English as an additional language (EAL) teachers’ meaningful engagement with research. After providing some background to the changing publishing landscape, I highlight the importance of fostering teachers’ transformative engagement with research-generated knowledge. I propose nurturing EAL teachers’ interpretive capacity, which encompasses critical reading, contextual awareness, and critical emotional literacy. I conclude the article with some implications for contextualizing theoretical ideas and for developing professional knowledge and competencies that are personally meaningful, locally grounded, and socially relevant.