The Teacher as a Researcher: Transforming Professional Practice from Experience to ResearchBased Self-Reflection

This article explores the changing role of the teacher in the twenty-first century, considering how historical educational values can be connected with research-based professional practice. It argues that experience remains an important resource but is no longer sufficient on its own in a rapidly changing educational environment shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence. The teacher as researcher identifies problems in classroom practice, investigates their causes, gathers evidence, tests appropriate interventions, and reflects on the results. Drawing on the author’s professional experience, the article discusses concerns raised by teachers about students’ declining interest in literary texts and presents the project “Our Knight in the Panther’s Skin: When the Epic Comes Alive through Students’ Voices” as an example of rethinking literature teaching. Through podcasts, a “Tree of Knowledge” resource, student work, and personal interpretations, learners were encouraged to engage actively with the text. The experience illustrates how research-oriented reflection can inform teaching decisions and support continuing professional development. The article concludes that research should not be viewed as an additional burden, but as an integral part of effective teaching and professional growth