Autoethnography as a Research Methodology in <scp>TESOL</scp>

Abstract In this article, I discuss autoethnography as a qualitative research methodology that has been increasingly adopted by scholars in TESOL in the last decade. My goal is to introduce this methodology to colleagues who are preparing to use autoethnography in their research and I expect that introduction to take them to other resources in the broader methodological literature. For that purpose, I share a historical background and key conceptual underpinnings of autoethnography, which is followed by the summary of two examples of how TESOL colleagues utilized autoethnography in their studies published in TESOL Quarterly . Then, I present guidelines for colleagues to accomplish rigorous research in their autoethnographies and some potential research tasks that could use autoethnography as a methodology. Closing the article, I annotate a variety of recommended readings in two parts: (1) resources to understand the methodological procedures of autoethnography, and (2) resources to see examples of autoethnographic studies conducted by colleagues within the field of TESOL.

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Publication Details

Journal
TESOL Quarterly
Published
2026-04-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.70122
Primary Topic
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Autoethnography as a Research Methodology in TESOL

Bedrettin Yazan
TESOL Quarterly
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
article

Autoethnography as a Research Methodology in TESOL

Bedrettin Yazan
article en

Abstract

Abstract In this article, I discuss autoethnography as a qualitative research methodology that has been increasingly adopted by scholars in TESOL in the last decade. My goal is to introduce this methodology to colleagues who are preparing to use autoethnography in their research and I expect that introduction to take them to other resources in the broader methodological literature. For that purpose, I share a historical background and key conceptual underpinnings of autoethnography, which is followed by the summary of two examples of how TESOL colleagues utilized autoethnography in their studies published in TESOL Quarterly . Then, I present guidelines for colleagues to accomplish rigorous research in their autoethnographies and some potential research tasks that could use autoethnography as a methodology. Closing the article, I annotate a variety of recommended readings in two parts: (1) resources to understand the methodological procedures of autoethnography, and (2) resources to see examples of autoethnographic studies conducted by colleagues within the field of TESOL.

TESOL Quarterly
The University of Texas at San Antonio (US)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Posthumanist Ethics and Activism
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