Bridging the research‐practice divide: Insights from a Korean online Community of Practice

Abstract This study introduces the case of a Korean online Community of Practice (CoP) as a venue for researcher‐practitioner dialogue, following persistent calls from instructed second language acquisition researchers to foster links between research and practice. Given the neglected role of teachers in bridging the gap between research and practice in prior research, this study utilizes a netnographic approach to explore interactions among L2 teachers within an online CoP for in‐service teachers. The study (1) explores how an online CoP can support connecting research and practice and (2) identifies which teachers have the potential to serve as brokers between research and practice. The findings highlight the importance of a bottom‐up approach based on teachers’ voluntary participation and teachers' trust within the teacher community. Further, disseminating research results through in‐service teachers with firsthand classroom experience was effective. Pedagogical implications highlight the importance of teacher testimonies and recommend that professional development actively leverage teacher brokers' expertise in translating scholarly research into actionable classroom strategies.