1 TEACHERS DOING RESEARCH: FROM APPREHENSION TO FEARLESS! Ana Gil-Garcia The American University in Cairo Cairo, Egypt “Research is neither chore nor ego trip. Arguably, it is therapy. It is a powerful form of professional development” Campbell, 2004. Abstract Classroom educators do not see themselves as researchers. The day-to-day instructional job is not perceived as conducive to any type of investigation that would support the important task of educating youngsters. Frequently, teachers seek responses to their assessment obstacles expressed in the form of low student performance, outside the classroom walls. They do not perceive themselves as data analysts and information processing individuals. In fact, most teachers are reluctant to believe that the systematic data gathering happening in the classroom is of value and significance. In an Armenian educational context, teachers embarked on the process of observing learning; describing, collecting, recording, scoring, and interpreting information about a student's or one's own learning. As they engage in this daily and systematic process, teachers are conducting research unintentionally. The main purpose of this study is to introduce Armenian classroom teachers to the world of formal educational research by utilizing their own assessment data systematically collected in the day-to-day lessons. Through a 18 hours inservice training on teachers doing research, twenty five participants teamed to work nineteen activities. A 10-items survey collected not only demographic information but data on research base knowledge, the use of classroom assessment for instructional decision making, and action research practices. The findings revealed discrepancies in knowledge and familiarity with educational research, limited use of classroom data for research purpose, and teachers’ perception that teaching and research are unrelated concepts and practices. The discussion revolves around the fact that research in a complex system should not be reduced to the higher education classrooms and academics as it is perceived, but it has to be expanded to the K-12 classrooms making teachers the main players of the known multiple practices of research inquiry. Keywords: Classroom research, teacher, assessment, research knowledge, data use, research skills Introduction The word research creates action paralysis in teachers. They lack of confidence and self-recognition on their knowledge base on the basic principles of sound research practices, including terminology, the development and use of research methodologies and techniques, familiarity with research standards and designs, and ethical principles in research quality. Research literacy is a foreign term that is progressively arriving to school systems. It is becoming less stressful as it is more encouraged by the new research movements on using research for instructional and sound decision making. The research conducted by teachers is an approach to educational innovation, which radically departs from the conventional approach (Mehrmohammadi, 2004). Increasingly, familiarity with alternatives to traditional research designs and approaches are unveiling teachers’ capability and willingness in the use of classroom investigation. Teacher conducting research has become an international dilemma. Very often most research conferences around the globe invite teachers to present their research studies and findings. That specific target audience for research and educational forums are creating a new and emerging group of specialists that are in direct contact with their subjects, the students, and are using their research studies to solve pedagogical and didactical practices affecting the achievement levels of their students. But still, numerous teachers may endure the incapability to frame meaningful problems thus let pass the chance to play a role in the expansion of the professional knowledge that would be created through action research.