Mentoring through one’s own inquiry: Exploratory action research of pre-service English teachers’ home reading

Authors

Nataliia Tuchyna H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7860-0688
Lada Krasovytska H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8870-2351
Olena Chekhratova H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7022-2042

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34142/2709-7986.2026.31.1.20

Keywords:

exploratory action research, reading for pleasure, intervention, scaffolding

Abstract

Purpose. Exploratory action research (EAR) is crucial for equipping pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills they need for continuous professional development. The aim of this article is to outline how university teachers can develop their own EAR skills to become reflective practitioners and, in turn, mentor their mentees (pre-service teacher trainees and in-service schoolteachers) in conducting educational research. We believe that gaining field experience should include solving practice problems through exploration, intervention, and reflective analysis.

Methodology. The methodology combines a critical reading of the action-research literature, reflection on our own teaching, and empirical study of our daily work as educators (lesson observation, surveys, and quantitative and qualitative essay analysis). The topic concerned the reluctance of a number of pre-service English teachers to engage in reading for pleasure. At H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, 88 Year 2–3 trainees consented to a questionnaire; 46 Year 2 students of that group also wrote a short essay; and one teaching group of 15 (drawn from the 46) was observed and took part in the intervention.

Results. The project reshaped our understanding of how to support pleasure-based reading. Teachers should prioritise texts that match individual interests rather than one-size-fits-all assignments; help students build confidence by offering graded options and scaffolded support; and create space for students to choose modern genres. It is vital to develop academic reading skills separately from reading-for-pleasure routines so that students do not associate English solely with stress.

Conclusions. The EAR cycle helped us, as teacher educators, better understand the benefits of action research and the challenges our students face at each phase of it. The experience will be invaluable for mentoring and scaffolding their research during teaching practice.

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Author Biographies

Nataliia Tuchyna, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine

Ph.D. in Education, Professor, Head of the Department of English Philology, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Lada Krasovytska, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine

Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor, Department of English Philology, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Olena Chekhratova, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine

Ph.D. in Education, Associate Professor, Department of English Speech and Writing, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

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Published

2026-05-18

How to Cite

Tuchyna, N., Krasovytska, L., & Chekhratova, O. (2026). Mentoring through one’s own inquiry: Exploratory action research of pre-service English teachers’ home reading. Educational Challenges, 31(1), 285-300. https://doi.org/10.34142/2709-7986.2026.31.1.20