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Conducting Action Research in the Foreign Language Classroom

Decent Essays

CONDUCTING ACTION RESEARCH IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
Northeast Conference 1998
New York, NY

Anna Uhl Chamot Sarah Barnhardt Susan Dirstine Materials Contributor: Jennifer Kevorkian

National Capital Language Resource Center 2011 Eye Street NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20006

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTER GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY/ THE CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS/ THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY NORTHEAST CONFERENCE 1998 CONDUCTING ACTION RESEARCH
Foreign language teachers develop insights into their students’ learning from observing their behavior. Reflective teachers analyze the students’ behaviors, identify potential problems, modify their teaching practices, and evaluate the results. Some ideas succeed; …show more content…

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Why do some of the students seem to master information much faster? Is my knowledge of multiple intelligences being transferred to my classroom instruction?

Then pick the topic of the question that interests you most.

Examples: learning strategies, portfolio assessment or computer technology in the classroom.

Developing a List of Questions Related to the Topic:
What are some questions you have on this topic? If you have a topic/problem you would like to address, but you are not quite sure what aspect to investigate, coming up with a list of questions is the next step. Why? In order to help narrow your topic/problem statement to a research question. How? Keep a journal. (see Keeping a Research Journal, p. 5)

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Determining Resources:
Do I have the resources I need? This is another phase in defining and refining your research question. Why? Each teacher research is bound by resource; these need to be taken into account before settling on a research topic. Before you choose a research question, be sure you will be able to answer it. Do you have the resources to do so? Does your school have the necessary equipment for data collection? Are there instruments to measure what your research calls for? If not, are you prepared to develop instruments?

How? Check your physical resources, such as audio/video equipment. Do some reading in the current literature if the data collection instruments are available. Ask relevant

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