‘Policy-Actor Research’ IN, ON and FOR Language Classrooms

This paper addresses the question: How might language educators and researchers work with policy makers in order to effect educational changes through active engagement in education research in the contemporary knowledge economy? Primarily situated in the context of Australia, this article provides a preliminary exploration of the possibilities presented by 'Policy-Actor Research', an approach to generating and spreading multilingual and multicultural knowledge IN, ON and FOR classrooms. This approach also engages in the review and production of multiple sources of qualitative and quantitative research evidence, whether it may be historical, sociological, pedagogical, political, economic, or lingistic. Central to this transformative teaching and research approach is firstly, its challenge to the traditional way of thinking of what 'policymakers' should be; and secondly, its production and advocating of evidence that actively elaborates role transformations for language educators from being just language teachers to teacher-researchers and pro-active 'policy actors'. The expected outcomes would be: (1) to make effect the policy-making processes in language education through active engagement in education research, and (2) to contribute to an attempt that builds sustainable and global language policies in this globalised knowledge society in the long run.