Towards Equitable, Bi-directional, and Reflexive Research Collaborations in English Language Teaching

Although teacher-researcher and international research collaborations have the potential for relevant, responsive, and robust research, such collaborations can be difficult to form and navigate when ethical challenges, power imbalances, and differing cultural norms are not fully considered and explored. The authors in this chapter provide lessons from collaborations in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Myanmar, and address questions including: who determines research topics, questions, and design; what is the most culturally appropriate way to protect human subjects; how is access to research venues and participants negotiated and nurtured; how are data collected and analyzed without marginalizing researchers; and how are findings best shared and reciprocity maintained? The chapter provides personal accounts of how to promote ethical, bi-directional, and reflexive collaborative research that can result in relevant and robust findings.