ACTION RESEARCH AS A FUNDAMENTAL PRACTICE FOR MOROCCAN EFL TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The current study sought to discover how Moroccan EFL teachers used action research (AR) to advance their professionalism and provide more educational opportunities for their students. Four EFL teachers took part in the study as research participants, which employed a qualitative case study methodology. By encouraging them to take part in AR workshops, group meetings, and an AR project, the research participants were given assistance in comprehending the steps of AR. Through group meeting discussions, interviews, observation, and recording, several data sources were gathered. According to the results, all teacher participants gained valuable knowledge regarding their teaching methods and students' academic progress. The results also demonstrated that participating in AR had inspired participants to be more thoughtful and given them the tools to do research in their own classroom. Despite the study's encouraging and positive findings, instructors' personal needs and motivations for doing action research to evaluate their instruction ultimately determine if it is successful. Since this study also emphasises the significance of collegial dialogues in strengthening teachers' practise, appropriate support should be given to instructors to enable them to conduct AR, including group discussion meetings. It is legitimate to suggest that Moroccan educational or institutional leaders provide instructors the freedom to take the initiative and use action research to further their professional development
Keywords: Action Research, Collaborative Action Research, Professional Development, Reflective Practice, Collegial Dialogue.